The month passed in silence and sweat.
Every morning before dawn, Kaelen would wake to the faint hum of his chrononaut System. The holographic interface shimmered into being above his bed, its light washing the small workshop in pale blue.
He never missed a day. The first week had been brutal, he felt dead, his muscles screamed, his lungs burned, and the system's cold precision left no room for excuses. But pain became a rhythm, rhythm became focus, and focus became control.
Each completion brought the same quiet reward.
Thirty days since then, he had earned 900 XP and 30 Stat Points from completing daily quests and leveling up. His body had changed. He was leaner, faster, sharper. His mind, too, felt different, as if the System had rewired his instincts.
He didn't tell anyone. Not even Lira.
Lira visited often, pretending she wasn't checking on him. She would bring food, spare parts, or gossip from the upper tiers. She talked about the Veyra Academy, about the Guardians patrolling the city, about the new intake cycle. Kaelen listened, nodding, keeping his secret buried.
The system never encouraged him to share. If anything, it seemed to guard the truth.
He didn't question it. Some part of him understood that the less people knew, the safer he was.
By the fourth week, the missions had become second nature. He'd wake, train, then spend the day scavenging or repairing conduit panels. The System tracked everything down to his pulse, his steps, even the fluctuations in his aetheric energy.
The first time he used a skill, channeling A.E, the world folded inward. Space rippled around his hand, a faint shimmer marking where reality bent. It lasted only a second, but it left him trembling.
He obeyed. He always did.
The morning Lira came, the sky was a dull silver. Kaelen was finishing his last set of pull‑ups when the door creaked open.
"Still at it?" she asked, stepping onto the roof.
Kaelen dropped down, wiping sweat from his brow. "Routine."
"You've been doing this every day for a month," she said. "You're starting to make the rest of us look lazy."
He smiled faintly. "Maybe you all should join me."
"Pass, and i speak for the others." She leaned against the railing, her jacket fluttering in the wind. "I came to tell you something."
He straightened. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." Her eyes brightened. "It's that time again."
He frowned. "What time?"
"The Veyra Academy entrance practical exam." She grinned. "Three phases, same as always."
Kaelen froze. The word Veyra carried weight, promise and danger intertwined. "Already?"
"Yeah. They moved it up this cycle. Probably because of the new intake quotas." She studied him. "You remember what we talked about, right? About going together?"
He hesitated. "You still want to go?"
"Of course I do." Her voice softened. "It's what I've been trying hard to get you in since, but you always just refuse.I don't trust the Orders, but Veyra's the only place where people like us can actually do something that matters."
"People like us," he repeated quietly.
She nodded. "You've got the brains, Kael. You just need to stop hiding in this workshop."
He looked away, the city lights reflecting in his eyes. "It's not that simple."
"Why not?"
He hesitated. The System's hum grew louder, as if sensing his uncertainty.
He ignored it. "Lira… something happened after the explosion."
Her expression shifted. "You mean when you hit your head?"
"Yeah, but– Stop been so fixated on me hitting my head. It's more than that." He took a breath. "I think I've awakened an ability."
She blinked. "An ability? You?"
He nodded slowly. "I'm not sure how it works yet, but… it's real."
Lira crossed her arms. "Kael, you've been saying weird things ever since that night. You sure this isn't just—"
"It's not in my head," he said sharply. "I can prove it."
She hesitated, then gestured. "Alright. Show me."
Kaelen extended his hand. The air shimmered faintly, a ripple spreading outward like heat distortion. For a heartbeat, the space before him bent inward, forming a faint, translucent sphere. Then it vanished.
Lira stared. "What was that?"
"Space," he said quietly. "I can bend it. Anchor it. That was a skill ijust used."
She blinked again, trying to process. "That's… impossible."
"Apparently not."
She stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Do it again."
He tried, but the System intervened.
The shimmer faded before it could form. Kaelen lowered his hand. "It's harder when I'm tired."
Lira exhaled slowly. "Okay. Let's say I believe you. What now?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "I haven't told anyone else."
"You need to," she said firmly. "If you've really awakened, you have to get tested by the aetheric registry. If you do that and it's positive, you can register for their pratical exam and get in as a combat student."
He hesitated. "You think I should tell my mother?"
"She'll want to know. And if it's real, she'll make sure you get tested properly."
Kaelen nodded slowly. "Alright."
Lira smiled faintly. "Good. Maybe this is your chance, Kael. Maybe it's what you were meant for."
He didn't answer. The System's hum deepened, a low vibration in his chest.
He felt a faint pressure behind his eyes, like a hand closing around his thoughts. The system wasn't angry, it was protective. It was hiding something.
...
That evening, Kaelen sat across from his mother in the small kitchen below the workshop. The air smelled faintly of solder and tea. She listened quietly as he explained what had happened, her expression unreadable.
"You're sure?" she asked finally.
He nodded. "I can show you."
He raised his hand again, focusing. The air shimmered, bending inward for a moment before snapping back. His mother's eyes widened slightly.
"That's not a trick," she murmured. "You really did awaken."
"I think so."
She leaned back, thoughtful. "Spatial manipulation is rare, it could be classified as either unique or mage, it depends. If this is genuine, Veyra Academy or other scouts will want to recruit you immediately."
Kaelen hesitated. "You think I should go?"
"I think you don't have a choice," she said softly. "Abilities like that don't stay hidden for long. Better to register on your own terms."
He nodded, though unease coiled in his chest. The System's hum had grown faintly agitated.
He blinked. "What are you doing?"
His mother didn't notice his distraction. "We'll go tomorrow. The testing center opens at dawn."
...
The testing facility sat on the edge of the upper‑lower divide, a sterile building of glass and steel. Kaelen had never been inside before. The air smelled of ozone and disinfectant. Rows of scanners lined the walls, each humming faintly with Aetheric resonance.
