Akero jolted awake.
A sharp, searing pain tore through his chest—deeper than any wound of flesh, as if claws were scraping directly against his soul.
"What is this…" he whispered, clutching at his shirt. His heart hammered wildly, his breath ragged and shallow.
Fragments of memory assaulted him.
Vorath.
The rift.
Those words.
Ten years. The Unknown. Doomsday.
"What did I… promise?"
His hands shook as he stumbled out of bed. Weak sunlight filtered through the curtains, offering no warmth. The pain clung to him, relentless.
Days passed, and each attempt to summon his power only worsened it. Every time he tried to stop time, the source within him burned like fire chewing through his veins.
Three seconds at first. Then two. Now barely one.
Each use made his skull feel like it would split apart.
At school, the torment followed him.
In math class, as the teacher scribbled on the board, everything froze. The chalk hung suspended midair. A boy flipping his pencil remained frozen mid-motion. Akero clenched his fists, sweat breaking across his brow.
"Not now… not again!"
The pain lashed through him, his chest pulsing in sync with the frozen world.
And then—movement returned. Chalk scraped. The pencil clattered onto the desk.
Akero gasped for air, trembling. His labored breaths drew curious glances, but no one spoke.
If this continues… I'll die before I even reach that fight.
A few nights later, disaster struck.
Walking home, the world stuttered. Every few seconds, everything would halt. Again. And again. And again.
His body faltered. His vision blurred.
"S-someone… help…" His knees buckled, and darkness swallowed him whole.
He sank—down, down—into something deeper than sleep.
Then—light.
He opened his eyes, startled. He was no longer lying on wet asphalt. Beneath him stretched a floor of shimmering starlight, as though he had collapsed upon the night sky itself.
Above, the heavens glowed a dark, royal purple, veined with golden cracks. Two enormous moons loomed, watching him like silent guardians.
"What... the hell..."
The air was sweet yet sharp, brimming with a strange, vibrant vitality. Trees in the distance radiated a faint, luminous glow.
"This isn't Japan… this isn't even Earth…"
The thought escaped his lips before he could stop it.
"Am I… in another world?"
A voice answered behind him.
"It seems you survived."
Akero spun around.
A boy his age stood there, tall with short white hair and eyes glowing silver-blue, like galaxies hidden within them. His presence was serene yet overwhelming, as though he belonged to this strange world in a way Akero never could.
"Who are you?" Akero asked, breathless.
"Kael," the boy replied, his voice calm and measured.
"Where… am I?"
"In Elydris."
"Ely… what?"
"A world," Kael said simply. His piercing gaze lingered on Akero. "And it seems you are not from here."
"Earth," he repeated, digesting the word. "I have never heard of such a world within the known spheres." His silver gaze intensified. "That explains everything. Your body, your spirit... your source... they are not aligned with the laws of this reality. Like a poison in the bloodstream. Your very presence here is slowly killing you."
"An unstable source usually results in death," Kael stated bluntly. "You merely collapsed. That makes you the exception. In your final moment, your dying spirit must have latched onto the energy of Elydris. It pulled you here instead of letting you fade into nothing."
"Source…" Akero muttered. The word triggered a flood of panic. The memories, the pact, the crushing weight of it all surged forward. He couldn't keep it in. "A being... Vorath... came through a rift. He said his master, 'The Unknown,' would destroy everything I care about. He gave me a choice. Ten years to become strong enough. To face him. I accepted. And this... this power is my reward. My curse."
Kael's serene expression finally shifted. His silver-blue eyes narrowed, a flicker of intense, serious recognition within them.
"Vorath. A Herald of the Unknown," Kael murmured, his voice gaining a darker, graver tone. "I have heard the echoes of that name. A devourer of realms. If the Unknown is truly stirring... then his is not a threat to you or your world alone. It is a threat to all existence."
Kael's analytical gaze returned to Akero, sharper now, assessing him anew. "Your source... it isn't just 'unstable.' It is fracturing under a burden it cannot hold. A power too vast for a vessel unprepared. If you do not learn to consolidate it, to control it... you will not see the end of this year, let alone the end of your decade."
Akero swallowed hard, a mixture of terror and desperate hope tightening his throat. "How... how do I fix it?"
For the first time, Kael's expression softened into a faint, serious smile.
"There is one who can help. Elenora—a master of the source. If anyone can mend you, it is her."
"And... where is she?"
Kael gestured toward the horizon, where a radiant, glowing forest shimmered like a mirage. "Beyond that valley."
Akero drew in a shaky breath. He had no other path forward. "Not like I have a choice."
"Good," Kael said with a nod. "Then follow me. But remember this—if you collapse again, you may not wake up."
Akero froze, fear gripping him. But then, looking at the determined set of Kael's jaw and remembering the stakes, he clenched his fists. He took his first step forward.
Yes—this was his first real step into the world of Elydris.
A step toward the one who might save his life. A step toward his destiny.