Chapter 2: Rewind

Chronos saw it, his younger brother's shadow flickering amidst the chaos of battle. Or so he thought.

He froze, his breath hitching as he stared ahead, momentarily forgetting the fight raging around him. That hesitation cost him.

Evangeline seized the opportunity, unleashing a powerful magical spell. It struck him hard, sending him crashing to the ground, gasping for air.

"Not very soldier-like to get distracted in battle, Chronos," Evangeline smirked, striding closer.

"You little wretch!" he spat, wiping blood from his lips. "Using my late brother as a weakness… that's pure wickedness."

"Oh, please." She scoffed, tilting her head mockingly. "Only the cunning and ruthless rule the world, not meek little sheep like you."

"Summon the others," Arianna commanded.

"Roger," one of the Nine Lords responded before vanishing into the shadows.

Moments later, the Nine Lords of Oblivion encircled Chronos like vultures, their eyes gleaming with contempt.

"Well, if it isn't an old friend," a familiar voice echoed.

Chronos lifted his head slowly, his chest tightening. "Dray… What happened to you? Why did you choose this path?"

Dray dusted off his hands, his expression unreadable. "Certain things led me here," he said, voice cold. "But I'm in it now—completely."

He exhaled sharply, his gaze darkening. "Let's just get this over with."

Darius walked forward "I'll see you in the afterlife," Darius murmured, his massive scythe crackling with soulfire.

Chronos gritted his teeth. He had failed. Again.

As the blade swung down, tearing through his skin,

His body screamed in pain, his lungs burned, but he clenched his teeth. He wouldn't beg for mercy. He had fought too hard, sacrificed too much.

Then, the golden clock gifted to him by his father before he died, his greatest treasure began to tick. Backward.

TICK.

The world trembled.

TICK.

A golden glow engulfed his body, spreading like wildfire.

TICK.

A chime echoed in his mind.

[Time Valour System Activation: Fatal Event Detected.]

[Initiating Temporal Regression…]

Everything froze.

The battlefield shattered like glass, his surroundings dissolving into endless darkness. Time itself unraveled before his eyes, golden threads weaving around him.

A force unlike anything he had ever known pulled him backward through war, through blood, through pain until there was nothing but silence.

Chronos gasped, his body jolting upright. His breath came in ragged pants as his hands scrambled against the soft fabric beneath him.

No blood. No corpses. No battlefield.

Instead, he found himself in a dimly lit barracks, the familiar scent of oil and steel lingering in the air. His heart pounded as he turned to the polished metal mirror beside his bed.

A stranger stared back at him.

Or rather a younger version of himself.

His reflection was not the battle-hardened warrior of war-torn years, but the face of a twenty year old recruit. The sharp lines of his future self were gone, replaced by youthful skin and eyes that had not yet seen betrayal.

"This… this isn't possible…"

Then, the notifications appeared.

[Time Valour System Online.]

{Welcome, Player, to the Infinite Expanse of the Time Paradox.

System Initialization Complete.

Host Designation: [User Recognized]

Current Temporal Alignment: [Stable]

Paradox Stability: 98.7% (Optimal)

{Beginner's Reward Granted:Infinite XP]

{The boundless potential of time itself fuels your growth. No limit shall constrain your ascent}

[Mission: Prevent the Rise of the Nine Lords of Oblivion.]

[Special Trait Unlocked: Temporal Insight – You retain knowledge of all future events.]

Chronos swallowed hard. He had done the impossible. He had gone back twenty years in the past.

"This is insane!" Chronos muttered to himself. "How did I end up here? And why does my system feel more talkative now?"

A whirlwind of questions stormed his mind. He was on the brink of confusion. What had triggered this? How did it happen? Everything felt surreal.

A sudden knock on the door jolted him from his thoughts.

"Chronos, you awake?"

That voice, he knew it.

Julius. His closest friend in the Wilston academy. One of the first to die in the original timeline.

Chronos took a deep breath, forcing his expression into something neutral. "Yeah. I'm awake."

The door creaked open, and Julius stepped in, grinning. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

If only you knew…

Chronos exhaled and nodded. "Just… had a weird dream."

Julius chuckled, tossing him a training sword. "Well, shake it off. Today's our first real test against the senior cadets. You don't want to get your ass kicked, do you?" A playful smirk tugged at his lips.

Chronos smiled, suppressing the urge to say, I missed you so much, bro. But he couldn't. It would only raise questions, maybe even disrupt the timeline.

"I don't think I will," he smirked. He still retained his memories, but this body his younger self, wasn't yet capable of keeping up with the movements and skills of his future self.

Julius clapped his shoulder. "Get ready quick, then. I'll be waiting." With that, he walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Just as Chronos turned, the worst-case scenario happened.

By the window, he saw something or rather, someone. Himself.

His heart pounded as he rushed toward the window, but when he got there, it was nothing. No one. The figure had vanished.

Brushing it off, he let out a breath and turned to the mirror.

He stared at his reflection, taking in his youthful features.

"Damn… I've wanted this youthfulness again, and now I finally have it." He smirked, running a hand through his hair.

"Still as handsome as ever," he mused, gazing into the mirror like he could get lost in it.