Chapter 1: The Awakening
Eighteen-year-old Ethan Kane wakes up in a dimly lit room, his head pounding. He recalls an accident—a mysterious explosion at a laboratory where he worked as a research assistant. As he struggles to his feet, he notices something strange: his eyesight is sharper, clearer, and more vivid than ever. Objects glow faintly, revealing details invisible to normal eyes. Unsettled, Ethan explores his surroundings and discovers he can see through walls. Panic sets in when he realizes blood is dripping from his nose.
He soon learns that this newfound vision, dubbed the "C Eye," came with powers he never imagined: x-ray vision, heat vision, night vision, and even the ability to slow time. But the cost is steep—each second of use drains his blood.
Ethan decides to test his abilities further, venturing into the city at night. He spots a mugging in progress in a dark alley. Using the C Eye, he zooms in to assess the situation. The mugger's movements slow to a crawl as Ethan activates the time-slowing ability. In a burst of adrenaline, Ethan intercepts the mugger, disarming him with techniques he instinctively copied from a martial arts video he saw years ago.
Though the victim thanks him, Ethan stumbles away, dizzy from blood loss. He realizes the C Eye is both a gift and a curse—its active use is dangerous, but its passive enhancements make him a natural survivor.
As news of his intervention spreads, a shadowy organization contacts Ethan. Their leader, a woman named Seraphine, knows about the C Eye and claims it's part of a centuries-old prophecy. She reveals that Ethan isn't the first to possess such a power, but none before him have survived long. Seraphine offers him training and a serum to offset the blood loss in exchange for joining their cause: protecting the world from an impending threat tied to ancient, hidden artifacts.
Ethan is skeptical but agrees after an ambush from rogue mercenaries forces him to rely on the C Eye again. During the battle, he discovers a new skill: copying techniques instantly, including the attackers' combat styles. However, the prolonged fight leaves him dangerously weakened.
Under Seraphine's guidance, Ethan trains to master his powers without overusing them. He learns to activate the C Eye in bursts, conserving his blood. He also develops his passive abilities, such as enhanced distance vision and awareness, to avoid unnecessary fights.
Ethan grows stronger, discovering new techniques like combining time-slowing with copied martial arts to become nearly unstoppable in combat. However, his training reveals an ominous truth: the C Eye's powers are evolving, and with each evolution, the cost increases.
Ethan joins Seraphine's team to recover the first artifact: a crystalline orb buried in a remote desert temple. The mission is a gauntlet of traps and mercenaries, testing Ethan's limits. He uses night vision to navigate pitch-black corridors, x-ray vision to detect hidden mechanisms, and heat vision to track enemies.
In a climactic showdown, Ethan faces an enemy with an eye ability of his own: the "D Eye," which manipulates darkness and erases the memories of those it targets. The battle pushes Ethan to his limits, forcing him to slow time and copy the enemy's techniques. Though victorious, Ethan collapses from blood loss, leaving the team vulnerable.
Back at their base, Seraphine warns Ethan that using the C Eye too recklessly could kill him. She reveals a chilling secret: the eye abilities are not natural—they are fragments of an ancient god's power, scattered across the world. Each ability comes with a cost, and those who push too far risk becoming bloodthirsty monsters.
Ethan resolves to use his powers wisely, but the temptation to fully unleash the C Eye grows as enemies close in.
During a reconnaissance mission, Ethan's 360-degree vision activates unexpectedly, revealing an ambush. He manages to save his team, but the strain nearly causes him to blackout. The incident forces him to confront his mortality and the need to find balance.
Ethan uncovers records of past C Eye wielders and learns that each used the power differently, with varying degrees of success and failure. Inspired, he begins developing a fighting style uniquely his own, blending passive abilities with short bursts of active power.
In the final battle, Ethan faces the leader of the rogue mercenaries, who possesses the "E Eye," capable of emitting destructive energy beams. Outmatched, Ethan uses every ability at his disposal, even pushing the C Eye beyond its limits. His blood loss is catastrophic, but his mastery of copied techniques and strategic use of time-slowing gives him the edge he needs.
Ethan defeats the enemy but collapses, his vision fading.
Ethan survives, thanks to Seraphine's serum and his own willpower. He vows to uncover the truth behind the eye abilities and prevent others from succumbing to their darker nature. Though the road ahead is perilous, Ethan's mastery of the C Eye makes him humanity's best hope against the ancient god's return.
End of Book 1.