Temporal Dominion

The training hall was empty, save for a single figure.

Darren Voss stood in the center, his fists clenched, his breath ragged. He had lost.

Not just any loss. A humiliating defeat.

He could still hear the whispers. The murmurs of the students who had watched him fall to Lucian Vale.

The son of an influential family, bested by some no-name commoner.

His grip tightened as his kinetic aura flared around him, crackling with energy. He struck the air with a punch, sending a shockwave through the room—but it wasn't enough.

Lucian had surpassed him. And that was unacceptable.

Darren had spent his whole life training, honing his abilities. He had always been one of the strongest. And yet, in front of everyone, he had lost.

To Lucian Vale.

The mere thought made his blood boil.

He needed more power.

A Family's Disappointment

But before Darren could push his training further, his communicator buzzed.

He hesitated, seeing the name flashing on the screen.

Darton Voss.

His father.

Darren exhaled sharply before answering. "Father."

The voice that responded was cold, carrying the weight of deep disappointment.

"Darren. What exactly was that disgraceful display?"

Darren's jaw clenched.

"I underestimated him," he admitted.

There was a long silence before his father spoke again.

"You lost to a no-name," Voss said, his voice dripping with scorn. "A boy with no background, no legacy, and yet he crushed you in front of the entire Academy."

Darren stayed silent.

"Do you know how humiliating it was to hear the other families whispering about you? About how the 'Kross heir' was bested by some nobody?"

Darren's breathing grew heavier.

He knew what was coming next.

"And to make matters worse, your own cousin is thriving. Elara has secured her place among the Academy's top ten elites, while you—"

Darren's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"While you are a disappointment."

The words cut deeper than they should have.

He had always been compared to Elara. She was their family's golden prodigy, rising through the ranks with grace and power. And now, after his loss, that comparison had become a gaping wound.

"If you cannot redeem yourself," Voss continued, "then you are of no use to our name."

The call ended.

Darren stood there, his whole body trembling.

Not from fear.

Not from sadness.

From rage.

He had trained for years. He had fought and clawed his way to the top. And now, after a single loss, he was being cast aside?

He needed more power.

As if answering his unspoken desire, the lights in the hall flickered.

The air grew heavy.

And then—a voice.

"Your anger is consuming you."

Darren spun around, his instincts flaring. Someone was here.

From the shadows, a figure emerged. Cloaked in darkness, their presence carried an unnatural weight.

"Who are you?" Darren demanded, his aura flaring.

The figure chuckled, stepping forward with measured grace. "Someone who understands your pain. Someone who can help you."

Darren's eyes narrowed. "Help me? How?"

The figure tilted their head. "You crave power, don't you? The kind that would make sure you never lose again. The kind that would let you crush Lucian Vale beneath your feet."

Darren's breathing hitched.

Power.

That was what he needed.

"And you can give me that?" Darren asked, his voice laced with both skepticism and desire.

The figure extended a hand, a dark energy swirling around their fingers. "I can give you more than power. I can give you dominance. Strength beyond anything the Academy teaches. Strength that will ensure you never have to feel weak again."

Darren stared at the dark energy, something deep within him stirring.

A part of him hesitated.

This wasn't normal. This wasn't how things were supposed to be done.

But then he remembered Lucian. The way the crowd had cheered for him. The way people whispered about him, as if he were something special.

And then, he heard his father's words again.

"You are a disappointment."

Darren's hesitation crumbled.

He would not be second to Lucian Vale.

He reached out—

And the moment his fingers touched the swirling darkness, a surge of power flooded his body.

Pain and euphoria mixed as his kinetic energy twisted, darkened—became something more.

Something destructive.

His veins burned, his vision sharpened. He could feel it—his power evolving.

The figure's voice echoed in his mind.

Darren grinned, his eyes gleaming with a newfound hunger.

Lucian Vale wouldn't even know what hit him.