As I set the plate before her, her eyebrows rose in curiosity. “Who cooked?”

  “Me.”

  Her eyes widened comically. “Now, I know you can’t be my brother. Maybe this is an episode of the body snatchers.”

  With a mischievous glint, I rose and mimicked a zombie's lumbering gait, my arms outstretched in front of me. “You have found me out.”

  The comical sight made her choke on her mouthful of eggs. Once she recovered, she admonished, “Ugh, don’t do that at school today. In fact, just stay far away from me. The last thing I need is for all the guys there to think I’m a dork just because I’m related to one.”

  Our playful banter was punctuated by our mother’s voice echoing down the stairs. “Be nice to your brother. You have to drive to school together until I get a second car.”

  Cece protested with a whine. “I thought we were rich now. Why don’t you just go buy one today?”

  The practicality of my response drew a chuckle from mom, which made it completely worthwhile. “Duh, because we have to use the car to drive into school.”

  As I looked up, I was met with another quizzical gaze. This time, it was from my mother, her head tilted as if trying to decipher an intricate puzzle. “Are those new clothes, Silas?”

  I dismissed her confusion casually. “Uh, this old stuff. No, I just got a haircut. Didn’t know it would make me look this different.”

  She shook her head, as if dislodging a troublesome thought. “Just come here and give your mother a hug. I had the worst dreams about you last night. Are you sure you’re okay sleeping out in the shed?”

  My affection for her was unfettered. I encircled her in a comforting embrace. “Of course, anything for you two. Besides, Cece doesn’t care where I sleep as long as she’s rich.”

  With the initial exchange of teasing and pleasantries out of the way, breakfast began in earnest. As we ate, we navigated through the details of our day's plans and the groceries we needed to fetch on our way back from school.

  The reminder of the upcoming cross-country team tryouts and Cece's curiosity about campus sororities sparked a sense of normalcy that struck me. This was what I was trying to fight for. This normalcy. The casual conversation hurt and soothed. If anything, my harrowing trials on Galen should have been nothing more than a dream. I kept quiet as I helped clean up. Trying to stay in the moment of normalcy a little longer.

  The illusion was shattered when I accidentally bent Cece’s fork as I started to clear the table. It was no herculean feat, and I could have done it even before my transformation… with a bit of effort. But the effortless ease with which it happened was a stark reminder that nothing in my life was normal anymore.

  ______________________________

  A mere two hours later, Cece and I exited the admissions office of the University of Illinois, the scent of fresh paperwork still clinging to us. Everything had unfolded without a hitch. Money, indeed, spoke volumes, and Uncle Dan's lawyer had proven to be an influential and potent ally, unlocking university doors with a single call. Each desired class was now ours, my own schedule remaining light to keep from overwhelming my already tumultuous life.

  A slight deviation from my usual academic path had led me to enroll in an elective Physical Education course: Fencing. Any combat skill was a bonus in my book, a handy tool to keep in my arsenal.

  This marked the point where Cece and I took separate paths, her excitement for exploring the campus palpable, while my plan was to head to the track where I’d been told the cross-country team was practicing. Hopefully, they hadn’t headed out on a longer run yet.

  As I traversed the mostly empty hallways, my pace was a steady rhythm against the pristine linoleum. I knew that in just a few days school would start, and this place would become much more crowded.

  The whispers of passing female students floated to my ears, their hushed tones filled with curiosity and interest. Prior to gaining so many stat points in Perception, I would have been blissfully ignorant of their chatter, but my newfound awareness rendered me an unwilling eavesdropper. The way the girls were staring and talking about me was unsettling, enough to prompt a quick mental check that my passive auras were still off.

  The whispers persisted. I was forced to accept that charisma had tipped the scales in my favor. The implications were daunting, the potential for inadvertently manipulating a fellow student was frighteningly real.

  Yet there was an undeniable thrill that coursed through my veins. During high school, my romantic life could have been called mediocre at best. Then my father's illness had cast a somber shadow over my personal life. Apparently, dating a guy whose dad was dying wasn’t any fun.

  The rush was enough to cause me to flash a smile at more than one of the girls. Those smiles were then returned with interest and a couple girls even seemed like they wanted to start a conversation. I wasn’t ready for that yet, but just the attention was a refreshing and exciting change.

  The end of the world might be a little more than a year away, but it looked like I wasn’t going to have to face it without a girlfriend… well a guy could hope at least. I knew it was petty, but if I opened my stat sheet, I could see the countdown telling me when our world would change. When things like flirting with girls or asking them on dates would be the last thing on anyone’s minds.

  So… why couldn’t a guy like me have someone to spend more time with? Outside of my family, there wasn’t anyone I’d made enough of a connection with. I couldn’t be in another world on the other side of the portal all the time. There were limits.

  Yet, that got me thinking about Dori and the others, it made me wonder if they’d escaped. I could only hope I’d bought them enough time with Greta. That sobering thought encouraged me to tune out the lingering whispers, focusing on the journey to the track.

