The world was coming to an end.

Waylon Stewart stood at the edge of the battlefield, watching in disbelief as the city crumbled before his eyes. His mind barely processed the destruction happening around him—the sound of buildings collapsing, the monstrous shrieks of the Null Creatures that poured from the sky, the scent of burning metal and flesh. The streets were filled with people running in panic, but it was clear: there was nowhere to hide. The monsters, these horrors from beyond, had already taken over everything.

He had failed. There was no denying it anymore.

He had spent years building a life for himself and his family. Emily, his wife, who had always been by his side, and their two children, Jason and Lily, had been his world. He had dreamed of giving them everything—a comfortable home, a peaceful life. He had been a casual player of The Catalyst, a game that had become more than a simple pastime. He had watched as other players dedicated themselves fully to mastering the game, to becoming the best, but he had never understood the weight of their commitment. He had never thought he would need to be more than just a player.

Now, it was all too clear. He had failed them. He had failed everyone.

His fingers trembled as he gripped the phone in his hand, staring at the screen. He watched as the few remaining players of The Catalyst fought valiantly against the onslaught, their abilities tearing through the Null Creatures with supernatural precision. These were the players who had dedicated their entire lives to mastering the game, to becoming something more than human. They were powerful, but even their legendary abilities couldn't stop the tide that was coming.

Waylon's thoughts flashed to his family. Emily. Jason. Lily. Where were they? Were they still safe?

He scanned the chaos around him, his heart racing. The city was already lost. The Null Creatures had breached every defense. The few remaining players who stood at the frontlines, their bodies glowing with energy, seemed to be holding their ground. But even their immense power wasn't enough to stem the tide of horrors that flooded the streets. His mind screamed for him to go to them, to find his family, but his body was frozen. A deep sense of regret gripped him, paralyzing him in place.

He should have done more. He should have prepared. He should have invested more time into the game. All those hours wasted, those missed opportunities to train, to level up. But now, it was too late.

---

The city was collapsing, and so was his world.

In that moment, Waylon felt the weight of all his regrets crush down on him. He had ignored the warnings for too long. He had dismissed the game, the one thing that had kept the world from falling apart, as nothing more than a pastime. He had turned his back on his potential and his chance to protect those he loved.

Now, as the world burned around him, he realized that he was no hero. He was just another man who had squandered his time, his chances, his life.

The Null Creatures continued their rampage, and Waylon could feel the weight of his failure pressing down on him, suffocating him. He had lost everything.

And then, it happened.

A deafening crack split the air, a blast of energy that sent shockwaves through the city. A tear in the very fabric of reality opened up before him, and in that instant, everything changed.

A surge of energy enveloped him. It was warm and cold at once, a sharp contrast to the burning destruction around him. It felt like his body was being pulled apart, his very essence tugged in all directions. The air around him warped, reality itself seeming to twist and distort.

And then, there was nothing.

---

Waylon awoke with a start, his body jerking upright as he gasped for breath. His heart raced in his chest as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He looked around, blinking rapidly, and realized with a shock that he was no longer standing in the crumbling city, surrounded by Null Creatures and chaos.

He was in his old apartment.

The familiar sight of the small, cluttered space hit him like a wave. The smell of stale coffee, the faint hum of the refrigerator, the dull light filtering in through the half-open blinds—it was all so normal, so ordinary. Yet, everything felt different.

Waylon stood up slowly, his hands trembling as he wiped his face. He felt the same, but… somehow, everything felt wrong. The feeling of regret that had suffocated him earlier was still there, gnawing at his insides, but it was different now. It wasn't just a distant ache—it was sharper, more urgent, as if his very soul was crying out for something.

He staggered to the window, pulling back the blinds. Outside, the sun shone brightly, casting long shadows across the street. It was an ordinary morning in the city. People were walking along the sidewalk, cars were driving by, and everything seemed peaceful.

Except for one thing—this wasn't the present. This wasn't the time he had just been in.

It was ten years ago.

Waylon's breath caught in his throat as the realization hit him. He was back in time, back before everything had fallen apart. Back before the Null Creatures had invaded. Before his world had been reduced to ashes.

His mind raced as he tried to process what had just happened. How was this possible? Had he… had he somehow gone back in time?

He staggered backward, his back hitting the wall as his knees buckled beneath him. His thoughts were jumbled, chaotic. There was no way to explain what was happening, no way to understand how it was possible. All he knew was that he was no longer trapped in the dying world he had just witnessed. He was back at the beginning.

---

He could feel the weight of his past decisions pressing on him, but now he had a second chance—a rare, almost impossible opportunity to change everything. This time, he wouldn't make the same mistakes. This time, he would be ready. He would prepare, train, and push himself to be more than just a casual player. He would be stronger. He would be the one who protected his family. He wouldn't fail again.

His eyes drifted to the clock on the wall—just a few minutes before his alarm would go off. The time was still early, the day hadn't yet started. He had an entire day ahead of him, an entire life to change.

Waylon rushed to the kitchen, his hands trembling as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He had to think, had to figure out how to use this time. He didn't know how or why this had happened, but he knew one thing for certain: this was his chance to make things right.

He had ten years.

The years that followed would be a blur—he had no way of knowing what would happen next, but he would use every moment to his advantage. He wouldn't waste any more time.

---

As the day passed, Waylon began to realize the full scope of his situation. He wasn't just back in time; he had been given a chance to alter the course of history itself. He wasn't the only one who had this opportunity. The Null Creatures would arrive, the invasion was inevitable—but this time, he wouldn't be powerless.

He knew what would happen next, where the weaknesses in the game lay, and where the greatest players were. He would train, he would grow, and he would seek out the players who had risen to prominence in The Catalyst. He would learn from them, push himself harder than ever before, and prepare for the worst.

But there was something else he realized: the game wasn't just a game anymore. It was the key to everything. The Null Creatures had come from beyond the realms, from a dimension that could only be accessed through the powers unlocked within The Catalyst. This game, which had seemed like a simple hobby, was the battleground for humanity's survival.

Waylon had a second chance.

And he wasn't going to waste it.