conquerer of time

**Chapter 1: Awakening**

The afternoon sun bathed a small island off the coast of Japan, casting its warm light over bustling markets, quiet alleyways, and an ancient temple perched atop a hill. Locals and tourists alike wandered about, admiring the weathered stone carvings and statues of long-forgotten gods. The temple, with its austere beauty, had always held a kind of magic — a mystery that had lingered long before this day.

But today, there was something different about the air.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, as if the earth itself was breathing uneasily. The ground beneath the temple began to tremble with an unsettling, rhythmic pulse. People exchanged wary glances, some whispering about a possible earthquake, while others, with more acute senses, felt something deeper, something far more primal.

And then the winds began to stir.

Gale-force gusts swept across the island, sending leaves and dust swirling in all directions. It was as if the land itself held its breath, waiting. All eyes turned towards the great stone gate — the heart of the temple, its surface etched with cracks that glowed faintly like veins of blood beneath pale skin.

At first, there was only a soft, flickering light seeping through the cracks. But gradually, that light grew, intensifying into an otherworldly hue that bathed the entire temple in an eerie, unnatural glow. The murmurs of the crowd rose, swelling into an uneasy chorus.

"Is this some kind of light show?" someone asked, their voice rising above the din as they raised their phone to capture the phenomenon.

And then, a blinding flash.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The light from the gate surged outward, its brilliance like a wave crashing over the onlookers, before suddenly, the gate splintered open. A vortex, dark and shimmering, appeared before them — a portal to another realm, pulsing with dark energy.

A terrible silence fell over the crowd.

People stood frozen, as though their very roots had been bound to the earth beneath them. Some raised their phones, entranced, trying to capture the impossible scene unfolding before them. But the wonder quickly turned to fear, as a man who had ventured too close to the portal was dragged in. With a scream that sent chills down the spine of every witness, he was flung back from the vortex, his skin pale, his hand severed and dripping with blood.

"There... there are monsters... Monsters inside..." he whispered, his voice little more than a rasp, before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Panic erupted.

Screams tore through the air as people scrambled in all directions. They collided with one another, trampling over their fallen as terror gripped them all. The portal continued to pulse, its energy intensifying with each passing moment, as if it hungered for something beyond the veil of this world.

News spread like wildfire. Television stations and social media exploded with images of the portal, and the terrified faces of witnesses. Headlines flashed across the screens: *"Island Under Attack"*, *"Portal Opens"*, and *"Is This the End?"*

Five days passed. Each one heavier than the last.

The government had sent military forces to guard the portal, rows of soldiers standing in tight formation, weapons drawn, surrounding the mysterious tear in reality. Cameras broadcasted their every movement, their every grim step, to a terrified nation. Scientists and experts argued heatedly, trying to make sense of this "phenomenon."

But on the fifth day, the wait was over.

With a violent shudder, the portal flung itself wide open, and from within, the first of the creatures emerged. Horrible, twisted beings — their bodies bent and gnarled like goblins, their eyes burning with hunger and madness. Without hesitation, they surged forth, their movements frantic, driven by a primal lust for destruction.