The familiar hum of campus life surrounded me as I made my way across the quad. The sun was warm, students were laughing, chatting, living their lives—oblivious to what was coming. Ten months. That was all the time I had before everything shattered. And yet, here I was, walking among them like everything was normal.

But nothing about this was normal.

I wasn’t the same. Not after what I’d seen. Not after what I’d been through.

"Adam!"

Lily's voice cut through the haze of my thoughts. I turned to see her waving from a bench under a large oak tree, her blonde hair glinting in the sunlight. She smiled brightly, the picture of carefree normality.

Lily Harrington.

Even before the rift, she was one of those people everyone knew—popular, smart, and naturally talented. She had this effortless way about her, like she could just float through life while the rest of us fought tooth and nail for every step. I wasn’t close to her, not back then. I only knew her because she was everywhere—her face, her name, her reputation. She had that kind of presence.

Now? Now I knew better.

It wasn’t just luck or natural ability that made her stand out. Lily was different. And when the world fell apart, she didn’t just survive—she thrived. She became one of the strongest Elemental Sorcerers I’d ever seen. Three elements at her command: wind, water, and earth. She was a force to be reckoned with, able to summon storms and shift landscapes, all with a flick of her wrist. It was impressive. No—it was terrifying.

I couldn’t forget the first time I saw her in action, back in the other timeline. When monsters swarmed the cities and people scrambled for their lives, she stepped forward, calm as ever, her magic lashing out like a hurricane. It was like the chaos around her didn’t even touch her. She was on a different level.

I forced a smile and headed over, though my mind was still stuck in the past—or was it the future? The memory of betrayal gnawed at me like an open wound. Leo’s cold stare, Zara’s dismissive words. And Marcus... the one who could’ve stopped it but didn’t.

“Hey, Lily,” I said, sitting down beside her.

“You look terrible,” she said bluntly, but there was a softness in her tone. “Late night?”

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

I nodded, running a hand through my hair. “You could say that.”

She laughed lightly, probably assuming I’d been up studying or gaming. If only. I wished my life were still that simple. But the clock was ticking, and I had to stay focused. There were too many things I had to prepare for. Too many people to keep an eye on.

Lily shifted her bag onto her lap. “Did you hear? Some big fight broke out behind the gym yesterday. Got pretty intense from what I heard.”

A fight? I frowned. That wasn’t surprising. Tensions had always run high around campus, even before the rift appeared. But fights like that could be the start of something worse. I needed to pay more attention.

“Who was involved?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

“Couple of guys from the rugby team,” she said. “And... Devon Pierce.”

The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Devon. He was bad news—everyone knew it. In the original timeline, he’d become something far worse after the system arrived. His reputation for violence and control only grew as he gained power. He built a gang, ruling over weaker survivors like a king. Even after the rift, Devon Pierce thrived in chaos.

Hearing his name brought a knot of unease to my chest. I couldn’t ignore him either—not this time. He was a problem, one I had to figure out how to deal with sooner than later.

“And Jameson’s group was there too,” Lily added, lowering her voice.

Jameson. Another name that made my blood run cold. Where Devon thrived on brute force and intimidation, Jameson was calculated. Ruthless. He had his own pack of followers, and they weren’t shy about bending rules to get what they wanted. In the future, he and Devon would end up clashing over territory and power. But before that, Jameson would become a key player in the early days of the rift’s chaos, using his smarts and charm to manipulate his way to the top.

I had to wonder—had the system already come to any of them? Was I the only one with a head start? Or were they all playing a game I wasn’t fully seeing yet?

“This campus really needs better security,” Lily muttered. “I’m telling you, they’re all going to kill each other one of these days.”

I forced a chuckle, though my mind was elsewhere. Devon. Jameson. Two major problems on the horizon, each of them dangerous in their own way. In the past, I’d barely managed to keep my head above water, let alone deal with them. But this time, I wouldn’t be caught off guard. I couldn’t afford to be.

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” I said, standing up. “I should head out.”

Lily raised an eyebrow. “Already? You’ve been here for like, five minutes.”

“I’ve got some stuff to take care of,” I said, my mind already racing. “I’ll catch you later.”

She watched me go, confusion evident on her face, but I didn’t have time to explain. As I walked away, my thoughts turned back to Devon and Jameson. They were two pieces on the board I needed to manage carefully. Both of them could tear apart whatever I tried to build if I didn’t act fast.

But this time, I wouldn’t let it happen.

As I cut through the campus, heading toward my next class, I spotted Nathaniel Cross again, laughing with his usual group of friends. Fencing team captain, all-around golden boy, and just as dangerous as the others in his own way. He had always been one of the first to tap into his system powers, using them to stay at the top.

I clenched my jaw. Devon. Jameson. Nathaniel. Three names, three threats, each of them a potential obstacle in my path.