The ticking never stopped.
Tick… tick… tick…
It echoed through Akira's body like something alive — something that had rooted itself deep inside him and refused to leave.
No matter how hard he tried to ignore it…
No matter how tightly he pressed his hands against his ears…
No matter how loudly he screamed inside his own mind—
It was always there.
Relentless.
Unforgiving.
A reminder.
Of the choice he had made.
Of the life he had taken from death.
The fire had begun to die down.
What remained was smoke.
Thick and suffocating, crawling through the air like a living thing. The once-busy street was now reduced to debris, shattered glass, and the remains of what used to be ordinary life.
Emergency lights painted everything in red and blue.
Ambulances lined the road.
Paramedics rushed between bodies — some alive, some not.
Voices filled the air, but none of them reached Akira.
He stood in the middle of it all.
Alone.
His hands trembled uncontrollably.
His clothes were stained with ash and dust.
His chest still ached from something far deeper than physical pain.
A stretcher passed by.
Akira's eyes followed it slowly.
The man he had saved.
Alive.
Breathing.
Because of him.
"…At least…"
His voice was hollow.
"…someone lived…"
But even as the words left his mouth—
They felt wrong.
Because he knew.
Nothing came without a cost.
Slowly—
He looked down.
The timer flickered faintly in his vision.
Unstable.
Glitching.
00:09:32
"…So little time…"
Each second felt heavier than the last.
Each tick carried weight.
What would happen when it reached zero?
Would he die?
Or would something worse happen?
A sudden gust of wind cut through the street.
Cold.
Sharp.
Wrong.
Akira's body stiffened instantly.
"…This isn't normal…"
The air shifted.
It became heavy.
Thick.
Oppressive.
The sounds around him began to distort.
Voices slowed.
Movements dragged unnaturally.
Time itself felt unstable.
Like it was being pulled apart.
Tick… tick… tick…
The sound grew louder.
Violent.
Like it was trying to escape his body.
Then—
A voice.
But not the same one as before.
This one felt different.
Closer.
Sharper.
"So… you're the anomaly."
Akira's eyes widened instantly.
"…Who's there?!"
His voice echoed strangely.
Distorted.
The world around him blurred slightly.
Then—
A figure appeared.
Not walking.
Not arriving.
Manifesting.
As if reality itself was forced to create him.
He stood several meters away.
Still.
Silent.
His presence alone changed everything.
The air became suffocating.
Akira struggled to breathe.
The figure was tall.
Unmoving.
His eyes—
Cold.
Empty.
Like he had already seen the end of everything.
Akira swallowed hard.
"…Who are you…?"
The figure tilted his head slightly.
"You shouldn't exist."
Those words sent a chill down Akira's spine.
"…What…?"
The figure stepped forward.
Each step distorted the space around him.
Like reality itself resisted his movement.
"A human who denied death."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"Do you understand the scale of your sin?"
Akira clenched his fists tightly.
"…I didn't choose this…"
The figure stopped.
Silence fell.
Then—
A faint smile appeared.
Cold.
Detached.
"Everyone says that."
Suddenly—
A crushing force slammed into Akira.
He dropped to one knee instantly.
"…What… is this…?!"
His body felt unbearably heavy.
Like something invisible was pressing him down.
Crushing him.
"You broke the balance."
The figure raised his hand slightly.
The air warped violently.
Reality bent around him.
"And now…"
Akira struggled to breathe.
"…Stop…"
"You will be erased."
💀 BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The ground beneath Akira exploded.
He rolled instinctively.
Barely escaping.
Debris flew past him.
"…What the hell was that?!"
The figure stood calmly.
"Execution."
Akira's eyes widened.
"…You're trying to kill me?!"
"Not kill."
A pause.
"Correct."
Akira struggled to stand.
His body felt unstable.
Weak.
The timer flickered again—
00:07:11
"…Damn it…"
The figure stepped closer.
"You have two options."
Akira glared at him.
"…I'm not listening to you…"
The figure ignored him.
"Return your borrowed existence."
"…What does that even mean?!"
"Or be forcefully reset."
Akira's heart pounded.
"…I don't understand any of this!"
The figure sighed softly.
Almost disappointed.
"Humans always struggle with simple truths."
Then—
He vanished.
Akira's eyes widened.
"…Where—"
💥 IMPACT
Akira was thrown violently across the ground.
"AAAGH!!"
Pain exploded through his body.
He crashed into broken debris.
His vision blurred.
"…Too fast…"
The figure reappeared instantly.
Standing exactly where Akira had been.
"You cannot fight this."
Akira coughed.
Blood.
"…Then what am I supposed to do…?"
The figure looked down at him.
"Disappear."
Akira's hands trembled.
"…No…"
His voice was weak.
But firm.
"…I won't…"
The figure's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Even now… you resist?"
Akira slowly forced himself up.
His legs shaking.
His body barely holding together.
But his eyes—
Burning.
"…If my life costs others…"
He clenched his fists tightly.
"…then I'll decide what it's worth."
Silence.
The world seemed to pause.
Then—
The figure smiled.
"Interesting."
The pressure shifted.
No longer crushing.
Now—
Observing.
"Name."
Akira blinked.
"…What?"
"Tell me your name."
"…Akira…"
He steadied his breathing.
"…Akira Noctis."
The figure nodded slowly.
"Akira…"
A pause.
"I am Kairos."
The name echoed strangely.
Heavy.
Ancient.
"An agent of balance."
Akira's breath slowed slightly.
"…Agent…?"
Kairos stepped closer.
"My role is simple."
The air distorted again.
"I erase anomalies."
The timer—
00:03:52
Akira's heart pounded.
"…Then come…"
He raised his hand slightly.
"…and try…"
Kairos moved.
Faster than before.
Akira reacted instinctively.
He reached forward—
💀 FLASH
Reality twisted violently.
Energy surged through his body.
Something inside him responded.
Something unstable.
Something dangerous.
Kairos stopped mid-motion.
For the first time—
His expression changed.
"…Impossible."
Akira stood there.
Breathing heavily.
Faint energy surrounded him.
"…I don't understand…"
The timer—
00:02:01
Kairos stepped back slowly.
His gaze sharpened.
"You're not just an anomaly…"
A pause.
"You're evolving."
Far beyond reality—
NULL observed.
"Deviation increasing."
"This outcome… was not predicted."
Back on Earth—
Akira stood trembling.
Broken.
Confused.
But alive.
For now.