Temporal Dominion

Lucian's heart pounded as he stood in the ruins, his mind reeling from what had just transpired. The world had frozen—time itself had stopped—and yet, he had remained aware, untouched by its stillness.

And then… the figure.

The memory of those hollow, empty eyes sent a cold shudder through him. The being had spoken to him, called to him.

You are unshackled.

The words refused to leave his mind.

"Lucian!"

Elara's voice snapped him back to reality. She grabbed his wrist, her grip firm. "You're scaring me. What just happened?"

Lucian swallowed hard, glancing around. The forest had returned to its normal state—wind rustling through the trees, the distant hum of the academy's energy fields pulsing in the background. But he knew better.

Something had changed.

He turned to Elara, trying to find the right words. "I… saw something."

Elara's expression darkened. "Something? Like what?"

Lucian hesitated. If he told her the truth—that time itself had frozen and a shadowed entity had spoken to him—would she even believe him?

Elara's eyes searched his face. "Lucian," she said, quieter now. "Was it… connected to what happened earlier?"

He exhaled. "I think so."

Her grip tightened. "Then we can't stay here." She looked around, then lowered her voice. "We need to get back to the academy."

Lucian wasn't sure if going back would make a difference, but standing in this place—where time itself had just fractured—wasn't something he wanted to risk.

He gave a small nod. "Let's go."

—

They walked in silence, moving through the forest's winding paths.

Lucian barely registered the crunch of leaves underfoot, his mind caught in a storm of confusion.

Unshackled. What does that mean?

He clenched his fists. More than anything, it felt like something inside him had been awakened. The air around him felt sharper, his senses more attuned to the world in a way they had never been before.

And yet, something about it felt wrong—like a weight pressing against the edge of his consciousness.

Elara stole a glance at him. "You look like you're about to pass out."

Lucian exhaled through his nose. "I'm fine."

She frowned but didn't push further.

As they neared the academy gates, the towering walls of Eldrin Academy loomed ahead. The academy's sprawling campus was still alive with activity—even at night, students trained under the watchful eyes of instructors, honing their Evolver abilities.

Lucian and Elara slipped through the entrance, avoiding the more populated areas. It wasn't that they weren't allowed outside at night, but questions would be raised—questions neither of them wanted to answer.

Once inside the dimly lit halls of the dormitories, Elara finally spoke again.

"Lucian."

He turned to face her.

Her silver eyes studied him carefully. "Whatever happened back there… it wasn't normal, was it?"

Lucian clenched his jaw. "No."

Elara hesitated. "And you—" She stopped, as if unsure how to word what she wanted to say.

Lucian exhaled. "Just say it."

She folded her arms. "You felt something, didn't you? When time stopped?"

Lucian's fingers twitched. He thought about denying it, but what was the point?

"…Yeah."

Elara was quiet for a moment. Then, she nodded. "Okay."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

She met his gaze. "I don't know what's happening to you, Lucian. But I do know that you're not alone in this."

Something in his chest tightened.

For so long, he had been on the outside—watching as the world passed him by, powerless to do anything about it. But now… something was different.

And Elara wasn't leaving.

He gave her a small nod. "Thanks."

Elara smirked. "Don't thank me yet. We still have no idea what's going on."

Lucian sighed. "Yeah."

He turned to leave—

And then it happened again.

A pulse.

Not in the air, but inside him.

Lucian gasped, clutching his chest as a burning sensation bloomed beneath his skin.

Elara's eyes widened. "Lucian?"

He stumbled, catching himself against the wall. His vision blurred, symbols flashing in his mind—unfamiliar markings, shifting like living things.

And then—

A chime.

Faint. Distant. The same sound he had heard before.

Lucian gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain. And as he did—

Something shifted in his vision.

For the briefest moment, he saw two versions of the hallway. One, as it was now. The other—a second later, with Elara reaching toward him.

Then the visions collapsed back into one.

Lucian gasped for air, the burning sensation fading.

Elara grabbed his arm. "Lucian, what just happened?"

He looked up at her, his breath shaky.

"I think…" He swallowed, forcing the words out.

"I think I just saw the future."