Arden Hayes didn't sign up for this. Sure, stopping time sounded cool in theory hero stuff, straight out of Skybound Legends. But standing in the middle of Chrono Academy's training courtyard, surrounded by classmates who already knew their tricks, he felt less like a hero and more like a kid who'd wandered into the wrong game. The courtyard was a wide circle of packed dirt, ringed by stone pillars that hummed faintly, like they were alive. Professor Marrow stood at the center, arms crossed, his gray ponytail whipping in the breeze.
"Pair exercise," Marrow barked, voice carrying over the chatter. "One throws, one weaves. Five minutes. No slacking."
Arden adjusted his glasses, stomach twisting. The rubber ball from yesterday was back in his hand, courtesy of Jaxon Reed, who lounged against a pillar with that smug grin plastered on his face.
"Ready, Dodgeball?" Jaxon called, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see if you can keep up."
"Call me that one more time," Arden muttered, "and I'll stop time just to shove this ball down your throat."
Jaxon laughed, loud and obnoxious. "Big talk. Prove it."
Before Arden could snap back, Marrow clapped his hands. "Begin!"
The courtyard erupted. Balls flew some zipping too fast, others crawling through the air like they were stuck in molasses. A girl to Arden's left yelped as her partner rewound a throw straight into her shin. Across the circle, Mira Kline stood with Tasha, her ball drifting in slow motion, her face calm and focused.
Arden turned back to Jaxon, who was already winding up. "Catch!"
The ball sailed toward him, a lazy arc at first then it jerked, rewinding midair and rocketing back at double speed. Jaxon's trick. Arden's heart jumped. Now! He clenched his fists, chasing that panic from yesterday, and...
Time froze. The ball stopped, inches from his chest, dust particles hanging around it like a halo. Jaxon's grin was locked mid-laugh, one hand still raised. Five seconds ticked in Arden's head one, two, three, four, five and snap, the world kicked back on. He snatched the ball, stumbling but steady.
"Ha!" Arden held it up, grinning. "Got it!"
Jaxon whistled. "Not bad, Hayes. Almost looked intentional."
"It was," Arden lied, tossing the ball back. "Your turn."
Jaxon caught it, smirking, and threw again this time faster, no rewind, straight at Arden's face. Panic hit harder, sharper, and time stopped without Arden even thinking. The ball hovered, Jaxon's arm still extended. One, two, three Arden stepped aside four, five. Time resumed, and the ball thudded into the dirt behind him.
"Too slow!" Arden called, adrenaline buzzing. Maybe he could do this.
"Cocky now, huh?" Jaxon grabbed another ball from a pile nearby. "Let's up the stakes."
He hurled it hard, high, a curveball aimed to clip Arden's shoulder. Arden focused, reaching for that spark, and time froze again. He ducked, counting one, two, three, four but something felt off. The air flickered, a weird ripple running through it, and on five, time didn't just resume. It lurched.
The ball slammed into Mira, who'd been walking behind him to grab water. She gasped, staggering, and dropped to one knee, clutching her arm. The courtyard went quiet, all eyes swinging to Arden.
"Crap!" He rushed over, heart pounding. "Mira, you okay? I didn't mean..."
She waved him off, standing slowly, her braid swinging. "I'm fine. Just… watch it."
"Hayes!" Marrow's voice cracked like a whip. He strode over, eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
"I...I stopped it," Arden stammered, "but it… wobbled or something."
"Wobbled?" Marrow's tone was ice. "You didn't stop it clean. You fractured it sloppy control, too much force. Lucky it was just a ball and not a timeline."
"A timeline?" Arden blinked. "What's that mean?"
"It means," Mira said, brushing dirt off her sleeve, "you're a walking mess right now. I told you, panic's not enough."
"Enough!" Marrow snapped. "Kline, sit out. Hayes, Reed again. Clean this time, or you're scrubbing clocks all week."
Jaxon jogged over, tossing Arden a fresh ball. "Nice going, hero. You owe Mira a soda."
"Shut up," Arden muttered, but guilt gnawed at him. He glanced at Mira, now on a bench, rubbing her arm. She didn't look mad, just disappointed. Worse, somehow.
"Focus," Jaxon said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Throw it. I'll rewind, you stop. Easy."
Arden nodded, gripping the ball. He threw a weak toss, but steady. Jaxon's hand twitched, and the ball zipped back to the start of its arc, rewinding perfectly. Arden reached for his power, slower this time, picturing the stillness instead of chasing panic. Time froze clean, no ripples. One, two, three, four, five. It resumed, and Jaxon caught it, grinning.
"Better," Jaxon said. "Less chaos, more brain."
"Thanks," Arden mumbled, still rattled. He'd stopped it, sure, but Mira's hit replayed in his head. Fractured it? Timeline? What was he even messing with?
Marrow called time, and the courtyard emptied as kids shuffled back inside. Arden lingered, watching Mira head off with Tasha. She didn't look back.
"Rough start," Jaxon said, falling into step beside him. "You'll live."
"Yeah," Arden said, adjusting his glasses. "But I'm starting to think this place might not."
Jaxon laughed, but Arden didn't. That ripple the lurch stuck with him, a warning he didn't understand yet. Whatever time-weaving was, it wasn't just a trick. It was a loaded gun, and he was still fumbling the trigger.