Chapter 4

  Echoes of the Past — Flashback (15 Years Ago)

  The sky was buried beneath a suffocating veil of black. Heavy clouds pressed down on the world, mirroring its collapse. Rain poured relentlessly, as if the heavens themselves were mourning. Pale moonlight slipped through a shattered window, exposing a scene of quiet horror.

  Moryo—only seven years old—stood frozen.

  His eyes were locked on the lifeless bodies of his parents.

  His face was drained of all color, as though life itself had been pulled from him. His eyes were wide, empty, shattered by terror, as if the world had crumbled in a single moment. Sweat streamed down his face while blood soaked the floor beneath him, pooling like a crimson sea that swallowed everything it touched.

  The shock crushed him. His mind refused to respond.

  He staggered forward, his small body swaying in an eerie silence.

  “Mom…? Dad…?”

  The words slipped out as a whisper, fragile and broken, as if his voice no longer belonged to him.

  “What…?”

  Thunder roared across the sky, feeding the storm’s fury and echoing the agony clawing at his heart. The rain grew heavier, as though trying to console him—but his soul burned, unable to endure the truth standing before him.

  He broke.

  A scream tore from his lungs, splitting the night in two.

  “Nooooo!”

  ---

  Present Day (15 Years Later)

  Green sparks danced around Moryo’s body, crackling with hidden power—an omen of an uncertain fate. In an instant, he vanished from his team’s sight, reappearing high in the air like a bird launching itself toward the attacking monster.

  The sparks intensified, transforming the night sky into a radiant storm that clashed violently against the surrounding darkness.

  He collided with the colossal beast in a thunderous impact. Shockwaves rippled through the air, as if the sky itself recoiled in fury. The monster was hurled backward.

  Moryo’s eyes burned as they locked onto the creature’s gaze, hatred blazing within them.

  “The monsters killed my family!”

  His voice thundered.

  “I’ll wipe them all out!”

  It wasn’t a threat—it was a vow.

  Below them, the ground trembled with every step the monster took, as though the earth itself sensed the coming destruction.

  The beast lunged forward—

  —and its massive arm froze midair.

  Time itself seemed to hesitate.

  The monster stared into Moryo’s cold, unwavering eyes as green sparks gathered around his arm. They trembled once… then detonated.

  The arm was severed.

  Blood erupted from the wound. The detached limb dissolved into liquid and splashed violently against the ground.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  From a distance, the team watched in stunned silence.

  Baysal gasped, disbelief flooding her voice.

  “He’s using his clan’s technique!”

  Veb spoke next, calm but shaken.

  “Time manipulation… from the Raipozi Clan.”

  Kamyo’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

  “That technique… I want it.”

  Baysal snapped her head toward him, furious.

  “Idiot! You’re not from the Raipozi Clan!”

  Kamyo only smirked, unfazed by her outburst.

  Suddenly, a deafening explosion echoed from a distant building. The structure began to tilt—its collapse inevitable. Panic erupted as people inside clung desperately to anything they could reach, fighting for survival.

  Baysal’s expression tightened.

  “The building?!”

  Moryo’s gaze snapped toward the crumbling structure. His heartbeat quickened. Tension carved itself into his face.

  The monster seized the opening and charged, swinging its remaining arm with murderous force. But Moryo reacted instantly, evading the strike at the last possible moment.

  Without hesitation, he reached out and placed his hand toward the monster’s face.

  In a single flash—

  The monster’s head exploded.

  Its massive body collapsed to the ground, lifeless and headless.

  Baysal shouted urgently,

  “We have to help! The building is coming down!”

  Kamyo nodded.

  “Yeah!”

  As they prepared to rush forward, Moryo’s sharp voice cut through the air.

  “Stop.”

  The team froze, turning toward him in confusion.

  His eyes were fixed on the collapsing building—seconds away from disaster.

  Then his irises ignited with an unnatural green glow as he declared, his voice absolute:

  “Realm Activation: Time Domain.”

  A transparent barrier spread across the city.

  Everything stopped.

  People inside the building were frozen mid-motion, trapped between moments. Even the second hand on a wristwatch stood still.

  Moryo vanished.

  Less than a fraction of a second later, he reappeared—rocketing through the sky toward the building. He entered it at a speed far beyond human perception, moving through its halls like a ghost.

  In an instant, he evacuated everyone inside, carrying them out one by one at impossible speed.

  For everyone else, time had ceased.

  For Moryo alone, it flowed.

  The moment the last survivor touched the ground safely, the transparent barrier shattered. Time resumed.

  The building continued its descent and finally collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and debris.

  One of the survivors shouted in panic,

  “What just happened?! We were inside a second ago!”

  A trembling girl beside him stammered,

  “I—I don’t know…”

  Meanwhile, the team searched for Moryo.

  Kamyo muttered, still trying to process it all,

  “What… what just happened?”

