Eon Sovereign: Weaving Spells in the River of Time

 The forest outside Eryndor was eerily quiet, the kind of silence that made Kael's skin crawl. He had been traveling for two days, following the strange pull that had led him to the ancient altar. The vision of the shadowy god, Xal'Zyron, still haunted his thoughts, but he pushed them aside. He needed to focus on the present—on surviving. 

As he approached the outskirts of a small village, the silence was shattered by the sound of screams. Kael froze, his heart pounding in his chest. He crouched low, moving cautiously toward the source of the noise. What he saw made his blood run cold. 

The village was under attack. 

Black wolves, their fur glistening like oil under the moonlight, were tearing through the streets. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and their fangs dripped with blood. Kael had heard stories of **Black Wolves**, C-rank monsters that were dangerous but manageable for a skilled adventurer. But these wolves were different. They were faster, stronger, and far more vicious than anything he had ever heard of. 

A group of adventurers was fighting valiantly to protect the villagers, but they were losing ground. Kael counted seven of them—three mages, two swordsmen, a rogue, and a healer. They were outnumbered and overwhelmed. One of the swordsmen went down, his throat torn out by a wolf's razor-sharp claws. The healer screamed, rushing to his side, but it was too late. 

Kael's instincts screamed at him to run, to get as far away from this nightmare as possible. But he couldn't. The sight of the villagers—men, women, and children—being slaughtered was too much to bear. He had to do something. 

Kael's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. His time manipulation powers were still new to him, and he had no idea how far he could push them. But he didn't have a choice. He had to try. 

He focused on the nearest wolf, which was lunging at a young girl. Time seemed to slow as Kael activated his power. The wolf's movements became sluggish, its snarls deepening into a low, drawn-out growl. Kael dashed forward, grabbing the girl and pulling her out of harm's way. 

"Stay close to me!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fear and adrenaline. 

The girl nodded, her eyes wide with terror. Kael turned back to the wolf, which was now recovering from the time distortion. He needed to act fast. 

He focused again, this time on himself. He willed time to accelerate around his body, increasing his speed. The world around him blurred as he moved, dodging the wolf's attacks with ease. He grabbed a fallen sword from the ground and swung it at the beast, the blade slicing through its neck. The wolf let out a final, gurgling howl before collapsing. 

Kael's chest heaved as he caught his breath. He had done it. He had killed a monster. But there was no time to celebrate. The battle was far from over.

Kael moved through the village like a ghost, manipulating time to dart in and out of danger. He saved a mother and her child from a pair of wolves by freezing time just long enough to pull them to safety. He also helped a wounded adventurer by slowing time around his injuries, giving the healer a chance to stabilize him. 

But his powers were limited. He could only manipulate time within a one-meter radius, and each use drained him more than the last. His movements became slower, his reactions less precise. He was running out of time—both literally and figuratively. 

The adventurers noticed him, their eyes widening in surprise as they saw him using his strange abilities. One of the mages, a woman with fiery red hair, shouted to him. 

"Hey, kid! What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" 

"I'm trying to help!" Kael shouted back, dodging another wolf's attack. 

"You're going to get yourself killed!" 

Kael didn't respond. He didn't have the luxury of arguing. He focused on the battle, his mind racing as he tried to come up with new ways to use his powers. 

He realized that he could use time manipulation to mimic other forms of magic. By freezing the air around a wolf's lungs, he could suffocate it. By accelerating the particles in a blade, he could make it burn like fire. It was crude and inefficient, but it worked. 

The battle reached its climax when the largest wolf, a monstrous alpha with glowing red eyes, entered the fray. It was twice the size of the others, and its muscles were rippling with unnatural strength. The adventurers tried to take it down, but their attacks barely scratched their hide. 

Kael knew he had to do something. He focused all his energy on the alpha, slowing time around it as much as he could. The beast's movements became sluggish, but it was still terrifyingly fast. 

"Now!" Kael shouted to the adventurers. "Attack it now!" 

The red-haired mage didn't hesitate. She unleashed a torrent of fire, the flames engulfing the alpha. The swordsmen charged in, their blades striking true. The rogue darted around the beast, slashing at its legs. 

Kael's vision blurred as he pushed his powers to the limit. He could feel the strain on his body, the ache in his bones. But he didn't stop. He couldn't. 

Finally, with a deafening roar, the alpha collapsed. The remaining wolves, seemingly leaderless, began to retreat. The village was saved, but the cost had been high. The village was in ruins. Bodies littered the streets, both human and wolf. The surviving villagers wept over their lost loved ones, their cries echoing through the night. 

The adventurers gathered around Kael, their expressions a mix of gratitude and curiosity. 

"You saved a lot of people tonight," the red-haired mage said, her voice soft. "What's your name, kid?" 

"Kael," he replied, his voice hoarse. 

"I'm Lira," she said. "This is Garret, Selene, and Torin." She gestured to the other adventurers. "We owe you our lives." 

Kael shook his head. "I just did what I could." 

Lira studied him for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "That power of yours… it's not normal. What are you?" 

Kael hesitated. He didn't know how much to reveal. "I… I don't know. I'm still figuring it out." 

Lira nodded, as if she understood. "Well, whatever it is, it's powerful. And dangerous. You need to be careful." 

Kael nodded, his mind still reeling from the battle. He looked around at the destruction, his heart heavy with guilt. He had saved some, but not enough. 

As the group began to tend to the wounded, Lira pulled Kael aside. "There's something you need to know," she said, her voice low. "These wolves… they're not normal. They're stronger, faster, and more aggressive than they should be. We've been hearing rumors… rumors that a cult is behind this. They're gathering monsters, making them stronger, and using them to attack villages. They're sacrificing lives to revive some ancient god." 

Kael's blood ran cold. The voice he had heard before leaving Eryndor… the vision of Xal'Zyron… it all made sense now. 

"I need to find out more," Kael said, his voice firm. "I need to stop them." 

Lira nodded. "We're heading to the capital. The Adventurers' Guild needs to know about this. You should come with us." 

Kael hesitated. He had never been to the capital, never even left his village before. But he knew he couldn't turn back now. 

"Alright," he said. "I'll come with you." As the group prepared to leave the village, Kael took one last look at the destruction. The bodies, the blood, the tears… it was a scene he would never forget. 

But amidst the horror, there was a spark of hope. He had survived. He had fought. And he had saved lives. 

As they set off toward the capital, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The voice, the wolves, the cult… it was all connected. And somehow, he was at the center of it. 

The road ahead would be dangerous, but Kael was ready. He had a power that could change the world. 

And he was determined to use it.