Jared's heart pounded in his chest as the screen of his phone remained black for what felt like an eternity. He stared, breathless, his mind racing with questions that had no answers. 'What did that even mean—Host Found? And what was the next message?'
His finger trembled as he tapped the phone's power button. The screen flickered back to life with a dull glow, and the text reappeared:
[Host Found.]
[System Initialization...]
Jared blinked. "System? What system?" His voice was barely a whisper, more to himself than anyone else.
Then, as if responding to his thoughts, another message flashed across the screen:
[Welcome, Host. The Time Editing System has been activated.]
Jared's confusion deepened. "Time... Editing System?" He repeated the words slowly, trying to make sense of them, but nothing clicked. He looked at the screen, expecting it to vanish again, but the text remained, unmoving, waiting.
Before he could say anything else, the screen changed once more, this time showing a simple prompt in large, bold letters:
[Do you accept the System? Yes / No]
Jared stared at the two options. His brain was doing cartwheels trying to wrap itself around the insanity of it all. He had traveled back in time—he was actually back in 2021—and now, apparently, there was some kind of "system" involved? None of this made any sense.
His thumb hovered over the screen, heart still racing. "What happens if I say no?" he wondered aloud, half-expecting the phone to answer.
It didn't.
He sighed, glancing around the room again, half-expecting everything to return to normal. The posters, the old laptop, the video games... 'This is real. This is actually happening.' He had no other explanation. Maybe accepting the system would provide some answers. Or at the very least, it wouldn't make things worse.
"Okay... yes, I guess," Jared muttered, tapping the screen.
The moment his finger pressed the Yes, the phone screen glowed brighter, and a new message appeared:
[System Binding Complete.]
[Congratulations, Host. You are now the sole user of the Time Editing System.]
Jared blinked, eyes widening. "Sole user? Time Editing?" His confusion only grew as more text filled the screen:
[The Time Editing System allows you to manipulate key events and moments in your timeline, including your content's reach, impact, and timing on social media platforms. Would you like to begin your first task?]
Jared's jaw dropped. 'Wait—manipulate events? Content's reach?' His mind raced, piecing together what the system was implying. Was it saying he could control the outcome of his videos? Make them go viral?
"This is insane," he muttered under his breath. But then again, 'I'm already back in time.' The rules had changed.
Still unsure of what was happening but too curious to resist, he tapped the screen again. "Sure. Let's see what this is all about."
The screen shifted to a new interface. A list of what looked like tasks or challenges appeared in front of him, all of them tied to TikTok and social media:
[Task 1: Upload a Video and Boost Its Reach
Reward: New Skill.]
Jared's eyebrows shot up. "Boost its reach?" he whispered, tapping the task to get more details. Another prompt appeared:
[Would you like to use the Time Editing System to alter the reach of your first video with the Video Boost Skill?]
[Note: Once activated, you will have to do task for the next use.]
'Task? Alter reach?' Jared couldn't believe what he was reading. He had spent years grinding on TikTok, trying to figure out how to crack the algorithm. And now, this system was offering him a shortcut?
He felt his pulse quicken. It was too good to be true. But if it really worked... he could finally get the views he deserved. The recognition. The fame.
Still, a part of him hesitated. "This feels like cheating," he muttered, rubbing his temples. But then again, hadn't he earned this? He wasn't a bad editor. In fact, he was great. The algorithm just never worked in his favor.
Jared stared at the screen for a moment longer. Then, with a deep breath, he tapped Accept.
---
Jared sat back in his chair, staring at the phone screen with wide eyes. He had just accepted the system's offer. It felt surreal—like some kind of cheat code for life. 'Alter the reach of my videos?' It was hard to believe, but so was the fact that he was back in 2021.
He needed a plan. The task was simple enough: upload a video and boost its reach. The problem was, he didn't have a video ready. He rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Okay, 2021... what was blowing up back then?"
His mind raced through the trends he remembered from three years ago. There had been endless dance challenges, lip-syncs, meme compilations... but none of that interested him. He wanted to make something that took skill. Something that would really showcase his editing talent.
Then, it hit him. AMVs—Anime Music Videos.
