Temporal Dominion

Lucian barely slept.

Every time he closed his eyes, the same whisper echoed in his mind.

"Not yet."

A warning? A message? Or something more sinister?

By the time the first rays of sunlight crept through his window, Lucian had already decided—he couldn't wait for answers to come to him. He had to find them himself.

He rose from his bed, mind still buzzing with the events of the previous night. The figure, the frozen world, the glimpse into the future—it was too much to ignore. If he really had awakened some kind of power, he needed to understand it before it controlled him.

A knock at the door.

Lucian opened it to find Elara, arms crossed, looking at him expectantly. "You look like you didn't sleep."

He smirked tiredly. "I didn't."

She sighed. "Figured. Come on. We need to test this before classes start."

Lucian nodded, stepping out into the hall. The academy was already stirring with life—students moving between training halls, instructors preparing for morning drills.

But the two of them weren't heading to class.

They slipped through the corridors, exiting into the forest just beyond the academy walls.

The same ruins from last night loomed in the distance.

Lucian hesitated. The pull was still there, faint but persistent. As if something inside the ruins was still watching him.

But not now.

Right now, he needed to focus.

Elara turned to him. "Alright. Let's figure out what you can do."

Lucian exhaled, flexing his fingers. "How do we even start?"

Elara tapped her chin. "Well… let's test the future-seeing thing first."

Lucian nodded. That had been the most tangible effect—he had seen a moment before it happened. But was it something he could control?

Elara took a few steps back. "Okay. I'm going to throw a rock at you."

Lucian blinked. "You're what—"

She had already bent down, picked up a small rock, and tossed it toward his chest.

Lucian flinched—

And then, for a fraction of a second—

Time blurred.

The world split into two versions.

In one, the rock was still in Elara's hand. In the other, it was already flying toward him.

Lucian's breath hitched.

He was seeing the future.

It lasted no more than a heartbeat. The images collapsed, and the next moment, he saw the rock actually leave Elara's hand.

His body moved on instinct.

He sidestepped—just as the rock would have hit his chest.

Elara's eyes widened. "You saw it, didn't you?"

Lucian exhaled. "Yeah."

Elara grinned. "Okay, that's amazing."

Lucian's mind raced. If he could see one second ahead… what about more? Could he extend it? Could he control when it happened?

Elara seemed to read his thoughts. "Try it again. But this time, don't just react—focus on triggering it."

Lucian nodded, steadying himself.

Elara grabbed another rock.

He took a deep breath, reaching inward—toward that strange sensation that had emerged last night. The chime, the pulse in his mind.

And then—

The world flickered.

Not just a second this time.

He saw Elara's throw before it even began—her fingers shifting, her stance adjusting.

The vision was clearer than before.

And longer.

Two seconds ahead.

Lucian inhaled sharply.

The vision collapsed.

The present caught up—Elara's arm moved exactly as he had foreseen.

Lucian stepped aside again—effortlessly dodging the rock before it even left her hand.

Elara blinked. "You knew I was gonna throw it?"

Lucian exhaled. "I saw it before you even moved."

Elara let out a low whistle. "Lucian… you're not just reacting anymore. You're predicting."

Lucian clenched his fists.

A second.

Then two seconds.

Could he go further?

A strange excitement bubbled inside him.

This was real. This power—whatever it was—it belonged to him.

Elara smirked. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Lucian huffed. "Maybe a little."

She tossed another rock into the air. "Alright, then. Let's push it further."

Lucian nodded.

And the experiments began.