The attack came faster than any normal student could see.
The moment class ended, Ryn lunged forward with a mana-coated knife, intent on slicing Kael's throat in one clean strike.
Kael had lived through wars. His body moved before thought.
He grabbed Ryn's wrist, twisted sharply—
Crack!
—and slammed him into a desk.
Students screamed. Chaos erupted.
Ryn coughed blood, but laughter spilled out.
"You're stronger than your past-self at this age. Interesting."
Kael said nothing. His eyes were cold.
He channeled a shockwave through Ryn's chest.
BOOM.
Ryn crashed into the wall, collapsing instantly.
The system chimed.
[Regressor Eliminated]
[Absorbing Timeline Data…]
Kael exhaled.
"One down."
But something was wrong.
Lyra—the blond girl—didn't look afraid.
She looked… curious.
She approached him while students fled.
"You moved like you've fought monsters," she said softly. "But this world hasn't fallen yet."
Kael stiffened. "Who are you?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "But when I look at you… I feel like I've known you for a long time."
The system flickered violently.
[Timeline Anomaly Detected]
[This individual lies outside all recorded cycles]
Kael swallowed.
Lyra smiled gently.
"Let's be friends, Kael."
Why did that simple sentence terrify him?