  Veb whispered, awe filling his eyes.

  “Did he just use… Time Realm?”

  Baysal nodded slowly, tension still gripping her.

  “Yes… he did.”

  Then, from behind them, Moryo’s calm voice rang out.

  “Oi. Let’s go.”

  They turned, eyes widening as they saw Moryo walking away—composed, steady, untouched by the chaos he had just undone.

  A smile spread across Baysal’s face.

  “Come on, everyone! Let’s follow our commander!”

  Kamyo grinned. Veb remained silent, watching as they moved forward—following Moryo toward whatever fate awaited them next.

  —

  At the Academy Courtyard

  Suero stared at his mentor in disbelief, his voice faltering.

  “Fight you? But… you know I can’t beat you, right?!”

  Sbyam answered with a crooked smile, his expression calm and unmoved.

  “Step in.”

  Suero hesitated, then entered the arena with uncertain steps, stopping at its center. His eyes stayed locked on Sbyam, who hadn’t moved an inch—still wearing that effortless smile.

  In a quiet, steady voice, Sbyam asked,

  “Are you ready?”

  Fear crept into Suero’s chest. Sweat gathered on his brow as the weight of the moment pressed down on him. Even the air felt heavier. Before he could respond, Sbyam moved.

  He vanished.

  A blur of speed beyond perception.

  “H-He’s too fast—!” Suero gasped.

  In the next instant, Sbyam appeared in front of him, grabbed his face with one hand, and slammed him into the ground. The impact cracked the stone beneath Suero’s back. Pain surged through every nerve in his body.

  Sbyam looked down at him and smiled faintly.

  Suero groaned, his voice trembling through the pain.

  “Isn’t… isn’t this a bit much?”

  In a single motion, Sbyam yanked him up by the collar as if he weighed nothing and hurled him into the arena wall. The moment Suero hit, a sharp crack echoed as stone shattered. He collapsed to the ground, blood spilling from his mouth, his body screaming in agony.

  Sbyam slipped his hands into his pockets, staring down at him with indifference.

  “Tell me, Suero,” he said flatly. “Why are you here?”

  Barely conscious, Suero whispered,

  “To protect humanity…”

  Sbyam’s voice sharpened, cutting like a blade.

  “Don’t joke with me. With this weakness—this hesitation—you won’t protect anyone.”

  Suero’s heart clenched as Sbyam continued.

  “What will you do when your family dies right in front of you?”

  The words fell heavier, crushing the air itself.

  “The monsters will kill them. And you’ll be powerless to stop it.”

  Suero’s entire body trembled. His emotions overflowed.

  “SHUT UP!” he screamed.

  His face twisted with rage, his eyes burning with a fire he had never felt before. Sbyam watched as Suero forced himself upright, breathing heavily. When Sbyam lifted his head, he froze.

  Suero’s eyes had changed.

  They burned with an unfamiliar fury—so sharp it felt as though the ground itself recoiled beneath it.

  With a steady voice, filled with raw determination, Suero declared,

  “I’ll protect them. I’ll kill every monster. I’ll become… stronger. Stronger than ever!”

  Sbyam’s smile widened, calm yet challenging.

  “Then show me.”

  A faint blue spark flickered around Suero’s body, growing brighter—rising like flames trapped within a raging storm. The aura intensified with every heartbeat, until even the air trembled beneath its pressure.

  With a defiant roar, Suero lunged at Sbyam.

  Sbyam didn’t move.

  His expression remained unreadable.

  Suero’s fist slammed into Sbyam’s stomach with everything he had. The ground beneath them collapsed from the force.

  And yet—

  Sbyam didn’t budge.

  He didn’t flinch.

  He didn’t react.

  Suero’s eyes widened in disbelief.

  “What…? That was everything I had! Why didn’t he move? Why didn’t he even feel it?! He’s the strongest sorcerer—but how can he be this unmoving?!”

  Sbyam glanced at the ruined arena around them, then back at Suero, a faint smirk on his lips.

  “We really wrecked this place, didn’t we?”

  Suero, gasping for breath, shouted back,

  “You’re only noticing now?!”

  Sbyam chuckled softly, then met Suero’s gaze once more. His voice, now firm and heavy with intent, carried undeniable weight.

  “I want you to become the strongest sorcerer there is. Strong enough to face me one day.”

  Suero locked eyes with his mentor, his resolve burning brighter than ever. His voice was unwavering, filled with absolute conviction.

  “One day… I’ll defeat you. I swear it.”

  Sbyam laughed again, his mocking smile tinged with something close to admiration.

  “Do your best. You’ll need far more power than this to make that happen.”

  The two stood in silence, staring up at the moon as it bathed the shattered arena in pale light. Sbyam’s laughter faded into the night, leaving behind a sense of finality.

  ---

  End of Chapter.