  Stepping outside, the summer sun blazed overhead, bathing the university grounds in a warm, golden light. Illinois' August mimicked the mugginess of Texas, though without the relentless heat. The humidity was tangible; the temperature creeping past ninety degrees, but to me, it was an inconsequential detail. I reveled in the sensations, embracing the warmth as I took in the bustling activity around me.

  The University’s sprawling lawns played host to an array of athletic activities. Cheerleaders, their uniforms bright against the green grass, were engaged in synchronized routines, their voices merging into a single rallying cry. The men's and women's cross-country teams huddled together, their lean bodies testament to their rigorous training regimens.

  From a distance, the football field was a mosaic of movement; it seemed the team had drawn the coach's ire, their punitive laps a testament to their transgressions, their athletic wear thankfully sparing them the additional burden of full pads.

  As I was walking across the field, I headed straight for what looked like one of the cross-country coaches. There were a group of two men and one woman who I pegged as being between thirty and fifty in running attire with whistles. If they weren’t the coaches, then I’d eat my shoes.

  I didn’t make it very far as one of the cheerleaders stumbled into my path. Not long ago, I would have thought it was the most fortuitous moment of my life as I caught her in my arms, saving her from crashing into the ground. Now I was different. My enhanced perception told me that she had clearly fallen on purpose. I couldn’t quite figure out why, but my Perception was sure that she had.

  “Oops, I’m so clumsy,” she said while looking up at me. She flashed me a smile but made no move to stand back up, instead allowing me to support her.

  “Somehow I doubt that, but I’m glad I could help you.” I lifted her just a bit and pushed against her till she was back on her feet.

  “So, what’s your name? I haven’t seen you around here before. I should at least know who my hero is.” Her tone was giddy and something about it grated at me—triggered me. Truthfully, she seemed… inconsequential. Harsh as that sounded, I stared at her, and her smile looked vapid and shallow. As if she’d never had to fight for anything as hard as I had. Struggled the way I did.

  Didn’t she know that Earth only had so many days left? How could she be this flippant when I had just been risking my life trying to become Earth’s fifth Forerunner?

  The answer came to me as quickly as I asked myself those questions. She had no idea about any of those things. If I even tried to explain it to her, she’d only hear gibberish. All I could do was play along… a part of me, admittedly a very reckless part was already excited about it.

  Of course, she wasn’t the only one to take notice. A group of three guys broke off from the football squad and were making a beeline straight for me. I could read their intention. Whether one of them thought they had a claim on this girl or not, it didn’t matter. They clearly weren’t happy with some new guy stepping into their domain.

  Again, just a couple days ago, I would have made some lame excuse and then ran over to where the cross-country coaches were. I definitely wouldn’t have been looking to start trouble with three football players, even if my dad had taught me the basics of handling myself. Now, though, it was just laughable.

  After staring Greta in the face, three jocks were nothing. So, I took my time and answered her. “I’m Silas. You haven’t seen me around here because I’m new. Just moved here from Texas.”

  She stared at me for a moment like she was lost for words. Could points into Charisma really make this much of a difference? That was just insane.

  Finally she squeaked out, “You’re so hot… oops I mean, I’m April.”

  “Nice to meet you, April.”

  Then the three guys were on us. I’d already been monitoring their movement and body posture. They were aggressive, but not yet at the point of outright attacking me. Adrenaline rose, and I embraced it. My body loosened and my feet automatically sank into a sturdier position. It was all an unconscious effort. My body reacting to potential threats. I’d fought for my life against opponents much stronger than these three chumps. There was a small part of my brain warning me that I was overreacting, but I was stuck in the moment, almost on autopilot—waiting.

  The guy in the middle, a blonde, stack of muscle who was about my height said, “Hey bruh, this is a closed practice. Only the teams are supposed to be out here.”

  I looked at him and without trying Identify activated.

  Chad Williams (non-inducted) Class: None

  Level: 0

  Status Conditions: Angry, Nervous

  Threat Level: Non-existent

  Maybe I was being a jerk… yeah I knew I was, but I couldn’t help but smile. Beneath the reckless energy I now sensed how truly pissed off I was about everything that had happened to me so far. I met his type before. This was the kind of guy who had lorded it over anyone with less social status than him in high school. Now I found myself completely unafraid of him. Ironically, I realized that while he seemed muscular to me; I was probably almost as muscular as he was now and was far stronger.

  “That’s fine. I’m here to try out for the cross-country team.”

  He looked like he wanted to say something, but the linebacker on the left of him said, “That’s about what you’re good for then, running. Go on, run away.”

  A part of my mind split. The roar of all the monsters I’d been fighting what felt like just a couple of hours ago filled a smaller section in my head. The other side, the main part of my consciousness, was lucid and present in the moment. My body thrummed, a little drunk with my new power and I ignored Chad’s sidekick. I turned, so I was sideways to the three guys and was instead looking straight into April’s eyes.

