Entropy Erosion Cycle: Absolute Zero

Chapter 1: Absolute Zero

Lu Shang’s consciousness gripped him suddenly, like an icy hand clenching his heart, only to release him just as swiftly. A sharp, searing pain shot through his chest as if countless needle-thin shards of ice had pierced his skin. He gasped, his breath ragged, the fiery ache snapping him to full awareness. The air was thick, stifling, as if the entire world had been muted by some unseen force.

With great effort, he pushed himself upright, his head throbbing with a dull, insistent ache. A cold, sticky liquid matted his hair. Memories rushed back in a torrent—the screeching brakes of a heavy truck, the horror of a young girl hurled out the window, her pink hairpin tracing a tragic arc through the air.

Pain was a distant second as he staggered toward the spot where the girl had fallen. The bustling intersection, once alive with noise and movement, had frozen in time, the cacophony of the world stilled like a fly trapped in amber. Shards of glass hung suspended in midair, twinkling like distant stars, while the twisted wreckage of a shared bicycle lay still, its wheel frozen in place, a silent accusation of the catastrophe that had unfolded.

And there, amidst the chaos, he saw her—a tiny, fragile figure crumpled on the cold, hard pavement. Her eyes were shut tightly, her face as pale as paper. His heart twisted in his chest, a pang of fear too profound for words. With trembling hands, he reached out to touch her, but as his fingertips neared her frigid face, an inexplicable chill gripped him—a cold so deep it seemed to freeze his very soul.

It wasn’t just cold. It was an unearthly, soul-obliterating freeze that seemed to stop time itself. He recoiled, his mind reeling in disbelief. The once bustling street was now covered by a thick blanket of white crystalline frost, like a vast, frozen sculpture.

Panic gripped him as he scanned the scene around him. His only clear memory was that of his desperate drive to save the girl. A fierce, unyielding will had surged through him, a primal instinct that seemed to erupt from the depths of his very being. Then, in his mind’s eye, a faint hum reverberated, and suddenly, the world had changed.

He looked down at his hands. They appeared normal—just as they always had—but deep within, he felt an overwhelming power stirring. It was cold, silent, yet palpably immense, a force capable of consuming all vitality in its path.

Just then, a faint sound pierced the heavy silence—a soft, tremulous sob. It was the girl. Her tiny form quivered slightly, a tear shining in her eyes, reflecting the icy world around her.

"Are... are you okay?" Lu Shang’s voice was hoarse, strained, his attempt at calm failing to mask the worry flooding his chest.

The girl slowly opened her eyes, gazing at him with confusion. Her gaze shifted to the frozen world around her, and her small face twisted with terror. She opened her mouth to speak, but only the faintest of whimpers escaped.

Lu Shang realized with a jolt that the extreme cold must have affected her voice. Ignoring the pain coursing through his body, he carefully scooped her into his arms. Her little body was stiff and cold, like a porcelain doll, its fragility tightening the knot of dread in his stomach.

With her secure in his grasp, he moved to escape the nightmarish scene. Each step was met with the soft, eerie crackle of ice beneath his feet, as if Death itself whispered at his heels. The world was a haunting tableau, frozen in place: cars, pedestrians, even raindrops suspended in midair, locked in their final, frozen forms.

As they neared the edge of the icy landscape, a sudden dizziness seized him. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in from the edges. He stumbled, barely catching himself before falling. The girl cried out in alarm, clutching at his jacket with trembling hands.

He fought against the overwhelming weakness, raising his head just in time to see a towering electronic screen glowing brightly in the distance. The red light flashed menacingly as a line of text scrolled across it: "Warning! Abnormal energy fluctuation detected. Level One Lockdown Protocol activated."

A cold dread coiled in his gut. Lu Shang didn’t know what was happening, but one thing was certain—he and the girl were now trapped in something much larger than themselves.

With growing urgency, he quickened his pace, desperate to move them away from this peril. Yet, as they crossed the threshold of the frozen zone, the atmosphere around them shifted. The once-clear sky darkened, suffused with a heavy, oppressive feeling that pressed in from all sides.

