Kael gasped.
Air tore into his lungs like fire, his body convulsing as if he had just been dragged from the bottom of a cold abyss.
He clutched at his chest, trembling, feeling the pounding of a heart that should no longer exist.
Then he noticed the soft touch of cloth beneath him. Sheets.
He blinked rapidly, his vision clearing to reveal a ceiling covered in faint light strips. The air smelled clean, the walls gleamed white.
He was not in the ruins of the biolab. He was in a small chamber filled with tech posters, glowing interfaces, and an open datapad on a desk beside the bed.
Recognition hit him like a blade.
This was his old quarters at the Academy of Mechanica. A place that had been destroyed years before his death.
"This is not possible," he whispered. His voice sounded younger, steadier, full of strength that had long been lost.
He stumbled out of bed and rushed to the small mirror beside the desk. The reflection staring back at him was not the scarred engineer who had died in the Council's grasp.
It was him—twenty years younger.
No scars. No metal grafts. His black hair fell smoothly over his forehead, and his eyes burned with the old spark of curiosity he once had.
"What is happening to me?" he muttered.
Then a sound filled the room.
[TIME REVERSAL COMPLETE]
A faint blue holographic screen shimmered into existence before him, floating in midair.
Kael stepped back, startled.
"A hallucination," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
But when he looked again, the screen was still there, glowing steadily with strange lines of code that shifted like living symbols.
[NEURAL LINK REESTABLISHED][ECLIPSE CORE ONLINE][Would you like to activate the system?]
Kael froze. "The system?"
He remembered that name. The Eclipse Core—his final creation. The machine that could rewrite reality itself by bending the laws of energy and time.
His lips tightened. "Fine. Activate the system."
The words left his mouth before he could stop himself.
The screen pulsed, and a deep chime filled his mind.
[Eclipse Core System Initialization Complete][Welcome, Architect Kael Draven]
Lines of data unfolded in front of him, filling the room with pale light.
Name: Kael DravenAge: 22Technological Tier: Second SequenceSystem Version: Core 1.0 (Upgradeable)
Fields of Knowledge and ProficiencyArtificial Intelligence Constructs: 48 percentRobotics and Automation: 35 percentQuantum Engineering: 25 percentCyber Defense Systems: 40 percentNanomatter Fabrication: 20 percentBio Synthetic Design: 18 percentEnergy and Fusion Systems: 32 percentWeapons Architecture: 22 percentAlgorithmic Design: 45 percentMaterial Science and Alloy Study: 12 percent
ResourcesHoldings: NoneCredits: 340Occupation: Apprentice Instructor, Mechanica Academy
MissionsFirst Directive: Create and finalize your first piece of technologyStep One: Select a FieldStep Two: Design a PrototypeStep Three: Test and FinalizeReward: Access to Development Interface, +5 percent proficiency boost, and initial credit allocation
[Would you like to open your Initiation Package?]
Kael stared in silence. His heartbeat slowed as understanding began to settle in.
He was not dead. He had been sent back—far back—to a time when the world still had hope.
A grin touched his lips. "Open it."
The screen rippled with light.
[Initiation Package Unlocked]Rewards:AI Core Template – blueprint for a sentient assistant capable of growthStarting Credit Transfer – 10,000 creditsKnowledge Booster – instantly improves one field by 10 percentBlueprint Scanner – allows analysis and duplication of simple technologies
A faint hum came from his desk. He turned and saw his old datapad blinking with fresh energy.
He walked over and lifted it. A new message was already on the display.
Account Credit Transfer: 10,000 received. Current Balance: 10,340.
His hand trembled slightly. It was real. The system was not a dream or illusion.
Then another message appeared on the holographic screen.
[Incoming Transmission: Academy of Mechanica – Central Faculty]
He tapped the projection, and a sharp female voice burst through the speakers.
"Kael Draven! Where are you?"
He froze. He knew that voice. Dean Mara Lin, the strict overseer of the Academy's lower division.
"Uh… here?" he replied cautiously.
"Do not play dumb. You were scheduled to instruct the morning robotics class twenty minutes ago. I do not care if you were up all night experimenting again. Get to the lab now!"
Kael looked around the room, still overwhelmed. His mind screamed that he had just returned from death, yet the ordinary world around him demanded he act normal.
"I will be there," he said finally.
"You have five minutes." The call ended with a click.
Kael stared at the blank projection for a moment before letting out a long breath.
He was alive. He had another chance. The Eclipse Core had done more than reverse time—it had given him a path to remake everything.
He turned toward the holographic screen once more.
"System," he said quietly, "let us begin again."
The screen glowed brighter, lines of data weaving into the air like strands of light.
[Acknowledged. Welcome to the New Cycle.]