Back in 2021, AMVs were a massive hit. Combining clips from popular anime with catchy songs, set perfectly to the beat. They had a passionate fanbase, and if done well, they could go viral in a heartbeat.
"Yeah," Jared muttered, his excitement building. "AMVs were huge. And I know exactly how to make one." His editing skills would shine here. It was the perfect choice—something that could show off his talents while also riding the wave of nostalgia. He hadn't made one in years, but the muscle memory would kick in. Right?
Without wasting any more time, Jared moved to his PC, the familiar hum of the fan kicking in as the screen lit up. He went straight to his browser, fingers flying over the keyboard as he searched for the editing software he used back in the day. He typed in "HatCut PC" and cringed the moment the logo appeared. The memories came flooding back—sleepless nights spent fighting with that clunky interface, trying to force it to do things it was never designed for.
He winced. "How did I ever use this garbage?"
HatCut PC had been one of the more popular editing apps in 2021, especially for amateurs. Back then, Jared hadn't known better. But now, after years of improving his craft, just seeing the app made his skin crawl. The clunky design, the laggy rendering... it was enough to make him sick.
"There's no way I'm going back to that," he muttered, quickly closing the tab.
Jared leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. 'I need something better.'
He opened a new tab and typed in Before Effects—the app that had become his go-to since 2023. It had been a game-changer when it was released, much more powerful and user-friendly than the older programs. He remembered being blown away by its features. But... this was 2021.
He hesitated for a moment. "It probably doesn't have all the features it did in 2023," he murmured to himself, fingers hovering over the search bar. But it was still better than HatCut, even back then.
Within minutes, Jared had Before Effects downloaded and installed on his PC. The familiar logo popped up on his screen, and he felt a wave of nostalgia. But as the program booted up, his excitement dimmed slightly. The interface was simpler than he remembered. There were fewer tools, fewer options for advanced transitions, and it was missing some of the sleek design elements he had grown accustomed to in 2023.
"Right," Jared said, staring at the screen. "This is the 2021 version. Great." He clicked through the settings, noticing the absence of features he'd taken for granted in the future.
But even with its limitations, Before Effects was still leagues ahead of HatCut PC. At least it wasn't going to crash every five minutes.
He smirked, shrugging off the disappointment. "I can work with this."
With everything set up, Jared got to work. He pulled up his old collection of anime clips—he had been a huge fan back then, and his hard drive was still loaded with high-quality footage. The moment he imported the clips into Before Effects, he felt a familiar spark of excitement. The beats of a catchy song thumped in his headphones as he synced up the footage.
Cut. Sync. Transition. Repeat.
Minutes flew by, his fingers moving fluidly across the keyboard. The system didn't seem to interfere—yet. He wasn't sure how it worked, but so far, everything was in his control. The editing process felt natural, and as he pieced together the video, it was almost like time hadn't passed at all.
As the final clip locked into place, Jared leaned back, his heart racing with excitement. The AMV looked perfect. The timing was flawless, the transitions smooth. It wasn't his best since he didn't have advanced features, but it was very impressive for this year.
But then, a thought hit him. 'Was this really enough to blow up?'
He stared at the screen. "What if... it's still not enough?" The fear of failure, of putting in all this work only to get nothing in return, lingered in the back of his mind. He had been there before. Too many times.
That's when his phone buzzed again. He picked it up, and there, flashing across the screen, was a new message from the system:
[Would you like to apply Video Boost to this video?]
[Video Boost allows you to adjust the timing of events to increase engagement and reach.]
Jared froze, his pulse quickening. This was it—the system offering him a chance to boost the video. He could feel the excitement bubbling in his chest, but there was a nagging voice in his head, warning him to be careful.
He hovered his thumb over the Accept button, breathing deeply.
"What have I got to lose?" he whispered, tapping the screen.
The system buzzed to life, and before he could react, a new message appeared:
[Applying Time Editing... please wait.]
Jared watched, his heart pounding in his chest, wondering what was going to happen next.
---
A/N: Here's the second chapter! Next chapter will be in a few days maybe tomorrow if I have free time to write.