Everett stood in a white realm. He was floating on white , breathing white but, it was not quite empty, for the system interface floated midair, flickering in cold yet elegant lines of data. On the system's main pane, it read:
Quest Completed: Survive for 3 Days Rewards Available:
1. Unlock Cube Functions
2. Complete the Painting of the Frost Realm
3. Enhance Physique & Mental Soul
He stared at the options. Each was tempting. Unlocking the Cube of Becoming's functions would undoubtedly reveal secrets. Enhancing his body and mind would give him strength. But completing the painting—the vision of the Frost Realm—felt permanent, and mysterious.
"I'll unlock the cube later... I can train my body later... but this painting... this might be now or never," Everett said to himself.
He selected Option 2: Complete the Painting of the Frost Realm.
As soon as he did, the cube of becoming floated before him, then slowly merged into his chest. A soft glow spread through his body. A new message appeared:
Continuation of the Painting... Time Remaining: 24 hours
Everett exhaled. "So... it takes time to manifest."
He chose to exit the white realm.
When Everett opened his eyes, he was back—in his room. Or, what used to be his room. Dust coated everything. Moss crept up the walls. A foul mixture of rot, mold, and what might have been long-decayed bread filled the air. It felt like the place had been abandoned for years.
He rushed to his AI terminal and reactivated the Hello Assistant.
The AI booted up with a soft hum. "Hello, Candidate Everett Miracle."
Everett blinked. "What year is it?"
The AI responded, calmly but chillingly:
"Current time is 10:03 a.m., June 7, 2091."
"2091!?" Everett yelled. "Thirty years!?"
His hands trembled. He hadn't noticed until he tried to stand. His knees gave out. Thirty years.
"Affirmative," the AI said. "Thirty years have passed since your disappearance. Would you like a briefing?"
Everett nodded.
---
The AI Briefing:
"Out of the 10 billion global human population in 2061, 7 billion disappeared within the first 10 minutes of the phenomenon. Of those, 5.5 billion returned within the first 24 hours. Over the next thirty years, an additional 500 million returned. One billion remain unaccounted for.
The remaining 3 billion individuals who did not disappear during the first event did not participate in the initial division or system-triggered event. They remained in the baseline world.
Within a year, humanity concluded that the Frost Realms—and others like it—exist with asynchronous time streams. One day there may equal decades here.
After that every year on January 1 the people can awaken classes.
And on every december 31st, a new realm connects to Earth. Though not as vast as frost realm and the temporal difference is not that big.
In 2064, the United Nations restructured itself as the General Human Federation (GHF), a unified global government. Initially powerless, its authority grew with the return of awakened humans. A Federation President now leads Earth, and all countries have become provinces under the GHF.
Laws were introduced to manage returnees, magic users, relics, and dimensional phenomena. With increased order, human civilization stabilized.
In 2067, the expansion of Earth halted. During the years prior, spatial anomalies had grown Earth's surface area sevenfold. Cities were constructed across planetary wormholes, allowing intra-system travel across Mercury to Neptune.
In 2072, humanity encountered alien life for the first time. An advanced civilization from the Andromeda Galaxy—codenamed Civilization B—initiated contact. Their development was not far ahead of ours, but their second-stage conditions for dimensional trials were vastly different. Details remain classified due to knowledge-level limitations.
Relations with Civilization B remain diplomatic but cautious. Shared research into dimensional time mechanics, energy harnessing, and inter-realm travel continues.
Technological growth has accelerated dramatically. Advanced AIs like myself now manage sector-based knowledge systems."
---
"And what about me?" Everett asked. "What happens to us who return late?"
"You, Candidate Everett Miracle, are a third day returnee. You have been flagged as a High-Priority Candidate. You will receive notification within 24 hours to appear at the Federation Council Building.
There, you will undergo evaluation. Qualified candidates will receive an invitation to attend the Federation Imperial College, where you may train with access to all accumulated knowledge from the last 30 years."
Everett sat back. Dust and silence wrapped the room again.
Thirty years. A thousand questions. But at least, he was home.