Temporal Dominion

Lucian stood in the clearing, heart pounding. The exhilaration of what he had just accomplished still buzzed through his veins. He had seen the future—predicted it—and acted before it even happened.

But that wasn't enough.

If this ability was real, if it truly belonged to him, then he needed to push it further.

He looked at Elara. "Let's try something different."

She arched an eyebrow. "Different how?"

Lucian exhaled. "I want to see how far I can look ahead."

Elara frowned, tossing the rock in her hand absentmindedly. "You think you can extend it?"

Lucian nodded. "I already went from one second to two. What if I can go further?"

Elara studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Alright. Let's test it."

She took a step back, tapping her chin in thought. "I'll do something unpredictable. Something you can't just guess based on instinct."

Lucian rolled his shoulders. "Go for it."

Elara smirked. "Alright. Watch closely."

She suddenly took three quick steps to the left, then leaped into the air, twisting mid-jump.

Lucian barely had time to register her movement—until time flickered again.

His mind split.

In one version, she was still standing. In another—she had already completed the jump, landing two feet away.

And then—

A new layer emerged.

Not just one second. Not just two.

Lucian's vision stretched—five seconds ahead.

His eyes widened as he saw Elara perform a completely different move—one she hadn't even started yet. She reached down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it straight at him.

The moment passed.

Reality caught up—Elara landed just as he had foreseen.

But Lucian didn't wait. He had already seen what was coming.

She bent down, fingers brushing the dirt—

Lucian moved first.

He sidestepped, twisting his body.

The handful of dirt flew—but he was already gone.

Elara's eyes widened as the dirt missed completely, scattering harmlessly into the air.

She let out a low whistle. "Lucian. That was at least five seconds ahead."

Lucian's breath was heavy, but excitement coursed through him. "Yeah."

Elara crossed her arms, studying him. "And you didn't just react this time. You acted before I even made the decision."

Lucian nodded, a strange thrill running through him. "I knew what you were going to do before you even did it."

Elara exhaled. "This is insane."

Lucian looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. The power—the sensation of seeing ahead—was intoxicating. But something felt… incomplete.

There was still more.

Elara tilted her head. "Alright, genius. You saw five seconds ahead. But what about—"

A sudden, sharp chime rang in Lucian's mind.

His body tensed.

The world blurred again—

But this time, it wasn't like before.

The vision didn't stop at five seconds.

It didn't show Elara at all.

Instead—

He saw himself.

Standing alone in the clearing.

And then—

The sky darkened.

The trees withered in an instant, their leaves crumbling into dust. The air became heavy—oppressive. The ground beneath his feet cracked, splitting apart like shattered glass.

A cold chill crawled up his spine.

This… wasn't the future of this moment.

It was something else.

Something far ahead.

Something wrong.

Lucian gasped, the vision shattering.

He stumbled back, breath ragged. The world snapped into focus again—Elara still in front of him, the forest still normal.

Elara rushed forward. "Lucian? What happened?"

Lucian's pulse thundered in his ears. He swallowed hard.

"I… I saw something."

Elara frowned. "Like the future?"

Lucian hesitated. "I don't know. It wasn't like before."

Elara's expression darkened. "What did you see?"

Lucian clenched his fists.

"I think…" He took a shaky breath.

"I think I saw something far ahead. And whatever it was—it wasn't good."

Elara's silver eyes locked onto his, her usual confidence faltering.

For the first time, Lucian felt it.

A deep, looming sense of dread.

As if something was watching him.

Waiting.

And the words from the shadowed figure echoed in his mind once more—

"Not yet."