Temporal Dominion

The sun hung low over Valeria, casting golden light across the towering spires and sprawling streets of Eldrin Academy, one of the most prestigious institutions for young Evolvers—those gifted with extraordinary abilities. The academy grounds buzzed with life as students trained, sparred, and tested the limits of their supernatural powers. Some conjured fire from their palms, others manipulated the wind, and a few bent the very earth beneath their feet.

And then there was Lucian Vale—an anomaly among them.

He stood at the edge of a wide training field, his dark hair tousled by the wind as he watched his classmates hone their abilities. Unlike them, he possessed no Awakening, no power coursing through his veins. In a world where strength defined one's worth, he was less than ordinary.

A whistle cut through the air.

"Vale!"

Lucian turned, already knowing what was coming. Darren Voss, the son of a high-ranking noble, smirked as he approached, his blond hair gleaming in the fading sunlight. He was flanked by a few of his usual followers, each of them radiating confidence—the kind that came with knowing they would always be superior.

"You just gonna stand there all day?" Darren sneered. "Oh, wait. I forgot. There's nothing for you to train."

A few chuckles followed, but Lucian remained silent, his fingers curling into his palms. He had learned long ago that fighting back with words only made things worse.

"Maybe if you wish hard enough, you'll Awaken someday," another student chimed in mockingly.

Lucian exhaled slowly. Ignore them. Just walk away.

He turned to leave, but before he could take a step, a sudden force slammed into his shoulder. He staggered backward, barely keeping his balance.

"Oops," Darren said, flexing his hand, the faint glow of Kinetic Force fading from his fingertips. "Guess you should've seen that coming."

Lucian clenched his teeth. The rational part of him screamed to let it go—but deep down, there was something else. A quiet, buried frustration that gnawed at him.

Why was he the only one born powerless?

Why was he the only one left behind?

"What's wrong, Vale?" Darren leaned in, voice dripping with amusement. "You mad? Gonna hit me? Oh, wait—you can't."

Lucian held his ground, forcing himself to breathe evenly. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction. He had endured worse before. This was nothing.

Then, a voice broke through the tension.

"That's enough."

The group turned as Professor Alden, one of the academy's instructors, approached with a stern gaze. His presence alone was enough to make Darren step back.

"Is there a problem here?" Alden asked, his sharp eyes moving between them.

Darren feigned innocence. "Not at all, professor. We were just helping Vale here feel included."

Alden's expression didn't change, but his next words carried weight. "Get to your training. Now."

Darren hesitated before scoffing. "Whatever. The powerless freak isn't worth it anyway."

With that, he and his group dispersed, their laughter fading into the distance.

Lucian exhaled, loosening his clenched fists. He glanced at Alden, expecting a lecture, but the professor merely studied him with an unreadable expression.

"You're not weak, Lucian," Alden said finally. "Not in the way they think."

Lucian frowned. "I have no power. In this world, that makes me weak."

Alden was silent for a moment before responding, "Strength isn't always about power. Sometimes, it's about endurance."

Lucian didn't reply. The words were meant to be reassuring, but they rang hollow. Endurance could only carry him so far in a world where power ruled.

As Alden walked away, Lucian cast his gaze upward, watching as the sky darkened with the approach of night.

Somewhere deep inside him, a part of him refused to accept this fate.

Somewhere deep inside, a force long dormant was waiting.

And soon, time itself would awaken.

---

The Weight of Powerlessness

The night breeze carried a chill as Lucian walked the dimly lit pathways of Eldrin Academy, his thoughts heavy. The day's events replayed in his mind—the taunts, the humiliation, the unshakable feeling of being lesser.

For as long as he could remember, he had been different.

In Valeria, every child was expected to Awaken their power by the age of ten. Some earlier, some later—but never had there been a case of someone not Awakening at all. Yet, at seventeen, Lucian remained an anomaly, a powerless existence in a world where ability dictated worth.

He glanced around the campus. Even at this hour, students were training, their abilities illuminating the night. Fire crackled in the hands of a young girl, lightning danced around another's fingertips, and a boy wove illusions into the air like an artist painting on an invisible canvas.

Lucian clenched his fists.

No matter how hard he trained, no matter how much effort he put in, he could never reach them.

Never stand beside them.

Never be one of them.

A deep sigh escaped him as he reached the edge of the training fields. He often came here when the academy grew quiet, where he could be alone, free from judgment. He sat on the cool grass, gazing up at the vast sky. The stars stretched endlessly, as if mocking his insignificance.

"Is this all I'll ever be?"

The thought was bitter. No matter how much he tried to suppress it, the question lingered, gnawing at him.

Then, a voice broke the silence.

"You're out late again."

Lucian turned to see Elara Voss, a fellow student, standing a few feet away. Unlike the others, she didn't look down on him. If anything, she was one of the few who treated him like a person rather than an outcast.

Elara was an Evolver, of course. Her ability allowed her to manipulate shadows, bending them to her will. But she never flaunted her power the way others did.

Lucian gave a half-hearted shrug. "Couldn't sleep."

Elara walked closer, her silver eyes studying him. "Let me guess. Darren again?"

Lucian let out a dry chuckle. "That obvious?"

"You always come here after something happens." She sat beside him, her gaze drifting to the sky. "You shouldn't let them get to you."

"Easy for you to say," Lucian muttered. "You actually have power. You belong here."

Elara was silent for a moment before she spoke. "You know, I used to think power defined everything too. But… I don't think that's true anymore."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what changed your mind?"

She hesitated before answering, "I've seen people with power who are still weak. And I've seen those without power who are stronger than anyone realizes."

Lucian scoffed. "Sounds poetic. But in reality? Power means everything."

Elara didn't argue. Instead, she shifted the conversation. "What will you do, then? Just keep enduring?"

Lucian didn't have an answer.

What could he do? Keep pretending he belonged in a world that had already cast him aside?

He looked at his hands, as if expecting something—anything—to change. But they remained ordinary.

"Maybe I really am just… powerless."

The thought sent a pang through his chest.

Elara must have sensed his turmoil because she suddenly said, "Come on. I want to show you something."

Lucian frowned. "Now?"

She stood, offering a hand. "Trust me."

After a brief hesitation, he took it.

As they walked, Lucian couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change.

Something big.

And soon, the very fabric of time itself would tremble.

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