The sunlight hit Chrono's face, warm but piercing.
The first thing he noticed was where he was—the infirmary. The sterile walls, the faint smell of antiseptic, the quiet hum of the healing wards.
His mind immediately drifted back to the moment before he had collapsed…
Parado—
He was about to call out to Paradox when a sudden weight pressed down on his chest.
Looking down, his eyes widened.
Yelena.
She was lying atop him, her long black hair splayed over his chest. Her purple eyes were wet with tears, glistening in the sunlight. It was clear she had been crying for a long time.
A wave of guilt crashed over him so suddenly it nearly stole his breath.
The door opened quietly, and two figures stepped in—Maya Thorne, the cheerful history teacher, and Professor Clara.
Seeing that Chrono had woken, they exchanged a glance and left silently. He guessed they wanted him to deal with Yelena first.
"C-Chrono?"
He looked down. Her eyes were still shimmering with tears, but now there was awareness in them.
He gave a bitter smile.
"Yes… sister."
The moment he spoke, she lunged forward and hugged him tightly, as if she feared letting go would mean never seeing him again.
"Hahaha… seems like I've made you worried again, sister."
Her purple eyes bore into his, trembling.
"You… you stupid idiot!"
"You're the only one I have left… after mother and father died. Please… I can't lose you too!"
The guilt washed over him, stronger than anything he had felt in weeks.
"I'm… sorry. I'll try not to worry you again," he whispered.
Her body trembled against his as she cried, but after a few hours, she finally calmed. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, hinting at embarrassment.
Soon, Maya Thorne and Professor Clara returned.
Maya gave him a soft, almost apologetic smile. "Sorry for interrupting…"
Professor Clara stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. "Good morning, Chrono."
"Good morning, Ms. Clara," he replied.
"You've raised some major issues for us, Chrono. I hope you have a good explanation."
He opened his mouth to speak, but Clara interrupted.
"Not here. The headmistress wants to see you."
Before he could react, Maya's eyes flicked to his face.
"Your eyes… what the hell happened to them?"
Yelena's gaze followed hers, wide and trembling. "Your hair and eyes… how did they turn white, Chrono?"
"My… hair turned white? What do you mean?"
Clara held up a small mirror. "Take a look."
Chrono's reflection made his mind go completely blank.
In the glass was a boy whose face looked like it had been carved by an angel—hair white as snow, flowing and flawless.
But it was his eyes that froze him. White silver, glimmering with an intricate clockwork pattern, faintly ticking within the irises.
The power he had unleashed yesterday still lingered, etched into his very being.
but what stood out the most was the eyes those white silver eyes that looked like it had a small clock inside them
"C—could I get some time alone… for a minute?"
Professor Clara looked at him, then gave a slight nod. "We'll wait outside."
Both Professor Clara and Maya Thorne quietly left the infirmary.
"S-sister… you too."
Yelena hesitated, her eyes full of concern. After a brief pause, she gave a small nod and stepped out as well.
Chrono let out a slow breath and sank into the infirmary bed. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of the healing wards.
"Paradox."
Nothing.
"PARADOX!"
Still… no reply.
He rubbed his face with both hands, trying to shake the lingering weight of yesterday. After a minute, he finally opened his status window.
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Chrono
Age: 18
Academy: Eldoria Nexus Academy
Academy Rank: 2500 / 2500
Attributes
Strength: E−
Speed: E+
Defense: E+
Mana Core: SSS−
Charm: A → S
"M—my mana core… it's SSS−?"
He blinked repeatedly, staring at the numbers as if they were a hallucination.
"T-that makes no sense…"
"Paradox… what did you do to me?"
The silence was maddening.
Finally, he forced himself to open the skills list.
[SKILLS]
Time Perception – Lv.2
Type: Passive
Effect: Slightly slows the user's perception of time during moments of danger.Future Skills: Locked
Future Trance – Lv.1
Type: Passive
Effect: Makes the user's eyes travel into the future for one second.
