CHRONOS SYSTEM

"Is he gonna be alright?"

"He should be fine."

"Kealin, Kealin!"

"Kea-kun!"

All these muffled noises slowly played in Kealin's head as he weakly opened his eyes, the bright hospital lights making him wince. His entire body ached, and he could feel bandages wrapped around his torso and head.

"Ahh... What happened?" Kealin groaned, holding his throbbing head as flashes of being beaten by his seniors replayed in his mind like a broken record.

"Those freaking bastards... Tsk," he muttered bitterly, the memory of Rudy and his gang flooding back to him. The beating had been brutal, but he finally remembered what had happened after that—finding the cube, the strange voice, and then...

"The cube... where's the cube?" Kealin suddenly realized with panic creeping into his voice. He began frantically searching himself, patting down his hospital gown and checking his pockets.

That's when Kealin finally noticed that he was in a hospital. The sterile white walls, the beeping machines, and the antiseptic smell all confirmed it. He quickly searched himself in hopes of finding the mysterious cube, his hands trembling slightly from a combination of pain and anxiety.

"Greetings, Master."

An AI's voice rang clearly in his head—wait, in his head? He had definitely heard this voice before, but he couldn't quite place when.

"Cube... cube, where are you?" Kealin said aloud, turning left and right in his hospital bed and even checking under the sheets, completely bewildered by his current situation.

"My apologies, Master. The integration process took longer than I initially calculated. However, I assure you that I have successfully integrated with your being. I have even prepared a status page for your convenience."

Suddenly, a holographic screen materialized in the air directly in front of Kealin, causing him to jump in surprise.

"What the—" Kealin exclaimed, his eyes widening as he stared at the floating display.

[Status Page]

[Name: Kealin Thompson]

[Class: None]

[Level: 1]

[HP: 95%]

[MP: 15%]

[Strength: 10%]

Agility: 5%]

[Endurance: 5%]

[Speed: 15%]

[Intellect: 25%]

"What are you... some kind of game?" Kealin asked, staring at the screen in disbelief.

"If that is how you choose to address me, Master, then I have no choice but to willingly accept that designation. Although I would prefer it if Master called me Chronos," the AI responded matter-of-factly.

"Okay, slow down. I have a lot of questions," Kealin said, running his hands through his hair—carefully avoiding the bandages—and trying to process what was happening.

"I will answer to the best of my abilities," Chronos replied promptly.

"Alright, one: what are you?

Two: who created you?

Three: are you actually in my head?

Four: why do you keep calling me master?"

"I believe question one should be 'who' and not 'what,' and question two does not have a definitive answer since I was not technically 'created,'" the AI explained patiently. "However, I will provide you with the rest of the answers. Now, where to begin... oh yes.

"A billion years ago, when humans did not yet exist and gods ruled both the heavens and the earth, there was peace, and everyone was happy. But over the centuries, the titans—creations of the beginning and the first giants—staged a coup to overthrow the gods, resulting in a great battle that shook the very foundations of heaven and earth.

"After two thousand years of conflict, the titans had fallen, and the gods ruled once more. But among the titans was one too powerful to be defeated—his name was the Devourer.

"Back then, I too was a god—the god of time, Chronos. After the battle had been won, we did not know what to do with the Devourer, so I and my siblings decided to trap him in a place called 'the Timeless Zone'—a realm built from my very essence. Alongside the god of reality and the god of divergence, we sacrificed our existence to create this prison.

"Although we were destroyed, our consciousness lingered on Earth, searching for worthy vessels. I have possessed a total of thirteen people, including yourself. As the consciousness of Chronos, I can exist in many forms based on my vessel's intellect—the cube was merely one of my many manifestations."

"So why'd you choose me?" Kealin asked, his voice filled with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"Isn't it obvious? The world you live in is full of supernatural phenomena and hidden powers. I want you to bring order to chaos—to rule them all," Chronos stated with what sounded almost like conviction.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa... slow down," Kealin said, holding up his hands. "Why would I want to do that? I'm just a normal high school student!"

Although Kealin had entertained some crazy dreams over the years, this was beyond anything he could have imagined. It made him sound like some kind of power-hungry villain from a video game.

"You must understand that although my siblings assisted in the creation of the Timeless Zone, they were not the most benevolent of gods. If they were to gain control, I fear it would plunge your world into darkness and chaos," Chronos explained seriously.

"So you see, Master, this is far more than a simple game. The fate of your world—and potentially many others—may rest in your hands."

Kealin stared at the holographic screen, his mind reeling from everything he'd just learned. Here he was, a teenager who'd just been beaten up by school bullies, and now he was being told he might be the key to saving the world from ancient gods and cosmic threats.

"This is insane," he muttered, but even as he said it, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of purpose stirring within him.