Episode 4

The tunnel shook violently.

Dust floated in the air like tiny stars.

But something was wrong.

The dust… wasn’t falling.

It was frozen.

Kai stared at it.

“…Why isn’t anything moving?”

Mira looked around in shock.

“This… this can’t be happening already.”

Kai turned to her.

“What’s happening to me?!”

She whispered:

“You stopped time.”

Kai blinked.

“I WHAT?”

⸻

Arin stood several meters away.

His blade was still glowing.

But even he noticed the strange change in the air.

“…Interesting.”

The tunnel lights flickered slowly.

Every sound felt stretched and distorted.

Kai felt pressure in his chest again.

Like something inside him had awakened.

“I didn’t do anything!” Kai said.

Mira grabbed his shoulders.

“Kai listen carefully!”

“This power is extremely dangerous!”

Kai looked around.

“But everything is slow… not stopped.”

Mira shook her head.

“No.”

“You’re slowing time around you.”

Kai tried moving his hand.

The air felt thick.

Like pushing through water.

Arin slowly raised his sword.

“Even slowing time won’t save you.”

But his movement was also slowed.

Kai realized something.

“…Wait.”

“You’re slower too.”

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

⸻

Kai took a step forward.

For him, everything felt normal.

But for Arin…

Kai was suddenly much faster.

Kai moved again.

Arin barely reacted.

“Impossible…” Arin muttered.

Mira looked amazed.

“Kai…”

“You’re moving outside the normal timeline.”

Kai scratched his head.

“I still have no idea what that means.”

⸻

Suddenly Kai tripped on a loose rail.

“WOAH!”

He fell forward.

The strange pressure in his chest vanished.

Instantly—

TIME RETURNED.

The dust dropped.

The lights flickered normally.

And Arin’s blade finished its swing.

SLASH.

Kai barely rolled away.

“That was close!”

Arin looked confused.

“…The anomaly disappeared.”

Mira grabbed Kai again.

“Your control is unstable!”

Kai stood up.

“Yeah I noticed!”

⸻

Suddenly a loud explosion echoed from above the tunnel.

BOOM.

Pieces of the ceiling fell.

Search drones poured into the tunnel.

Red scanning lasers filled the air.

Kai groaned.

“Oh great. More friends.”

A robotic voice echoed.

“Target confirmed.”

“Capture the anomaly.”

Arin stepped back slightly.

He seemed annoyed.

“The military is interfering.”

Mira looked up.

“We need to leave before they trap us!”

Kai looked at the dozens of drones.

“…You think?”

The drones began charging their weapons.

Energy lights glowed.

Kai clenched his fists.

That strange pressure returned again.

Time began slowing.

But this time…

Kai focused.

“…Okay.”

“If I really control time…”

“Let’s try something.”

Mira looked nervous.

“Kai what are you doing?!”

Kai smiled slightly.

“Experimenting.”

⸻

The world slowed again.

The drones moved like statues.

Laser beams crawled slowly through the air.

Kai walked calmly between them.

“Wow…”

“This is weird.”

Mira watched in shock.

“You’re actually controlling it…”

Kai gently pushed one drone.

It slowly drifted into another.

Then another.

Soon they were all crashing into each other.

Kai clapped his hands.

“Okay that was fun.”

Then he released the power.

Time snapped back.

CRASH.

All the drones collided and exploded at once.

Fire filled the tunnel.

Arin stared at the destruction.

“…So the power is real.”

He looked at Kai again.

But this time his expression wasn’t calm.

It was serious.

⸻

Far above the city…

Inside the Chrono Core chamber…

The giant machine suddenly flashed red.

Scientists panicked.

“Director!”

“The anomaly activated his ability!”

The director stared at the screen.

“How strong?”

The scientist whispered nervously:

“The system cannot calculate it anymore.”

The director slowly smiled.

“…Then the prophecy is beginning.”

⸻

Back in the tunnel…

Kai and Mira ran toward a hidden exit.

But Mira suddenly stopped.

Kai turned.

“What’s wrong?”

Her face had gone pale.

She pointed toward the sky above the city.

Kai followed her finger.

Far above Astra Nova…

The clouds were opening.

Something enormous was descending.

A massive metal structure slowly appeared from orbit.

Kai whispered:

“…What is that?”

Mira looked terrified.

“They deployed it already…”

Kai frowned.

“Deployed what?”

Mira answered quietly.

“The Future Eraser.”

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