Before the Collapse

In a seemingly ordinary world on the brink of an unseen catastrophe, the protagonist Z is a university student with an obsessive fascination for the supernatural, urban legends, ghost stories, and all things that defy rational explanation. He actively seeks out abandoned sites and rumored anomalies, driven by a deep curiosity and a hidden desire for the extraordinary to shatter his mundane existence.One night, while exploring an abandoned construction site, Z discovers and rescues a bloodied, enigmatic girl named Alice. She claims to be a time-traveler from a devastated future—an apocalyptic era where anomalous entities roam freely, monstrous creatures slaughter indiscriminately, supernatural forces tear civilization apart, and the world itself begins to fracture beyond repair. Alice has crossed time to prevent this irreversible doom from occurring, but she arrives severely weakened, her powers depleted from the journey.Initially skeptical yet intrigued, Z takes her in and shelters her in his home. As he listens to her warnings about the impending "great calamity," strange phenomena start manifesting in the present world—subtle at first, then increasingly terrifying. Z grapples with conflicting impulses: a rational drive to help avert the apocalypse, and a darker, possessive obsession that tempts him to confine Alice forever, keeping her safe (and his) in isolation.What Z doesn't reveal at first is his own hidden power—he possesses exceptional flame manipulation abilities that awaken and evolve explosively. Starting as an seemingly ordinary fire user, his strength rapidly scales to god-like levels, allowing him to simulate virtually any force or phenomenon after reaching higher realms. He rises through secretive supernatural organizations, confronts escalating anomalies, battles invading horrors, and uncovers deeper truths about the impending end.As the story unfolds, Z transforms from a detached observer of the weird into a dominant force racing against time. He becomes both Alice's protector and a dangerously unhinged pursuer—capable of devising intricate plans to save the world, yet twisted enough to consider extreme measures to possess what he values most. Their relationship, fraught with tension, emotional bonds, and mutual dependence, drives the narrative amid cosmic horror, rapid power progression, anomaly investigations, and psychological depth.This blend of "I picked up a mysterious time-traveler girl" premise, yandere-like obsession, high-stakes apocalyptic prevention, and overwhelming hidden strength creates a gripping, character-driven supernatural thriller perfect for fans of dark urban fantasy and twisted light novel tropes.