The city never slept. Even at 2 AM, neon kanji glowed across skyscrapers, and the hum of traffic echoed in the distance. But Ka-nar's room was silent—except for his restless heartbeat.
He sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his trembling hands.
That vision… that battlefield… that wasn't a dream. The lens showed me.
Every time he blinked, fragments of glowing text flickered across his vision. He could see the age of his broken alarm clock, the quality of the tap water, even the nutritional content of a half-eaten cup of noodles on the table.
It was overwhelming—like reality had been hacked.
"Why me?" Ka-nar muttered.
He wanted to tear the lens out, but it had fused with his eye. Permanent.
---
The Intrusion
His thoughts shattered when the lights in his apartment flickered and died. Darkness swallowed the room.
Ka-nar froze.
Then—
Click.
The sound of his door unlocking from the outside.
No… no way…
Instinctively, he grabbed the nearest thing—an empty glass bottle. His palms were slick with sweat.
The door creaked open. Two figures stepped inside, moving with military precision. They wore black exosuits, sleek and plated, with faint blue circuits glowing along their limbs. Their helmets hid their faces.
One raised a scanner device, pointing it directly at Ka-nar.
"Confirmed. Target: Neno Lens user."
Ka-nar's stomach dropped.
They're here for me.
Without warning, the first soldier lunged.
---
Lens Awakening
Fear exploded in Ka-nar's chest. Time seemed to slow—literally.
Lines of glowing text spread across his vision:
> Incoming Attack Detected.
> Reaction options:
• [Dodge Left — 87% survival]
• [Block with Bottle — 12% survival]
• [Do Nothing — 0% survival]
Ka-nar didn't think—he just moved.
He threw himself left, crashing into his table. The soldier's strike missed by inches, shattering the bottle instead.
Ka-nar gasped, eyes wide.
The lens… it gave me choices.
Before he could process further, the second soldier fired a stun round. Blue arcs of electricity surged toward him—
> Dodge Right — 73% survival
> Jump Forward — 21% survival
Ka-nar rolled right. The stun shot scorched the wall, leaving black marks.
He was panting, his body aching from the falls. But for the first time in years, adrenaline rushed through him.
"I… I'm not dead?" he whispered.
---
The Stranger Returns
The soldiers closed in again. Just as Ka-nar thought it was over, a sharp whir sliced through the air.
SHHHK!
A blade of crimson energy cut across the room, severing one soldier's weapon clean in half. Sparks exploded.
The man in the black raincoat stepped out of the shadows, holding a glowing blade emitter. His face was still hidden.
"Pathetic," he muttered, eyeing the soldiers. "Sending two rookies for him."
The remaining soldier aimed his gun, but the man moved faster than Ka-nar's eyes could follow. A single strike dropped him to the floor, suit smoking.
Ka-nar's jaw hung open.
"Y-you again? Who are you?!"
The man ignored him, instead scanning Ka-nar's glowing eye.
"You activated it faster than expected. Good."
Ka-nar's voice cracked.
"Good? These guys were trying to kill me! Why are they after me? What even is this lens?!"
For the first time, the man looked directly at him. Though Ka-nar couldn't see his full face, his eyes were sharp, heavy with something Ka-nar couldn't read.
"The Neno Lens is forbidden technology. It lets you see not just reality, but possibility. A weapon more dangerous than any army."
Ka-nar's head spun.
"Then… why me?"
The man's silence was answer enough.
---
Warnings
Police sirens echoed faintly in the distance. The man deactivated his blade and turned to leave.
"Listen carefully, Ka-nar. You have two choices."
He raised two fingers.
"One: Destroy the lens, live a miserable but safe life, forgotten in history."
"Two: Accept the curse, and step into a war that spans past, present, and future."
Ka-nar's throat tightened.
"War…?"
The man started for the door.
"Decide soon. They won't stop sending assassins. And the next ones won't be amateurs."
Ka-nar stood in silence, his apartment ruined, his heart racing. He wanted to scream that he never asked for any of this. But deep down, a part of him knew—his life was already changed.
As the man vanished into the night, Ka-nar caught one last whisper carried on the rain.
"…and when the time comes, don't trust anyone. Not even yourself."
---
Aftermath
The sirens grew louder. Ka-nar stumbled onto the balcony, staring at the endless city lights.
The lens glowed faintly in his vision, pulsing like it was alive. Text appeared again:
> Neno Lens Activated: Synchronization 7%
> Abilities unlocked:
— Information Overlay
— Probability Paths (Basic)
Ka-nar clenched his fists.
"Probability… paths?"
He remembered the battlefield vision. Himself in armor, flames all around, people kneeling.
Was that… really his future?
The rain fell harder, soaking him as he whispered to himself:
"I don't want to be a hero… I just want to survive."
But survival was no longer his choice.
Because somewhere in the shadows of Tokyo, another pair of eyes watched him through a sniper scope—smiling coldly.
"Synchronization has begun," the voice whispered. "Let's see how long you last, Ka-nar."