Morning sunlight filtered through the dusty window of Arin's small apartment. The faint orange glow stretched across the floor, illuminating scattered notebooks, hand-drawn maps, and lists of names.
Arin sat at the desk, motionless.
In front of him was a page filled with calculations.
Dates. Locations. Possible outcomes.
Everything he remembered from the future.
But memory alone was not enough.
He needed control.
The world still believed the future was normal. Peaceful.
But in less than two weeks, the first Gate would appear in the industrial district of Veylan City.
A small Gate.
At least… that's what everyone would think.
In the previous timeline, that Gate had been classified as Low Risk.
Three hunters had entered.
None returned.
By the time authorities realized the truth, the monsters inside had already broken out.
The result?
Over three hundred civilians dead.
Arin slowly closed his notebook.
"That mistake won't happen again."
But preventing the disaster directly would be suspicious.
Right now, he was just an unknown civilian.
No influence.
No authority.
If he ran to the government and warned them about monsters and Gates, they would either laugh at him… or arrest him.
So he needed another method.
A subtle one.
His gaze shifted toward a newspaper on the table.
The headline read:
Hunter Registration Act to be announced soon.
Arin smirked faintly.
"Perfect timing."
In a few days, the government would officially reveal the existence of supernatural abilities and begin registering individuals who possessed them.
Hunters.
People who could fight the creatures emerging from Gates.
But in these early days, the system would be chaotic.
Unorganized.
Full of loopholes.
Which meant… opportunity.
Arin opened another notebook.
This one contained names.
Dozens of them.
Future heroes.
Future villains.
Future legends.
But one name had been circled several times.
Lena Arkwright.
In the future, she would become one of the most famous support hunters in the world.
A healer.
But right now?
She was just a college student.
Unknown.
Unawakened.
And in three days, she would be involved in a traffic accident that would leave her permanently injured.
Her ability would never awaken.
Humanity would lose one of its greatest healers before the war even began.
Arin tapped the table lightly.
"That won't happen this time."
Saving her was not kindness.
It was strategy.
A healer like Lena could keep entire squads alive.
In the future war, her presence alone had saved thousands.
If Arin wanted to reshape history…
He needed pieces like her.
Outside the apartment, the city buzzed with ordinary life.
Cars honked.
People rushed to work.
Street vendors shouted for customers.
No one realized how fragile this peace was.
Arin stepped outside and walked toward the subway station.
His movements were calm, deliberate.
Every step calculated.
The subway ride took twenty minutes.
When he emerged, he stood in front of Veylan Central University.
Students crowded the entrance, laughing and talking.
Normal lives.
Normal futures.
Arin scanned the crowd.
Then he saw her.
Lena Arkwright.
She stood near the gate, holding a stack of books.
Long dark hair.
Simple clothing.
Nothing about her appearance suggested the immense power she would one day wield.
Right now, she looked… ordinary.
Arin observed silently.
Timing was critical.
In exactly seventeen minutes, Lena would leave campus.
She would cross the street near the intersection.
A speeding truck would lose control.
Everything would change.
Unless Arin intervened.
He leaned against a nearby wall, pretending to check his phone.
Minutes passed.
Students continued walking in and out.
Finally, Lena began moving toward the exit.
Arin straightened.
The clock had started.
The intersection ahead was busy.
Traffic lights flickered between red and green.
Cars rushed through the lanes.
Lena approached the crosswalk, waiting patiently.
Arin stood several meters away.
His eyes moved toward the far street.
And there it was.
The truck.
Just like he remembered.
Its brakes would fail.
The driver would panic.
The vehicle would swerve directly toward the crosswalk.
Arin inhaled slowly.
Ten seconds.
Nine.
Eight.
The traffic light turned green for pedestrians.
Lena stepped forward.
Seven.
Six.
The truck appeared at the end of the street.
Five.
The driver slammed the brakes.
Four.
Nothing happened.
Three.
The truck accelerated uncontrollably.
Two.
People began shouting.
One.
The truck swerved toward the crosswalk.
Screams erupted.
Lena froze in shock.
Everything moved exactly as Arin remembered.
Except this time—
Arin moved first.
He rushed forward and grabbed Lena's arm.
"Move!"
He pulled her hard, dragging her off the road just as the truck roared past.
The vehicle crashed into a nearby pole with a deafening sound.
Metal twisted.
Glass shattered.
The street fell silent for a moment.
Then chaos erupted.
People rushed toward the accident.
Drivers stopped their cars.
Lena stared at the wreckage, pale.
"T-that… almost…"
Her voice trembled.
Arin released her arm.
"Yes."
She turned toward him.
Confusion filled her eyes.
"You… saved me."
Arin shrugged slightly.
"You were standing in the wrong place."
"That's not—"
She stopped.
Something about him felt strange.
Too calm.
Too composed.
Most people who had just escaped death would be shaking.
But Arin looked… indifferent.
Almost like he expected it.
Lena hesitated.
"Do I… know you?"
"No."
Arin turned to leave.
But Lena quickly stepped forward.
"Wait."
He paused.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"If you hadn't pulled me away…"
Arin glanced back at her.
In the future, this girl would stand on battlefields surrounded by wounded soldiers.
Healing them even as monsters attacked.
Her hands would glow with brilliant light.
Today, she was still fragile.
Unaware of her destiny.
"Be careful near roads," Arin said.
Then he walked away.
Lena watched him disappear into the crowd.
Something about the encounter lingered in her mind.
A strange feeling she couldn't explain.
Several streets away, Arin stopped in a quiet alley.
He checked the time.
The accident had been prevented.
History had shifted slightly.
Small change.
But important.
If Lena awakened her ability in the future, she would become one of his most valuable allies.
Arin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes briefly.
One piece had moved.
But the board was still massive.
The first Gate would appear soon.
And when it did…
The world would begin to understand the truth.
Arin looked toward the distant skyline.
His expression hardened.
"In this timeline…"
"I decide what happens next."
Far above the city, invisible to ordinary people…
Reality trembled.
A faint crack formed in the sky.
The first sign of something terrifying.
Something that would soon change humanity forever.
And Arin Veyron was already waiting for it.