Chrono's mind reeled. "E-everything looks… normal here… but…"
His quests remained the same. Nothing had changed there.
But the question that gripped him was far deeper.
Why… why did Paradox go completely insane during that moment?
And… how the hell did I get an SSS− mana core?
He clenched his fists, staring at the ceiling.
In the original novel… Chrono Zephyr would have ended up with a D rank at best. Maybe even an E.
And yet here he was, standing—or rather, lying—in a body already shaped by power he shouldn't have had.
A slow shiver ran down his spine. Something had fundamentally shifted.
And Chrono had no idea how far this change would reach.
____
A few minutes passed. Chrono finally pushed himself off the infirmary bed.
"I'll speak with you later sister," he muttered quietly, giving Yelena a small, reassuring nod.
She only blinked, a mixture of concern and lingering worry on her face, but didn't speak.
Chrono followed behind Professor Clara and Professor Maya as they led him through the academy halls, their footsteps echoing off the polished stone floors.
The trio soon arrived at the headmistress's office. Inside, several professors were gathered—Professor Nox Valen, and others whose gazes carried both curiosity and concern.
Before Chrono could even form a greeting, Aurelia Von Astra, the headmistress, raised a hand.
"Everyone, leave us," she commanded, her silver eyes scanning the room like blades.
One by one, the professors excused themselves, giving wary glances toward Chrono, before the office grew silent. Only he remained.
Aurelia's gaze sharpened as she finally spoke, her tone calm but heavy with authority.
"So… Chrono—or should I say, Chrono Zephyr—would you like to give me an explanation for what took place yesterday?"
So she knows I'm the adopted son of Ragnar Zephyr…
Chrono swallowed, his mind racing. One wrong word here, and everything—his cover, his plans, his safety—could unravel.
Before he could even speak, Aurelia continued, her silver eyes sharp and unwavering.
"Yesterday, you… in front of 2,500 people, displayed a mana core at SSS− Rank. A feat only two humans in history have ever achieved. Professor Clara was quick to cast an illusion, hiding the rankings from the students and making it appear as a glitch. A few will still suspect what occurred, but how could a supposed D-rank awakening possibly shatter the very sky?"
She paused, her voice calm but cutting.
"Fortunately, the barrier I placed beforehand ensured that whatever happened inside stayed hidden from the outside world. No news articles will leak… yet. Now, Chrono—mind giving me an explanation?"
The weight of her words hung in the air, heavy enough to press the very air from the room.
Chrono's hands clenched at his sides. His gaze met Aurelia's silver eyes without wavering, though every fiber of his body felt the pressure.
No matter what i can't tell her about paradox
"I… don't fully understand it myself," he began, his voice calm but steady. "All I know is that my mana core awakened differently than anyone would have expected. I trained… harder than usual, pushed myself beyond limits no one thought possible. And yesterday… it reacted."
Aurelia's eyes narrowed slightly, studying him.
Aurelia then spoke, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "Bullshit. You're lying through your teeth, young one. There is something more to this."
Chrono's jaw tightened. He met her gaze evenly, forcing calm into his tone. "Headmistress, I assure you, I'm telling the truth. I don't know how or why this happened. I only know what I felt, and what I controlled."
Her silver eyes glimmered with curiosity—and a touch of amusement. "Curious, isn't it? The last time someone displayed this power humanity itself trembled"
'She is speaking about Ragnar Zephyr'
Chrono swallowed, carefully keeping his composure. "I assure you I'm nothing like Ragnar"
Aurelia leaned back, steepling her fingers. "Hmm. Very well… for now, I'll believe your words. But know this: I will be watching you, closely. One misstep, and no excuse will save you."
Chrono inclined his head slightly. "Understood, Headmistress."
For a moment, the tension lingered—two wills silently measuring each other. Then Aurelia gave a small nod, her smirk softening into something almost approving.
"You may leave, Chrono. But do not think I am blind to your… potential."