"Aaaaarghhh!!!"
Nova screamed in agony.
An overwhelming electric surge tore through his body, accompanied by the sensation of being dragged by an unseen force. It felt as though invisible blades were shredding him apart. Time travel was nothing like he had imagined — this was not a smooth passage, but a violent plunge through a fracture in space-time.
Through the glass visor of his helmet, he forced himself to look.
The capsule's cramped interior had vanished. In its place stretched a vast tunnel of streaming light particles rushing vertically at impossible speed — or perhaps he was the one hurtling upward through them. Fortunately, Nova's gray multi-purpose suit absorbed much of the damage, shielding him from what would have otherwise torn his body apart.
"Ahh, when is this going to end?! I feel like I'm dying!!"
The rift did not answer his plea. Instead, his acceleration increased. His heartbeat pounded wildly. The electric agony intensified. The mysterious gravitational pull showed no sign of releasing him.
Then suddenly—
The tunnel disappeared. It was replaced by an endless void. Dark, Hollow, Infinite.
Nova floated weightlessly, no surface beneath his feet. The pain vanished completely. The force dragging him forward was gone.
"Hello?! Is anyone here?!"
His voice dissolved into nothingness. No answer came. The darkness around him stretched like a boundless black canvas — empty, silent, colder than any place Earth had ever known.
And then—
Light.
A radiance appeared before him, as brilliant as the rising sun. Warm. Blinding. Yet strangely gentle. It seemed distant… yet impossibly close.
It whispered.
"Human… attempting to reach something that does not belong to you?"
Nova froze. There was no doubt — the light was speaking.
"Who are you? What are you?" he asked, steady but cautious.
Silence lingered.
Then a soft laugh echoed directly inside his mind.
"Hahaha… It has been a long time since a human dared speak to me so boldly. You know nothing of what I am… Very well. I shall forgive your ignorance. Instead, learn about the world you are about to set foot upon… Nova."
Suddenly, a powerful force yanked him backward — the same pull as before, but stronger.
"Wait! You haven't answered my question!"
The light gave no reply.
The void shattered into the rushing corridor of time once more. The pull intensified violently.
Seconds later, the journey reached its climax—
Nova burst from the time corridor and slammed helmet-first into the ceiling of the capsule.
"Argh! Damn it!!"
He groaned, rubbing the interior walls. The familiar cramped chamber surrounded him again. He kicked the capsule door hard — but it refused to budge.
"Open up, you useless piece of scrap!"
After several attempts, the door finally gave way... Blinding sunlight flooded the interior.
Nova stumbled out, his body weak as if drained of every ounce of energy. He tripped over his own feet and fell face-first onto the ground. Thankfully, his helmet absorbed the impact.
"Am I… still alive?"
He pushed himself up and shook his head, clearing his blurred vision.
His eyes widened.
"Woah… Is this really… the future?"
A lush green forest stretched around him. Tall trees with dense canopies. Bushes thick with leaves. Grass growing high. Fresh, natural air — something he had never witnessed since the nuclear war.
He stepped forward and touched the trunk of a nearby tree. Pressing a button on his armored forearm, his helmet disengaged automatically.
For the first time, Nova inhaled forest air directly.
"This really is the future… Earth healed itself after humanity destroyed it. Father would be happy to see this…"
A bittersweet smile formed on his face. But he quickly steadied himself.
"This isn't the time to be sentimental. I need to explore. Maybe there are settlements… maybe a new civilization."
He moved carefully through the forest, silent and alert. His right hand rested near the plasma pistol on his belt. Every step was calculated to avoid unnecessary noise.
--------
More than two hours later, he followed the flow of a river. Rather than fatigue, excitement fueled him.
"I once read in a survival guide that if you're lost in a forest, you should find a river and follow it downstream. It might lead to a village… or even a small city."
Suddenly—
He leapt back ten meters from the riverbank. He saw a movement in the water. Then he drew his pistol instantly.
"Show yourself! Don't think I don't know you're there!"
He aimed steadily.
Slowly, something emerged from the river.
"…A frog?"
It was enormous — the size of a cat. Its skin was bright blue, unnaturally vivid. Larger than any frog Nova had ever seen.
"Wow… Did it evolve after the nuclear disaster? Nature truly is incredible."
The frog stared briefly before leaping back into the water. Nova lowered his weapon, Yet unease crept into his thoughts.
If frogs had evolved like this… what about predators?
---
CRACK!!!
A branch snapped behind him, Nova spun around.
Before him stood a massive white ape... as tall as a grown man. It charged at inhuman speed, wielding a dark-bladed spear.
"What the—?!"
Nova activated the energy barrier on his left arm. A translucent golden shield formed just as the spear struck it.
The impact reverberated violently.
"This thing isn't attacking blindly… It's targeting my weak points!"
The ape roared, launching rapid thrusts against the shield powered by Nova's suit core.
Then it leapt over him.
Landing behind.
Aiming for his head.
Nova disable the energy shield and dodged at the last second. The spear grazed his shoulder armor.
"Animals in this era have evolved far too much…"
Without hesitation, Nova drew his plasma pistol.
One shot.
A blazing blue projectile erupted from the barrel at supersonic speed — piercing through the ape's face and vaporizing its head completely. The body collapsed lifelessly onto the forest floor.
Nova exhaled slowly.
"I need to be more careful… There will be predators far more dangerous than this."
He holstered his weapon and continued walking.This was only the beginning of his journey.And countless dangers waited within the shadows.
---
To Be Continued…