The sky was burning.
Not metaphorically, but literally. Colossal flames dyed the clouds scarlet as the last human ships fled the collapsing core of the Nexus. Fragments of reality floated in the air, distorted, as if the very fabric of the universe was unraveling.
On a ruined hill, a man silently watched the end of the world.His name: Zein Valen.
—In the end… no one could stop it —he murmured with a broken voice, as a tear evaporated upon touching his searing cheek.
Zein was not a hero. He never was. Just a war engineer with more scars on his soul than on his body. But even he, the "Last Valen," carried the weight of impossible decisions.
The Nexus —that interdimensional marvel that united worlds— collapsed because of human ambition. They had used it to conquer, to expand, to consume. And when they awakened them, it was already too late.
—There's nothing left to save… only to remake.
Zein walked with steady steps toward a sealed underground bunker. Inside rested a forbidden artifact: the Core of Return.
The sanctuary's interior was a blend of technology and ancient rituals. Floating columns, crystals vibrating with energy, and a central altar in the form of a living sphere. Zein stopped in front of it, observing his distorted reflection.
—This thing… will take everything from me —he said, extending his hand.
A blue flash engulfed the room. The Core reacted to his presence, whispering in a language not of this world.
[Reversion Protocol: Imminent Activation.][Condition: Transfer of memory and vital essence.]
Zein took a deep breath. There was no turning back.
—I have nothing to lose. No body, no time, no future.
His fingers touched the core. An unbearable pain pierced his chest, as if his soul were being torn apart. Images of his past, of his mistakes, of those he lost, flooded him.
His younger sister, vanished in the first collapse.His best friend, turned into an Abyss parasite.The love he let die because he didn't arrive in time.
And then… darkness.
When he opened his eyes, the world was different.
The sky was blue. The trees green. The breeze fresh. He had awakened in a forest clearing, surrounded by ruins covered in vegetation.
Zein sat up, gasping. His body… was young. More than that: it was his body from twenty years ago.
—Did it… work? —he looked at his hands, firm, without scars—. I'm… back.
But something felt off. His heart beat too strongly, his perception was sharp, his breathing… perfect.
He hadn't just returned. He had been reborn.
Zein searched through his memories. Everything was there: formulas, war strategies, blueprints of future weapons… and the horrors that had yet to awaken.
—I have time. And knowledge. This time, I won't make the same mistakes.
But as he looked to the horizon, he saw something else: a female figure, watching him from the shadows of the trees. She said nothing. She just looked at him… as if she had been waiting.
—Who…?
The figure vanished in the blink of an eye.
He stood up, still unsteady. His first objective was clear: reach the capital of Feryan, the Central Empire. According to his memory, in a week an interdimensional artifact would be excavated, marking the beginning of the Abyss entities' awakening.
—If I destroy that artifact… I could change the entire timeline.
But it wouldn't be simple. At this point in time, Zein was a nobody. No influential family, no magic power, no allies. Just another orphan.
—I'll have to start from scratch… but this time, I'll do it right.
Along the way, Zein felt a latent energy within his body. It was as if the temporal journey had altered his vital structure.
He extended his hand and focused his breath. A small sphere of gravitational energy floated above his palm.
—This… I didn't have before.
He had gained something new. An ability that didn't belong to his time nor this world: Singularity Control.
—A power exclusive to the Nexus? Or something I brought with me?
He'd find out soon. Because he wasn't alone on this journey.
That night, while camping under the stars, he felt a presence. Someone was approaching. A powerful aura, but not hostile.
—I knew you'd awaken here —said a feminine voice.
Zein turned. It was the girl from the forest. Tall, hair white as the moon, golden eyes. Her energy… was not human.
—Who are you?
—An ancient observer of the Nexus. And your… connection to the Abyss interests me.
Zein frowned.
—What do you want from me?
—It's not what I want. It's what I need to prevent.
—Zein Valen, you didn't travel through time.—What?
—You died. And the Nexus recreated you using fragments from all the worlds that collapsed.
Zein felt the ground vanish beneath his feet.
—So I'm… not the original?
—Not entirely. But you're the only one who can rewrite what's coming.
She extended her hand.
—Come with me. I'll show you how to stop the end… before it begins.
Zein hesitated… but this time, there was no room for fear.
—Alright. Let's go.