Lacosta

In a world where time is a weapon and the System governs all, Lin Wei is just another name on a list—until the day he awakens an ability that shouldn't exist. With enforcers hunting him and the city’s underbelly teeming with secrets, his only chance at survival is mastering his newfound power: Time Manipulation.  

But bending time comes at a cost. Each use brings him closer to unraveling not just the System’s grip on reality, but his own past—one erased, rewritten, and buried beneath layers of deception. As he pieces together the truth, Lin Wei is thrust into a war between those who seek to control time and those who dare to break free from it.  

With every second stolen, the lines between fate and free will blur. The deeper he dives, the more dangerous the choices become. Will he dismantle the System, reshape history, or lose himself in the fractures of time itself?  

Because not all timelines are meant to be saved—and some should never exist at all.

Fractured Eternity

Lin Wei barely had time to process what had just happened. His breathing was uneven, his muscles aching from the strain of pulling both himself and Ren out of the drone's line of fire. Time had bent, compressing their movement forward, but now the aftershock of using such a technique was catching up to him.

His vision flickered, the edges of his sight warping like ripples in disturbed water. His system flashed warnings in his mind—Overuse detected. Synchronization unstable.

He shook his head, forcing himself to stay grounded. They had more pressing matters.

The enforcer he had sent crashing into the wall was already getting back up, its movements eerily mechanical, like a machine reassembling itself. Sparks crackled across its armor as its visor rebooted, scanning them with a renewed intensity. The reinforcements were closing in. They had less than a minute before they were completely surrounded.

Ren crouched behind a collapsed section of a transport unit, quickly swapping out his pistol's energy cartridge. "Wei, I don't know how much more of your magic tricks you've got left, but we need an exit—fast."

Lin Wei clenched his fists. He wasn't sure either. His control over time had grown, but it was still unstable. The last thing he needed was another system failure mid-fight.

Think. There's always a way out.

The alleyway opened into a freight passageway up ahead—an old loading dock used for smuggling shipments out of the district. It was dangerous, but it was their best chance.

"Follow me." Lin Wei broke into a sprint, ignoring the dull ache pulsing through his body.

The enforcer's visor flashed red. "Engaging pursuit."

The drones whirred to life, firing a new volley of energy rounds.

Lin Wei felt the shift before it happened. His system pulsed, and the world tilted.

He grabbed Ren by the wrist and yanked him down just as a barrage of plasma fire streaked overhead. The air behind them exploded, chunks of metal and debris scattering across the passage. The force sent them rolling forward, Lin Wei barely managing to shield his face as they skidded across the wet ground.

Ren coughed. "I really hope you planned that."

"Not exactly." Lin Wei groaned, pushing himself up. They were losing time.

Ahead, the entrance to the freight tunnels loomed—a heavy steel door, rusted but still operational. Lin Wei reached out, his fingers skimming over the old control panel. He pressed down.

His chest tightened. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy.

The sound of metal crunching behind them told him the enforcer was closer than they had time for. The drones repositioned, their targeting systems locking in.

If logic failed—time had to answer.

His palm pressed against the control panel, and this time, instead of waiting for it to respond—he pushed.

A deep, vibrating hum resonated beneath his fingertips as his ability latched onto the old mechanics of the lock. Time unraveled around it, dragging the device backward into a state where it had once been functional.

For a split second, he saw it—a ghost of the past. The door's mechanisms undoing years of rust, reverting, clicking back into place.

Lin Wei shoved the door open. "Move!"

Ren didn't need to be told twice. They dived in just as the enforcer lunged.

The steel door slammed shut behind them.

For the first time in what felt like hours, there was silence.

Lin Wei let out a shaky breath, pressing his back against the wall. His body was trembling from the overuse of his ability, his mind fraying at the edges.

Ren gave him a look. "That thing you did just now... How much more of that can you handle?"

Lin Wei forced a grin, though exhaustion clung to him.

"Let's hope I don't have to find out."

Fractured Momentum