  She was pretty enough, but I wasn’t all that interested. I generally tended to like my girls a little on the brighter side. Beautiful was nice, but brains lasted. Although, I realized, I wasn’t being fair. For all I knew, she was a physics major.

  “So, could I get your number, April? You know, in case you fall again and need some help up?”

  That was bad enough, but as soon as I winked at her, I heard the linebacker mumble, “You’re so dead.”

  Chapter 30- A Reminder

  The air shifted, alerting me to his impending attack before I even saw it. His bulky form lumbered towards me, arms stretched out like a slow-motion bear trying to swat at a fly. He was painfully slow compared to my heightened reflexes. I executed a neat pivot, barely extending my front foot, just enough for him to stumble over as he lunged. His massive body hit the grassy field with a dull thud, but he sprang back up surprisingly fast, despite the obvious impact.

  Taking a calculated step back, I raised my hands, a universal symbol of peace. "This doesn’t have to get ugly. Well, not any uglier than you three,” I cautioned. Their shocked expressions morphed into anger as they processed what had just happened.

  The remaining two, their egos bruised, closed in to restrain me. I could have deployed my Adorably Harmless aura, turning the tide instantly. However, using such a powerful tool to manipulate their minds felt disproportionate, almost cruel. Besides, a part of me craved the adrenaline rush. As far as I was concerned—thumping them a bit seemed the lesser of evils.

  If they were monstrous adversaries or the stakes were high, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But this was merely a trifling encounter with overconfident hotheaded jocks… I could hear my sister commenting about how, I was behaving just like them too.

  The silent one, so far spectating the action, attempted to seize me from behind. I allowed him to nearly envelop me with his muscular arms before I swiftly ducked and sidestepped. My nimble movements and agility made his clumsy attempts seem comically slow.

  It went on like that, a cat-and-mouse game where I was always a step ahead, evading their feeble attempts to grapple me. The spectacle drew a curious crowd. The entire cheerleading squad, a handful of runners, several burly football players, and a few coaches turned spectators. They stared; their attention riveted to the action. Some only remembered they were on campus and hurriedly jogged towards the unfolding scene.

  Expecting one of the coaches to intervene, I was surprised to see a football coach hold back one of the cross-country coaches. Even amidst the chaos, my keen senses picked up the hushed exchange from a good forty feet away.

  “Hold on," the football coach advised. "I’ll stop my boys if it gets out of hand, but I want to see what he can do."

  My heightened perception didn't miss a beat. I seamlessly incorporated the words into my sensory database, even as I continued to expertly dodge the trio's aggressive moves. A small part of me was eager to show them exactly what I could do.

  Exhaustion was etched on the faces of the three boys, their breaths coming in ragged pants, while a flicker of excitement kindled in me. The thrilling beat of a challenge had my blood humming. Then, from somewhere in the audience, a voice jeered, “Deck him, Chad.”

  That’s when the air grew taut, the shift in Chad’s intent palpable. No longer was he aiming to just grab me - he was winding up to deliver a punch. Instinctively, I matched his intent with my own. He lashed out with a wide punch, and once again, I deftly sidestepped, barely dodging his knuckles by inches.

  This cat-and-mouse game continued, half a dozen times over. Chad chased me around the field, his wild punches fruitlessly chasing my nimble form. But even this started to lose its thrill, and I decided to switch tactics.

  Gathering my strength, I threw a counter-punch at his incoming arm. It was meant to be a mere warning, but my new strength, paired with my speed, amplified the force. My fist landed on his arm just above the elbow with a resounding thud, and I felt an unusual pop.

  Chad yelped in pain, collapsing to one knee, clutching his potentially injured arm. His teammates, momentarily stunned, sprang into action, rushing to his aid. Even the coaches broke from their sideline commentary, their faces etched with concern.

  I merely stepped back, observing the unfolding chaos. The cross-country coach from earlier had a few choice words for his football counterpart. “Oh, you’ll step in will you? Now you’ve let a boy get injured and we’re going to have to report both of them. Good call, coach.”

  His biting sarcasm fell on deaf ears, drowned out by Chad’s grunts of pain. As I stepped back, realization hit me—I’d escalated this for no reason other than to show off. To prove how powerful I had become. What a chump! Thinking back to when dad taught me basic self-defense, I doubt this was what he was talking about. I sighed heavily. This situation escalated out of control. My punch, despite being defensive, might have jeopardized my ability to attend this school.

  Institutional rules were bound to frown upon any form of violence. My harmless dodging would have been overlooked, but my retaliation put me on the wrong side. I was now seen as part of the problem.

  A lingering worry tugged at me. I had retaliated without feeling any real threat. It was all adrenaline and pent-up aggression. What would I do if I were truly cornered? I thought of Emil Larsen and his rampage. I grimaced. This was proof that fighting for my life on Galen had changed me. In fact, a part of me had been back in Galen, battle ready and waiting for the monsters to attack. Faced with a challenge, I had naturally responded. Now, it seemed, that instinct had followed me back to Earth.