The rain outside Aiden's window struck the glass in rhythmic, uneven taps, as if the world itself was trying to warn him of something. Veyloris Metropolis glowed beneath the storm—holographic billboards shimmering through sheets of water, sky-rails cutting silver lines through the fog. Night had fallen, but the city never slept.
Aiden sat alone in his apartment, eyes fixed on the projection hovering above his table—a live news feed flashing red warnings.
SEABRINE COALITION — ANOMALY ALERT
Unknown Energy Surge Detected Near the Abyssal Verge
—Radiation Index Rising — Surveillance Drones Lost—
Aiden's fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"It's too early… way too early."
In his past life, this event had occurred three years later. The temporal fracture at the Abyssal Verge—known as the Seabrine Distortion—was humanity's first real sign that the Apocalyptical Entities were preparing for a second invasion.
But now, two years earlier…
The timeline was unraveling.
The Yuan Spirit beside him shimmered, its faint form hovering like a translucent silhouette.
"You've altered the future simply by existing," it said calmly, its voice reverberating like distant wind through hollow metal. "Power attracts attention—especially from the abyss."
Aiden exhaled slowly.
"I've barely scratched the surface of the strength I should have," he said. "And they're already coming."
"You have twenty percent of Ineb's essence," the spirit replied. "And your comprehension increases quickly… too quickly. They must have felt the change."
The projection suddenly glitched. Static overtook the screen, followed by an emergency broadcast tone so loud Aiden's eardrums buzzed.
A new message appeared.
BREAKING: LIVE FOOTAGE FROM SEABRINE ARCLOGY — AN OPENING IS FORMING.
Aiden shot to his feet.
"No… no, it's too soon."
He swiped his hand, expanding the projection into a large floating screen. The footage was shaky, filmed from a high-altitude drone—one of the only ones that hadn't been annihilated.
Beneath the dark clouds and rolling waves lay a massive whirlpool, rotating with unnatural precision. Blue-white cracks of light spiderwebbed across the center of the vortex.
Aiden recognized it instantly.
A Spatial Shear Gate.
The same kind the Entities had used to tear apart the Meridian Belt in his past life.
The drone's audio crackled. Screaming. Sirens. Someone shouting orders in Seabrine dialect.
Then an explosion of white-blue light struck the drone, and the footage cut to black.
Aiden's pulse hammered.
"This wasn't supposed to happen for two more years…"
He turned sharply toward the Yuan Spirit.
"Tell me how strong the Entity is—what class? What tier?"
The spirit shook its head.
"I cannot discern its full nature from here. But the energy signature… is not one of the lesser breeds."
Aiden felt a cold chill run up his spine.
That meant only one thing:
A Greater Entity was forcing its way through the rift.
Not a foot soldier.
Not a scout.
Something capable of destroying a city.
Aiden stepped toward the window. The storm illuminated his reflection—his sharp black eyes, his twenty-two-year-old face, too young for the weight he carried, and the faint luminescent threads of the Yuan Spirit hovering behind him.
"I'm not ready for this," he whispered.
"You're more prepared than any human alive," the spirit corrected softly. "You know the enemy. You know their strategies. And you have Ineb's essence."
Aiden's laugh was bitter.
"Ineb destroyed dozens of Entities with one blow. I can't even replicate one percent of that yet."
"That is why you must not engage directly."
Aiden turned back.
"…Then what do I do?"
The spirit's form brightened slightly.
"You prepare the world."
Aiden blinked.
"You mean—"
"Yes. This Distortion is too early. The world is not ready. You cannot stop the rift from forming… but you can control the narrative."
The spirit glided closer.
"Use this opportunity. Shape the global response. Position yourself. Expand your reach. Every apocalypse begins with information."
Aiden inhaled sharply.
He understood.
This wasn't an enemy to punch.
It was an opportunity to seize.
He paced around the room, mind racing—analyzing probability maps, future outcomes, logistical burdens, military response times, and political fractures across the nations.
