Kael gasped for breath as he stood amidst the bustling city streets, his mind reeling from the flood of memories. Just moments ago, he had died—his home destroyed, his family gone, his beloved Elyra ripped from his grasp. The monstrous infection had reduced the world to ruins, and he had perished in his fury. But now…
He was back.
Back before the catastrophe.
The people around him carried on with their daily lives, unaware of the horror that awaited them. They laughed, they chatted, they rushed to work and school, their faces free of the fear that had once painted every soul he saw in his final moments.
But Kael knew better. He had lived what was about to happen. He had felt the pain of loss, the agony of helplessness. And this time, he would not sit idly by.
His fingers curled into fists as he steadied his breathing. He was no longer the powerless young man who had failed to protect the ones he loved. The moment his memories returned, so did the boundless strength that had once belonged to him—the power of a god.
The power of Chrono Sovereign.
---
The Echoes of Power
Kael turned away from the crowded streets and made his way to an alleyway, away from prying eyes. He needed a moment to himself—to process, to understand, and most importantly, to feel the power that had been returned to him.
He lifted his hand, fingers trembling as a faint golden glow pulsed around his palm. It was subtle, restrained, nothing like the overwhelming force he had wielded at his peak. The seals had been broken, but his strength had not yet fully returned. It would take time to adjust, to unlock the full extent of his divinity.
Still, even a fraction of his true power was enough to change the course of history.
Kael closed his eyes, reaching inward, searching for the core of his essence. The presence of time itself whispered in his mind, the unshakable knowledge that he was no longer bound by its laws. He could feel the invisible threads that connected past, present, and future—the intricate web of cause and effect that governed all existence.
And then, he took his first step beyond time.
The world around him froze.
The sounds of the city died in an instant. People halted mid-stride, their expressions frozen in time. Cars on the street became motionless, birds stopped in mid-flight, even the wind ceased to flow. The entire world had fallen into perfect stillness—except for Kael.
His breath was steady as he walked through the motionless scene, observing the frozen expressions of those around him. It was a familiar sensation, yet strange at the same time. In his past life as a god, manipulating time had been second nature. But in this human body, it felt foreign—like trying to play a melody from a song long forgotten.
He clenched his fist, and the world resumed its motion.
A rush of sound returned in an instant—the chatter of pedestrians, the distant hum of engines, the rustling of wind through the trees. Nobody had noticed the lapse in time. To them, nothing had happened at all.
Kael exhaled. It works.
But it was just the beginning.
---
Preparing for the Storm
Kael didn't have much time. He knew when the first outbreak would occur—less than twenty-four hours from now. The virus that turned humans into monsters would spread like wildfire, mutating its victims into creatures of raw power and destruction. If left unchecked, the world would collapse in days.
But this time, he would be ready.
The first step was strengthening himself. Even with his divine abilities, his mortal body was still adapting. He needed to push his limits, to train his vessel so that it could properly wield his immense power.
His second priority was gathering allies. In his past life, he had fought alone, and he had failed. This time, he would not make the same mistake. There were those who would survive the apocalypse—powerful individuals who would later rise as heroes or villains. If he could find them before disaster struck, he could shape the future itself.
Finally, he had to secure Elyra. She was his anchor, the one person he could not bear to lose. The first time around, he had been too weak to protect her. That would not happen again.
Kael took a deep breath and looked toward the horizon. The sun was setting, casting golden hues over the cityscape. It was beautiful, serene—
And temporary.
Because by this time tomorrow, the world would begin to fall apart.
And he would be the only one who could stop it.
---
To be continued…