The moonlight hung heavy over the abandoned city, casting long shadows over the crumbling streets. Towering ruins of skyscrapers loomed like forgotten titans, their glass windows shattered, their concrete bodies slowly eroding away. The air was thick with the scent of rust and decay, the remnants of a world that had once known order and peace. But that was before the Event.
An event that changed everything.
Hunter Kael Darnis stood at the edge of the city, his dark cloak billowing in the cold wind. His silver eyes scanned the desolate landscape, the heavy weight of the world pressing on his shoulders. He was a man who had seen too much — too much death, too much pain, too much of the chaos that magic had unleashed upon the world. Once, he had been an ordinary hunter, one of many who roamed the lands in search of magical beasts to slay. But that was before he was chosen. Before the magic had taken root inside him.
Before he had been sent back.
Kael ran a hand through his short, messy hair, a bitter smile curling at the edges of his lips. Time. Time was his curse. Time was the one thing he couldn't escape, no matter how many times he tried.
It had been three years since the regression began, three years since the first time the world had broken and he had been sent back to the beginning.
Back to when it all started.
He clenched his fists, the tingling sensation of magic surging beneath his skin. His eyes flicked to the familiar symbols etched into his forearm — runes of power and protection, a constant reminder of the price he had paid to be reborn. The magic that flowed through him wasn't like the magic of ordinary humans. It was ancient, dark, and alive. And every time he was sent back, it became more powerful, more unpredictable.
But Kael hated it. He hated the power. He hated the pain. Most of all, he hated the memories of all the times he had failed.
The world had been at the peak of technological advancement, and humanity had been on the brink of peace, but everything shattered when the rift opened — a tear in the fabric of reality itself. It was through that rift that the beasts had arrived. Creatures of nightmare, born from the very fabric of magic. Monsters that defied reason and logic, with powers that could shatter mountains and tear apart the very foundations of society.
But the most dangerous of them all were the Hunters. Those who could wield magic, who could tap into the power of the beasts themselves, and use it to fight back. But they had a price. The more magic they used, the more they became like the beasts they hunted. And Kael? Kael had fallen farther than most.
Kael sighed and turned his attention to the distant horizon. He knew what awaited him. The rift had begun to grow again, and with it, the beasts would return. It was only a matter of time before the world would break once more. And once again, Kael would be forced to fight, to hunt, and to regress — to lose everything all over again.
But this time… this time, he would be ready.
He gritted his teeth, the cold wind biting at his face as he stepped forward into the ruins. His eyes burned with a fierce determination. Not again, he thought. Not this time.
The magic pulsed within him, answering his resolve. He could feel it, like a dark heartbeat, echoing through his veins.
He reached out with his senses, extending his magic toward the city, feeling the faint traces of life that still clung to the ruins. There were survivors. Somewhere in the shadows, they hid, waiting for a chance to escape the horrors that had destroyed everything. Kael had become a hunter, yes, but there was still some part of him that remembered the man he had once been — the man who protected the innocent.
That part, however, had been buried long ago. The beast within him had taken over.
With a deep breath, Kael activated his power. The magic surged to life, coiling around him like a serpent, and with a flick of his wrist, the air around him shimmered. A portal opened, swirling with chaotic energy, and he stepped through without hesitation.
Regressed
The world spun around Kael, a dizzying whirlwind of color and sound. The sensation was always the same — a feeling of disorientation as reality itself bent and twisted. But this time, there was something different. The magic felt stronger.
The rift had pulled him back further than usual.
Kael staggered as the world solidified around him, his boots hitting the soft earth of a familiar forest. This was the beginning. He could feel it in his bones. The rift had returned him to the moment just before the first Beast appeared — the day the Event had begun.
He clenched his jaw, looking around the dense forest. The trees were tall and imposing, their twisted branches hanging low in the twilight. This place, this moment — it had all felt so normal back then, so mundane. No one knew what was coming. No one knew that in a matter of days, everything they had ever known would be shattered.
Kael sighed heavily, taking a step forward. The air was cold, but not nearly as frigid as the world he had just left. He reached down and touched the hilt of the sword at his side, the familiar weight of it comforting in his grip. It was the only constant in a world that was ever-shifting.
A twig snapped behind him, and Kael spun around, his hand already reaching for the blade.
But it wasn't a beast.
A young man, no older than Kael had been when it all started, stood at the edge of the clearing. His eyes were wide, his hands trembling, and his face was pale with fear.
"Hunter?" the young man asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kael's gaze softened for a moment, his fingers loosening from the sword hilt. He had forgotten what it felt like to be innocent. To be unaware of the darkness that was coming.
But that innocence would be stolen soon enough.
"Stay out of the forest," Kael said, his voice cold. "The rift's coming. It's already begun."
The young man nodded quickly, his feet already moving in the opposite direction, but Kael wasn't done. Not yet.
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a small vial filled with glowing liquid. He tossed it to the man, who caught it with trembling hands.
"If you survive," Kael said, "use this to protect yourself. It's a potion that can heal the worst of wounds. Trust no one."
The young man's eyes widened in awe as he stared at the vial. "Thank you," he stammered.
Kael said nothing, merely turning away as the man fled into the woods. The boy didn't know it yet, but he had just received a death sentence. The world was about to end, and no one — not even the strongest of hunters — could stop it.
Kael let out a quiet breath, looking up at the sky, his thoughts a swirling mess. This time, he thought. This time, I'll make sure it ends before it begins.