Chapter 1 The boy from Nowhere
The room was quiet except for the faint rustle of papers on Aarav’s desk.
His laptop screen glowed softly, half-finished assignment still open. Outside, the night had deepened, the world outside his window asleep… but inside his room, something had already gone wrong.
A sudden flash of blue light tore through the air.
A low hum… then silence.
On the floor near the bed, a figure lay unconscious.
A boy.
Silver hair spilled across the floor, catching the dim light like threads of moonlight. His skin was pale, his features delicate—almost unreal. A sleek, futuristic suit clung to his slim frame, unfamiliar materials reflecting faint metallic hues. Clutched tightly against his chest was a small round device, softly pulsing.
Minutes passed.
Then—
His fingers twitched.
A breath.
The boy stirred.
Aarav, who had just stood up to stretch, froze mid-motion.
“…What the—?”
The stranger’s eyes suddenly snapped open—bright blue, sharp, alert, scanning the room instantly.
In one swift movement, he sat up.
“…Where… am I…?”
His voice was soft, but tense.
His gaze landed on Aarav.
In a fraction of a second—
The boy’s hand moved.
A thin, compact device unfolded from his wrist, projecting a faint holographic edge—something like a defensive tool.
He pointed it toward Aarav.
“Stay back.”
His tone changed—calm, but guarded. Dangerous in its stillness.
Aarav instinctively stepped back, hands slightly raised.
“Hey—wait, I don’t know who you are—”
Before either of them could react—
The round device that had been clutched to the boy’s chest suddenly lifted into the air, hovering between them.
It rotated slightly, emitting a soft, mechanical tone.
Then a voice emerged from it:
“Analysis complete. Hostile threat detected. Re-evaluating…”
The silver-haired boy’s eyes widened slightly.
“…No—status override. Confirm environment.”
The device paused.
Then continued, in a clearer tone:
“This human is harmless. No aggressive intent detected. Risk level: minimal.”
Silence fell.
The hovering device slowly descended back toward the boy’s hand.
The tension in the room began to ease… slightly.
The boy lowered his defensive stance, though his eyes remained cautious.
“…Harmless…” he repeated quietly, almost to himself.
He finally looked at Aarav properly.
“…I apologize.”
Aarav blinked, still confused but calmer now.
“Uh… okay… so… you just… fell into my room from the sky or something?”
The boy hesitated.
Then nodded once.
“…Not exactly the sky.”
He glanced around the room, taking in everything—the furniture, the laptop, the unfamiliar environment.
“…My name is Lioren.”
A pause.
“…And I believe my time displacement device malfunctioned.”
His gaze returned to Aarav.
“…This is not my timeline.”
