The world that swallowed Kairos was unlike anything he had seen — barren, broken, yet alive with a pulse that echoed in his bones.
He rose slowly from the crater he'd made upon landing, dust still curling around him like smoke. The ground was cracked and jagged, its surface shifting as if it couldn't decide whether to exist or collapse into the abyss. Above him stretched a torn sky — one half swallowed by endless night, the other flashing with streaks of purple lightning that crawled like veins across a dying star.
And then there were the serpents.
They slid through the cracks in the earth, bodies made of mist and shadow, glowing eyes fixed on him. Dozens at first. Then hundreds. Their hisses wove into the wind, a sound both eerie and strangely welcoming.
Kairos stretched, rolling his shoulders like he had just logged into a new game. "Well, the real estate could use some work. But hey, at least the locals seem friendly."
One serpent, larger than the rest, slithered forward. Its smoky form wrapped around his leg, coiling up to his chest before stopping, its head raised to meet his gaze. Its golden eyes burned like tiny suns.
Kairos raised a brow. "You the landlord or just the welcoming committee?"
The serpent hissed, then opened its jaws. Its mouth unhinged wider than physics should allow, and it swallowed a jagged boulder beside him whole. The stone didn't break. It didn't crumble. It simply ceased to exist.
Kairos let out a low whistle. "Okay… you eat reality. Nice perk. Guess I shouldn't piss you off."
Testing Infinity
His forehead burned. The infinity symbol pulsed, and instinct tugged at him — not words, not instructions, but raw knowing.
He raised his hand toward the stormy sky. A bolt of purple lightning struck, but just before it hit the ground, it froze midair. Its crackling energy looped endlessly in the same spot, replaying the moment over and over like a glitched animation.
Kairos tilted his head. "Huh. So that's infinity… loops and repeats. Guess I can trap stuff like a broken record."
He clenched his fist. The lightning shattered into sparks, vanishing into the void above.
"Not bad. Bit overpowered, but hey, I'm not complaining."
Testing Chaos
Next, he focused on the serpents. One slithered close, curious. Kairos flicked his wrist casually, letting his aura spill. Purple-black smoke rushed out like a tide, washing over the creature.
The serpent screamed — not in pain, but in distortion. Its form unraveled, splitting into two… then three… then five. Each duplicate twisted in unnatural ways, some sprouting extra heads, others dissolving halfway before stabilizing.
Kairos blinked, then laughed. "Chaos doesn't just break rules. It rewrites them. Damn… I could farm an army out of thin air if I wanted."
The serpents circled him tighter, hissing in unison, their numbers multiplying like a virus. Their loyalty wasn't spoken — it was instinctive.
For the first time, Kairos realized this wasn't just his domain. It was him.
Testing Nothingness
A jagged spire jutted from the ground nearby, towering over him like a crooked fang. Kairos walked toward it, placing his palm against the rough stone. His tattoos pulsed, glowing brighter, and his aura flowed into the rock.
The spire quivered… then collapsed inward, vanishing into nothing. Not shattered. Not broken. Simply erased.
Kairos pulled back, shaking his hand as if he'd just burned himself. "Okay… so that's what nothingness does. Delete button. No respawns. I like it."
He looked down at his hand, watching the faint shimmer of void energy fade from his skin. "Dangerous, though. One slip and I could erase my own stuff. Definitely not pressing this by accident."
The Serpent's Bond
The largest serpent returned, wrapping around him again. This time, its form bled into his tattoos, merging with them. The ink on his arms writhed, shifting, as if alive. He felt its presence in his mind — not a voice, but an awareness.
Kairos chuckled. "So you're hitching a ride, huh? Alright, fine. Guess that makes you my first party member."
The serpent hissed softly, its golden eyes fading into his skin. The tattoos calmed, settling like sleeping beasts.
Kairos flexed his hand, feeling the power coil there like a snake ready to strike.
"Not bad," he said with a crooked smile. "I've had worse tutorials."
Reflection
He walked through the wasteland, hands tucked into his pockets as the serpents followed in silent procession. Every step echoed with possibility. Every breath tasted of chaos.
The realm wasn't beautiful. It wasn't safe. But it was his.
Kairos dropped down onto a flat stone, lying back with his hands behind his head. The infinity symbol on his forehead dimmed, no longer burning. Above him, the sky split endlessly, torn between night and void, lightning crawling like restless snakes.
"Man," he muttered. "Yesterday, I was twenty, broke, and wasting my life on games. Now? I've got a whole freakin' realm and magic snake tattoos."
He chuckled, closing his eyes. "Guess the Entity wasn't lying. This really isn't a game. This is reality now."
The serpents coiled around him, hissing softly, protective.
Kairos smirked, his voice drifting lazily. "Well… if this is reality, then maybe it's about time I stop being lazy and start playing to win."
His purple eyes opened, glowing faintly in the dark.
"Let's see who's stupid enough to challenge me first."