My eyes opened abruptly.
The first thing I noticed was warmth. A soft bed beneath me. The feel of smooth sheets against my skin.
I was clothed in something unfamiliar—a loose, sky-blue tunic, stitched with silver thread, and dark trousers that felt comfortable, too comfortable. A small insignia was embroidered near the collar—a symbol I didn't recognize, but it pulsed faintly with light, like it was breathing.
The room was enclosed. Cosy. Quiet. A single curtain swayed gently beside the only window, filtering morning light through pale, golden strands.
I sat up.
"What… happened?"
> [Return to your original timeline]
[Time Limit: 30 days]
The Hex echoed in my mind, firm and cold.
This wasn't a dream.
I had really been displaced.
What shocked me most wasn't the Hex's power to do this—but that it wasn't a personal task.
Which meant... every Seeker had likely received it.
A knock echoed through the silence.
"Brother, can I come in?"
I didn't answer.
But my body did.
"Yes," I heard myself say.
The door creaked open. A small girl stepped in, no older than seven. She wore a sun-yellow gown, a white headband, and little flower-shaped earrings that shimmered faintly.
Her voice was sweet, innocent. "Brother, aren't you coming down? Mum's waiting."
Again—my hand moved on its own, ruffling her hair gently.
"I'll be right there. Let me get ready."
"Okay!" she giggled and ran out, bare feet pattering across polished wood.
A faint smile tugged at my lips… until—
> [Synchronization with Timeline has begun]
[1%]
The smile vanished.
So that's what this was.
Not memory.
Not mercy.
Just Hex enforcement. A hidden function.
My heart sank.
I called for Ren in my mind, searching for the connection we shared.
But there was nothing.
Silence.
No thread.
No echo.
As if it had never existed.
What the hell was going on?
---
I pulled myself together and stepped out of the room.
The hallway was narrow, warmly lit by soft, hanging crystals that pulsed with low light. I descended a short staircase that spiraled once, guiding me into a small dining hall with carved wooden walls, filled with the scent of bread and fruit.
I didn't need directions.
I knew where to turn—like muscle memory I never owned.
> [Synchronization has risen slightly]
[2%]
The more I moved, the more natural it all felt.
And that terrified me.
A voice called from deeper inside the room—warm, calm, and impossibly familiar. I couldn't hear the name she used, but it pierced something inside me.
My stomach churned.
A woman rushed forward and placed her hand on my face.
"Son, what's wrong?"
Son.
Her face was kind—too kind. Her touch was soft and trembling.
I couldn't bear it.
I turned and ran.
Bursting through what I remembered to be the exit, I flung the door open—
And stopped.
I froze.
It was a city.
A living, breathing city.
People walked the streets—young, old, and everything in between. Children chased glowing insects. Vendors called out from behind stalls lined with silks, spices, and glass-blown trinkets. A massive tree bloomed in the center of the square, its silver leaves rustling gently in the breeze.
I could hardly breathe.
This world felt like a fairy tale—one too vivid to be false.
But I didn't belong here.
[Synchronization has risen: 3%]
[Warning: Emotional Resonance Detected]
My heart beat faster.
What was this place?
Why did it feel like… home?
And why—despite everything—did a part of me want to stay?