Looking up, Lu Shang’s eyes narrowed. Far in the distance, several black specks appeared, rapidly descending toward them. As they drew nearer, he realized they were strange, futuristic flying machines, their sleek, metallic bodies gleaming with an eerie, cold shine.

The machines hovered above them, their low, ominous hums vibrating through the air. One of the craft broadcasted a chilling, electronic voice: "Target identified as Lu Shang. Cease all movement immediately and submit to investigation."

A wave of cold fear surged through him. He had been spotted. His gaze flickered to the girl, who was still trembling in his arms, and a wave of guilt washed over him. His intention had been simple—save her. But now, that one act had spiraled them both into disaster.

Confusion and hesitation clouded his thoughts. He knew he had no choice but to act. Then, something in his memory clicked. In that final moment before the crash, had he felt something? A strange surge of power flooding his body? Could it have been him—was he responsible for the freezing of this world?

The realization struck him with the force of a lightning bolt. He had awakened an ability—one that had unleashed this catastrophe. And if he didn’t control it soon, he could bring far worse consequences.

“Forgive me, little one,” he whispered silently to himself. He made a decision. He could not let himself be captured. He needed to understand what was happening, to control this new power before it consumed everything around him.

He gently set the girl down on the ground, his voice a soothing murmur, "Wait here, I won’t be long."

The girl, her fear still evident, nodded obediently, her trust in him unwavering despite the terror in her heart.

Standing tall, Lu Shang faced the advancing machines. His resolve hardened. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready.

And just then, as if in answer to his unspoken determination, a new surge of energy coursed through his veins. This time, it wasn’t the freezing cold—it was a heat, raw and wild, like a volcano erupting inside him. His hands trembled, the air around him warping, distorting with an unseen force.

The machines above them reacted immediately, their movements slowing, the warning lights flashing frantically. A voice crackled through their speakers: "Warning! Target’s energy levels rising. Possible activation of Entropic abilities. Requesting immediate reinforcement."

Entropic abilities? The term was unfamiliar, and yet it resonated deep within him, a word filled with ominous promise. His power—whatever it was—was growing stronger, and with it, the risk of losing control seemed ever more imminent.

But before he could even begin to comprehend the implications of this new force inside him, a cold, mechanical voice cut through his thoughts. "Lu Shang, your Entropy Counter is now activated. Initial value: 1,000,000. Please note, any further energy usage will accelerate the depletion of your counter. Upon zeroing out, you will face termination."

His mind spun with confusion and dread. What did this counter mean? And who was this voice? Was it the same entity manipulating the events unfolding around him?

He barely had time to process before the machines completed their encirclement. One of them opened its hatch, and a tall, imposing figure emerged—a man clad in a cold, black uniform, his face a mask of emotionless calculation.

“Lu Shang,” the man intoned, his voice a hollow echo of ice, "I am the Janitor of the Serpent’s Tail Organization. Your termination has been ordered."

The name struck Lu Shang like a dagger. Serpent’s Tail—a shadowy group that controlled the world’s awakened individuals, pulling the strings of their fates. How had he become entangled in their web so quickly?

"What do you want from me?" Lu Shang’s voice trembled with a mix of fear and defiance, trying to hold firm despite his mounting terror.

The Janitor smiled coldly. “Our objective is simple. Reclaim all uncontrolled energy sources. Individuals like you—unregistered, unmanageable—are ticking time bombs.”

A strange device appeared in the man’s hand, glowing with a chilling blue light. A pulse of energy rippled from it, sending a sharp, visceral warning through Lu Shang’s body.

Escape was impossible. There was nowhere to run.

And just as the Janitor prepared to fire, a sudden, shrill voice echoed in his mind: “Warning! High-energy response detected. Self-destruct sequence initiated for Janitor unit.”

The Janitor’s eyes widened in horror. His hand shook, staring at the device in his grasp. “No—!”

A flash of brilliant white light erupted, and a deafening explosion tore through the air, flinging Lu Shang violently into the rubble. His body slammed against a building, and everything went black.