Prologue: Awakening of the Time Hero

The morning air was cool and quiet, except for the knocking on my bedroom door.

“Ash! Wake up! You’re going to be late for school again!” my dad shouted.

I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head. I was tired from last night’s movie marathon… and feeling guilty about my unfinished homework. As I sat up, Dad opened the door and said, “You should start working out. Build some strength.”

I just spoked quietly. Exercise felt like a dream I couldn’t reach.

By the time I left the house, it was already 8:00 AM. My mom walked around quickly, worrying about me and my little sister.

My sister was everything I wasn’t—smart, focused, and full of awards from competitions. I wasn’t jealous, but it did hurt a little. Still, we were different, and I accepted that.

First Day of 9th Grade

The classroom was loud with chatter. I sat quietly. The students spoke Kannada, Tamil, and other languages I didn’t understand. I only knew English. I felt like a stranger.

I kept my head down, afraid of being judged.

Then came Vishnu—loud, funny, and friendly. He welcomed me and introduced me to Vignesh, Chetan, and others. For the first time, I felt like I belonged.

Even so, I focused on my goal: score 95% and prove myself.

I didn’t talk to girls. I was too shy, and the language gap felt like a wall.

Physical Education

One day, I came late again.

“Three laps!” the P.E. teacher shouted.

I could barely run one. My chest hurt. I gasped, “Sorry, sir… I won’t be late again.”

Everyone laughed. Even the girls. My face burned with shame.

It became a cycle—late, punished, embarrassed. But I still did well in most subjects… except for Math.

December

The skies turned grey. Rain fell quietly. I was walking home when I saw it.

A huge shadow stood near the empty playground.

Ten feet tall. Its voice deep and terrifying.

"It’s our time to conquer this planet."

I froze. Then, a beam of light shot from the sky. It pulled me and some classmates into darkness.

The Trial Begins

I woke up in a cold, dark cave. Bats screeched. A whisper came:

"Come, child. Save the world from monsters. You are one of the chosen."

I stood at the start of a narrow stone bridge over lava. My legs shook, but I made it across.

On the other side, a monster blocked the path. Huge and powerful. I had no weapons. It knocked me down.

Then I saw it—a glowing device next to me. It lit up.

[Skill Acquired: Reversal - Lv. ???]

It let me absorb and reverse my enemy’s strength. I stood up, stronger. I pushed the monster into the lava.

I grabbed the glowing artifact. It stuck to my sweater and transformed me—gloves, shoes, and a high-tech backpack which can shrink to size of palm .

The  magical device spoke.

"I am Time Dock. You are my wielder. You are the Time Hero—the one who freed me after 10 trillion years."

Power filled my body, but there was a warning.

"You can only use my full power for five hours. After that, your body will collapse."

Three hours. That was all I had left.

But in those hours, I could bend time, travel across worlds, and control the elements—fire, water, wind, and light.

Back to School

Time Dock brought me back. Monsters were attacking the school. Two of my classmates had transformed into heroes and were fighting.

I floated in the sky, unsure what to do.

Then I rewound time by four hours.

The timer reset.

So did my courage.

The clock had started ticking.

I am Ash. And this is the beginning of my story—

The story of the boy who became the Time Hero.

[To be continued...]