The Aetheric Registry was quieter than Kaelen expected. The air smelled faintly of ozone and sterilized metal, and the walls pulsed with faint blue light from embedded conduits. Every sound, footsteps, the hum of scanners, the whisper of data streams... seemed amplified in the stillness.
He stood on the scanning platform, palms damp, as the technician adjusted the calibration nodes around him. The man's uniform bore the silver insignia of the Registry, an organization that answered to no one but the Orders themselves.
"Remain still," the technician said. "The scan will begin."
A column of light descended, wrapping Kaelen in a shimmering field. The System inside him stirred, its hum was deepening in warning.
[External force detected]
[Securing potential data]
The scanner pulsed once. Then again.
The lights flickered.
A low alarm tone echoed through the chamber. The technician frowned, tapping the console. "That's… not possible."
Data cascaded across the holo-display, lines of code rewriting themselves faster than the eye could follow. The Registry's observers, stoic figures in gray, leaned forward.
"What's happening?" Kaelen asked, voice tight.
The technician didn't answer. His eyes were wide now, reflecting the light from the screen. "U–Unique Class… S‑Grade signature detected."
The words rippled through the room like a shockwave.
The Registry staff exchanged glances but said nothing. Their duty was to record, not react. But the others in the observation gallery were less restrained.
A woman in a crimson coat stepped forward first, her badge glinting with the sigil of the Veyra Academy. "S‑Grade?" she repeated, incredulous. "That can't be right."
"It's verified," the technician said quietly. "The Registry does not commit to err—"
Another voice cut in; a man in a black uniform marked with the insignia of the Guardian Corps. "If that reading's real, the Orders will want him under protection immediately."
"Protection?" scoffed a third, wearing the sleek insignia of the Aetheric Research Division. "You mean containment. Don't pretend otherwise."
The Registry officer raised a hand. "Silence. The Registry does not involve itself in jurisdictional disputes. The result stands."
Kaelen stood frozen as the scanner powered down. The light faded, leaving only the echo of his heartbeat and the faint hum of the System in his mind.
The Veyra Academy scout approached him, her expression a mix of awe and calculation. "Kaelen Burn, correct? I'm Aris Vale, Senior Scout for Veyra Academy. We'd like you to visit the Academy tomorrow. Your classification qualifies you for immediate evaluation."
Before he could answer, the Guardian Corps officer stepped closer. "The Corps could use someone like you. We offer protection, training, and purpose."
"And research access," added the Aetheric Division representative smoothly. "Your ability could redefine our understanding of spatial‑temporal manipulation. Temporal related abilities are rare after all."
The Registry officer cleared his throat. "All offers must be made through official channels. The subject is free to choose his path."
Kaelen exhaled slowly, the weight of every gaze pressing down on him. The System hummed in quiet approval, as if entertained by the chaos it caused.
Aris Vale smiled faintly. "Tomorrow, then. Veyra's gates open at dawn."
"Can a friend come along?" Kaelen asked.
"A friend? It depends on their capabilities"
The others murmured their interest, each already plotting their next move.
Kaelen stepped off the platform, the Registry's cold light fading behind him. The world outside suddenly felt heavier, brighter, sharper, and infinitely more dangerous and interesting.
...
That night, back at the workshop, Lira was waiting. She sat on the railing, legs swinging idly.
"Well?" she asked as he approached.
"It's official," he said. "Unique Class. S‑Grade."
Her grin faltered. "You're joking."
He shook his head. "I wish I was."
She stared at him, then laughed softly in disbelief. "Kael… that's insane. Do you know what that means?"
He looked out at the city. "That I'm in trouble."
She nudged him. "That you're extraordinary."
He didn't answer. The System's hum deepened, faint but steady.
Kaelen's pulse quickened. "You're already planning ahead, aren't you?" he muttered under his breath.
Lira glanced at him. "What?"
"Nothing," he said quickly. "Just thinking."
She smiled. "Then think fast. We've got a month to get ready."
"Veyra scout made me an offer."
"What? That's incredible"
He nodded, though his thoughts were elsewhere. The System's interface hovered faintly in his vision, lines of data scrolling like silent promises.
Kaelen exhaled slowly, the weight of secrecy pressing against his chest. Lira's laughter drifted through the night, light and unguarded. He forced a smile, but his mind was already turning, toward Veyra academy, the system, and the power he still didn't understand.
Above them, the Academy's lights shimmered like distant stars, waiting.
And for the first time, Kaelen felt the pull of destiny not as a dream—but as a command.
...
[Host Status]
[Name: Kaelen Burn]
[Class: Chrononaut]
[Race:Human]
[Title:None]
[Energy level: Latent(Recently Awaken)]
[Classification:
[ Ability Grade:
[Base evel: 4 <0 / 700 XP>]
[System Level: 2 <400 / 700 XP>]
[HP: 50/50]
[A.E.: 70/70]
Stats
Strength 12 | Stamina 15 | Perception 14 | Defense 11 | Agility 13 | Vitality 11 | Intelligence 15
Stat point:150
Abilities
Time Authority — Tier 1 Lv. 1
Spatial Authority — Tier 1 Lv. 1
Active Skills
Flash Step Lv. 1 | Spatial Lock Lv. 1 | Spatial Warp Lv. 1 | Temporal Drag Lv. 1
Passive Skills
Chrono‑Perception Lv. 1 | Spatial Awareness Lv. 1 | Analytical Scan Lv. 1
[Daily Mission]
Objective: 10 Push‑Ups | 1 Mile Run | 10 Pull‑Ups
Reward: +30 XP (Base and System) | +1 Stat Point
Penalty for Failure: Stat Reduction (‑1 Random Stat) | System Instability +5%