"Why, Father? Why did you do that? Was it really necessary to sacrifice yourself?" The voice of a sixteen-year-old boy echoed into the black space.
It was a void, a place where sound should not echo, yet somehow it did.
His own words bounced back at him. He realized he was witnessing someone else's memory, one he could see but not touch, one he could feel but not change.
※ ※ ※
"What is this? Where am I?" A young man's voice echoed into the void.
All around him, space twisted like a dream half-remembered. Shapes floated without rules. Light bent in impossible directions. Standing before him was a man with fox ears.
He couldn't make out the man's eyes; they kept flickering out of focus, as if the void itself refused to reveal them. But everything else was clear. His regal crown and long ceremonial robes swayed in stillness, giving him an otherworldly presence with a strange, heavy mystique.
The fox-eared man said, "You are already dead."
"What?!"
"This place lies beyond time. Time has no meaning here," the fox-eared man replied. His voice was calm and steady. "No past. No future. But this space holds complete authority over it."
The man raised his hand and pressed a single finger to the young man's forehead.
"Now I will transfer the authority of time to you. The Raw Power of Time itself. Use this power to save everyone. Change the future. From this moment on, do not try to find me. I may no longer have access to that power after this. And maybe... I will be dead in the future. Your true path lies not in seeking me, but in uncovering the reason behind your death. Through all these experiences, you'll learn about me."
He paused for a moment. "Violet Mist will be one of your most useful abilities. It's the main power I've unlocked besides Time Travel. Violet Mist creates a haze around you, and when your enemy is inside it, you can control speed—yours or theirs. If your foe is fast, you'll see them moving slowly. If you're slow, you'll gain speed. I'm not entirely sure if there are deeper uses beyond this; it depends on you to discover more."
Taking a long breath, he continued, "Pain and death will be your progression. You will grow through the torment you endure. Do not falter—accept the pain and embrace the agony. Every death will stand as proof of your growth. Do not stray from your path. Master this power, and rewrite your fate with your own hands."
A warm, electric pulse rushed through the young man's skull and coursed through his entire body.
The mysterious man lowered his hand. His eyes remained hidden. "Remember this... Death is the seed of life. End is the seed of beginning. Destruction is the seed of construction. Annihilation is the seed of creation."
※ ※ ※
The nation of Indrath was a peaceful country. Though wars had scarred its past, they were now only memories. While minor crimes occasionally occurred—after all, no society could be perfect—it was, on the whole, a safe and well-regarded nation with an excellent reputation.
In Indore, a city in the nation of Indrath, the room remained dark until night passed and soft rays of dawn slipped through the narrow gaps in the curtains.
The blinking notification light from the smartphone on the bedside table, along with the steady tik-tik of the wall clock, filled the room with a quiet, mysterious atmosphere.
The young man slept on the bed, dried tear streaks clinging to his cheek and ear, silent proof that he had been crying.
His left hand clenched the blanket tightly, as if he had tried to hold on to those dear to him but failed to protect them from something terrifying.
He grabbed the blanket even tighter, his hand trembling even in his sleep. The trauma haunted him.
His right arm and both legs dangled off the side of the bed, giving the impression that he could fall at any moment.
Thud—
Suddenly, a sharp sound shattered the room's mysterious atmosphere, and the young man fell from the bed.
"Aww... Aww..." He held his head with his left hand; he slowly tried to open his eyes.
※ ※ ※
For some reason, he recalled a precious memory from his teenage years, one that felt deeply important.
He remembered how, after his tragic accident, his sister had carried him in a wheelchair along the mountain road. He had been making a bird origami while seated there.
The moment he lifted the origami over his head and began staring at it, he flipped it over to check if everything looked okay.
"You didn't have to take me out," he said softly, his eyes still fixed on the delicate folds. "You have your practice sessions..."
He didn't hear a reply from his sister. Gently setting the origami in his lap, he looked out at the road ahead.
"Sis… Hey, Sis…"
…
"Ruby! Ruby!"
"Yes, brother? I'm sorry… I wasn't listening. I got lost in thought. Could you say it again?" Ruby asked, her question following her apology.
"Nah, it's fine. Don't worry about it."
Suddenly, he felt something warm slide down his neck.
When he turned to look at Ruby, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks, mixed with a faint smile.
Her crimson eyes shimmered beneath the fading light, glassy with unshed tears. She trembled with the weight of everything she couldn't say.
Yet not a single sound escaped her lips. No sob. No gasp. No desperate cry for comfort.
She simply stood there, motionless, swallowing the pain like something she had long since learned to live with.
The wind picked up, catching the edge of her coat, and soon her blonde hair scattered into the sky like golden threads unravelling. It danced in wild disarray, but she made no attempt to brush it away.
She didn't flinch. She didn't blink. She just kept looking at him with that fragile, fractured smile—so faint it could break at any moment.
That kind of silence was louder than any scream.
Finally, Ruby's sobs broke through the silence, loud and uncontrollable. "I'm sorry... I should've gone to school that day," she choked out, voice trembling. "We're twins. We've done everything together since we were kids. If I'd gone to school with you instead of morning training, you wouldn't have had to sit in that wheelchair."
Her hands trembled as she brought them up to her face and wiped away the tears. But more kept falling, hot and relentless. "I know you don't blame me... but it's my fault. All of it."
Her voice cracked as the weight of her guilt finally spilled over, the dam inside her finally breaking.
"I didn't know she hated you that much... Many people changed after World War III, but she, despite being from the new generation, didn't change at all. She kept her motives hidden, just like others who also didn't change." Ruby's voice wavered, her eyes blazing with a fierce, painful truth. "She pretended to be your friend all those five years you were gone—acting like she believed in your choice, like she stood by you and fully supported you. But the truth? The cold, ugly truth... is that her heart was never with you as a friend. Never."
He didn't know how to stop Ruby from crying, so he gently picked up the bird origami from his lap and held it out toward her.
"Look, Ruby... it's not your fault. It's mine, mine alone," he said, his voice low and gentle. "Don't stop flying because of something like this. Spread your wings like a bird and fly however you like."
He smiled at her, trying to lighten the air. "I have more talents than you think, you know. I could be an engineer, a scientist... or maybe—though I don't think you or Mother or Father would approve—a writer. A good one."
She took the origami bird from his hand. "But..."
He turned his gaze out toward the valley beyond the mountain.
"Look, I don't want to draw attention. I think society will manage just fine with or without my contribution. But if I write something that brings a smile back to someone's face or helps change the way they think even a little, then maybe it's worth it."
Ruby raised the bird high above her head, as if imagining it might suddenly take flight.
"That's great! I'll gladly read your stories. But... what if you become popular? Wouldn't that draw attention?!"
He glanced at her face, catching the faint smile beginning to form. "Well, if it draws attention, that's fine. And if it draws unwanted attention... I might just quit writing. Though I suppose I'd have to start before I could quit, huh?"
He smirked. "Either way, I'll use a pen name so interesting that no one, not even you, could guess it's me!"
Her mouth dropped open in mock outrage. "At least share it with me! I'm your one and only little sister!"
"Nope! Not a chance!"
"Brother, you dummy! Stupid brother... stupid brother... stupid brother!" she cried, puffing out her cheeks.
Ruby crossed her arms and fixed him with a glare. "Ayan, you totally don't fit the 'kind older brother' role, you know that?"
She stared at him with mock disappointment.
"You're more like… a narcissist! And an egoist!"
"Well, you could say that." Ayan muttered, looking away as he broke eye contact.