I always believed my life would be defined by my power—'time frost.' It was a gift, or so I thought, bestowed upon me by unknown forces when I awakened ten years ago. But as the years passed without mastering it, the excitement that once surrounded me faded, replaced by a gnawing sense of inadequacy.

Tonight, like many others, I trudge home alone from the guild where I work as a lowly office assistant in the bustling heart of Seoul. The streets are quiet at this hour, save for the occasional flickering street lamp casting eerie shadows. In my hand, a meager purchase from the corner store—a reminder of my meager existence.

My family abandoned me long ago. First, my sister, Sung Hae Jin, left to chase her own adventures, having been labled as an A class mage she refused to let me drag down her reputation, which left me behind with our disappointed parents who soon followed after her, seeking to line their pockets as the parents of one of Koreas most influential Adventurers. Now, I am alone—weak, almost broke, and on the brink of poverty. Not to mention the closest job i could get to adventuring as an un-rankable awakened was an office assistant job that paid minimum wage. 

As I walk, my thoughts drift to the sky above, i loved watching the stars and how free they looked with no cares in the world. A glint catches my eye as i pause straining my eyes to clearly see—a meteor hurtling toward me. Panic surges through me, and I try to run, but my body refuses to obey. Frozen in place, I can only watch in horror as the celestial body hurtles closer, threatening to end everything.

Desperation grips me, and I whisper a silent prayer in my mind, pleading for deliverance. It's 2 AM, the world around me silent and still, not even the light in the corner of my eye flickered. everything seemed desolate. And then, an unsettling sound—a whisper, barely audible, behind the meteor.

I strain my eyes to look behind the rock as it continued on its path, my heart pounding in my chest, and there they are—'them.' Beings from the ancient tales, known for bringing monsters, portals, and high humans into our world. They stare at me with a chilling grin, their presence filling me with dread.

One of 'them' opens its mouth, and its voice reverberates in my mind, sending shivers down my spine. "Welcome to the games," it intones, the words chilling me to the core.

And then, darkness engulfs me.

---

I awaken suddenly, disoriented, to the blaring sound of my alarm clock. My room is bathed in the soft glow of dawn, a stark contrast to the darkness of my nightmare. I blink, trying to make sense of the situation.

For a moment, I lie there, the fear from the dream still fresh. But something feels eerily different. As I glance at the mirror across the room, I freeze. Staring back at me is not the tired face of a worn-out office assistant in her late twenties, but the youthful visage of a girl barely out of her teens.

Confusion and disbelief grip me as I touch my face, tracing the smooth skin that has replaced the lines of age. I look around my room and gasp at the teenage memorabilia—photos of friends, a calendar marking May 17th, 2024, my birthday, the day I awakened. It was circled and the days before were all X'd out up to today. Today was my birthday....

The realization hits me—I'm back in my teenage body, and my old power, 'time frost,' has transformed. "Open Status!" I command, eyes widening as a list of abilities appears. 'Time Frost' has become 'Time' and 'Frost,' now separate skills. Three others remain blurred and locked.

I was No longer confined to trying to get my skill to work it actually seemed like it might work.

But there's more. I feel it coursing through me—a sensation unlike anything I've experienced before. It's as if I can sense the magic woven into the fabric of our world, invisible threads connecting everything and everyone, tapping at my senses. 

As I struggle to comprehend this newfound awareness, a surge of determination rises within me. The encounter with 'them' was not just a dream or a hallucination—it was a reality I had been able to escape. 

I should see this as a blessing but there were so many questions i had so much confusion and fear. For now it would have to wait.

I needed to get this new life going, quickly.