"The Seabrine Coalition… they'll panic. Their naval defense won't hold."
He touched his forehead. "The Meridian Union will intervene, but too slowly. And the Arclight Dominion—"
"Will seize the chance to gain military leverage," the spirit finished.
Aiden nodded.
"Yes… exactly like before."
The world was predictable—not because fate was fixed, but because fear made people act according to pattern.
Aiden's voice hardened.
"I need to get there first."
"Impossible," the spirit said. "The rift is dangerous, unstable. You cannot travel to Seabrine Arcology in time. No aircraft will get close."
Aiden smiled faintly.
"That's fine."
He grabbed his coat.
"I don't need to get close. I just need to get in position before the world reacts."
The Yuan Spirit flickered.
"And your first move?"
Aiden's eyes gleamed.
"Public exposure."
The spirit froze.
"…Explain."
Aiden continued.
"In my past life, the world didn't understand the threat until it was too late. Governments hid everything. Citizens panicked without information. The Apocalyptical Entities fed off chaos."
He turned toward the projection again.
"This time, I'll force them to acknowledge the truth."
The spirit's light pulsed.
"You intend to reveal the Distortion publicly."
"Yes."
Aiden nodded. "Not the whole truth. Not about Entities. But enough that the world realizes something massive is happening."
"And from the shadows," the spirit murmured, "you will pull the strings."
Aiden grinned.
"Exactly."
He grabbed his datapad and activated a secured channel connected to his network of shell companies, media puppets, and analysts—built quietly over the past two years.
Within seconds, encrypted holograms flickered above the pad—faces of reporters, analysts, and investors he had influence over.
"You all saw the broadcast," Aiden said without greeting. "The Seabrine Surge is not a natural phenomenon. I want live analysis in every global feed within the next hour."
Several nodded.
One analyst asked, "What angle should we take?"
Aiden smiled.
"Tell the world this is a precursor event. A global-scale anomaly. Something that will change the order of nations."
"And what should we call it, sir?"
Aiden's eyes sharpened.
"The Seabrine Distortion."
The calls disconnected.
The Yuan Spirit's voice softened.
"You are… manipulating global awareness."
"I'm correcting it."
Aiden returned to the window as lightning cracked across the skyline.
He tapped his datapad again, accessing the global finance network. If the apocalypse was accelerating, he needed more resources—faster than planned.
He skimmed through investments he had built over the last three months:
— deep-sea energy siphons in Horizon Ascendancy
— biotech patents in Evermist
— drone manufacturing in Veyloris
— experimental alloy labs in Arclight Haven
He adjusted each one.
Short-term losses.
Long-term dominance.
His fingers flew across the screen, adjusting stakes, redirecting capital, expanding influence.
The spirit watched silently.
"You move like someone who's lived this once before."
"I have."
"And yet," the spirit murmured, "you carry the burden alone."
Aiden froze.
For a moment, his mask slipped.
"I watched everyone die," he whispered. "My family. My friends. Ineb. All the Paragons. All the soldiers… That ending won't repeat itself."
The spirit said nothing.
Outside, the thunderstorm intensified.
A world on the brink began to feel the shift.
After a long silence, the spirit asked, quietly:
"What is your next step?"
Aiden's answer was firm.
"I'm heading to the Arclight Dominion."
The spirit blinked.
"…Why there?"
"Because Arclight Haven is where the next anomaly will appear."
The spirit's form flickered like a candle in wind.
"You already know the sequence."
"I lived through it once," Aiden said. "The future is trying to correct itself. That means the anomalies will follow an accelerated pattern."
"And Arclight Haven… is next."
The spirit hovered closer.
"You will leave immediately?"
Aiden nodded.
"Tonight."
He closed the projection, donned his coat, and stepped out of his apartment into the storm.
The wind lashed at him, cold and merciless.
But Aiden's gaze was steady.
The Seabrine Distortion had awakened.
Now the world would change.
And he would change faster.