[Okay, calm down] Luna said. [As usual, just focus everything into desire]
Jayden shook his head. "It's not working... it's surpassed the bonds of desire," he stated
[All right, um.. try love] Luna muttered. [Try putting all those emotions into love]
Jayden gritted his teeth, he was being crushed by the weight of so many emotions. Rage, guilt, grief, fear... but no love. He couldn't feel love.
"I can't, Luna. I can't," he muttered, already getting restless. Then he began to pace about the room, trying to catch his breath.
[C'mon, Jayden] Luna muttered. [I've seen what happens when you get too angry. And I don't plan on seeing what happens when you hit emotion overdrive]
Jayden began to think about all the people he loved, all the people he cared about. Then his gaze landed on the moon, which looked like a full moon, but it wasn't. It was still slightly incomplete, a form in between a half moon and full moon. A Waxing Gibbous.
Jayden thought back to his mother... to his sister, but he could only feel grief when he thought about them. And that only made the situation worse.
"I couldn't stop them... I couldn't stop them from killing mum and taking Jasmine. It's all my fault," he muttered to himself, almost like a whisper
[Damn it, Jayden. Snap out of it]. Luna called out to Jayden, but he was far gone
"Why should I? I don't deserve to live a happy life... I don't deserve Jessica or Tasha or anyone at all. I failed my own family.. I'll just fail them too," Jayden said, grief and guilt already taking over
"I miss you so much, mum. And I think about you everyday," he muttered, staring at the moon.
Then Luna saw an opportunity. [Hey, Jayden. Remember that you still need to avenge your mother and find your sister] she muttered, trying to fuel his rage. She hoped that his rage could be strong enough to balance all the other emotions.
But even that failed, as Jayden shook his head. "No, I can't avenge mum. I'm too weak. And Jasmine... She's probably dead," he muttered softly
"And besides, I can't get angry, Luna," he added. "I mustn't. If I do, then I might transform into that thing. And then... I could hurt everyone I care about, and lose them all. Just like I lost mother and Jasmine,"
Luna sighed, Jayden's emotions were already consuming him. If only there was a switch to just turn it off. To turn all his emotions off, but there wasn't so she had to think. Then after some pondering, she had a brilliant idea.
Jayden was currently being controlled by grief and guilt, and she could use that to tap into the strongest emotion. Fear.
[Jayden, you promised Jessica that you would never hurt her and her family, right?]
Jayden nodded. "Yes, I did,"
[But if you don't snap out of this emotional episode, you could get consumed by it] Luna stated. [And that would hurt Jessica, which means you broke her promise. Are you willing to do that?]
Jayden shook his head. "No, I... I can't. If I do, I'll lose them... I'll lose her. I can't break my promise. I won't!" he voiced out, his gaze landing on the blue joystick sitting on the table.
And then...vsilence.
Jayden slowly raised his head, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He seemed to have come back to his senses.
"Thanks, Luna. I almost went full overdrive back there," he chuckled
Luna was excited. [Haha! I can't believe that actually worked. I honestly thought it was a dumb idea that would probably fail]
Jayden sighed. "This has to stop, Luna. We have to fix this.. Fix me," he said in a serious expression
Luna scoffed. [Stop being dramatic, Jayden. I think your emotions are heightened because of the fact that you almost died at the hands of a beast. You passed out after it stabbed you, which made you somehow relive the scenerio of dying all over again]
Jayden snickered. "So what are you trying to say? That I'm going through trauma?"
Luna sighed. [I believe so. And even though you shrugged it off as nothing, your subconscious didn't. And so it entered a kind of flux, which then heightened your emotions]
Jayden exhaled. "That actually makes sense, I wasn't myself when I killed the C-Rank Wolverine Stalker. I think that was my subconscious, reacting to a second death using rage,"
"But still... how certain are you that this is the problem?"
[I'm not. It could be something else] Luna replied. [But it's the best possible diagnosis we've got. So just go to bed and I'm sure that by tomorrow morning, your emotions should be normal again]
Jayden sighed, he didn't have any other option. "All right. fine. I just hope you're right and all this nonesense would end by the morning," he said, just before a yawn escaped his mouth
[You spent yesterday's night and the whole day watching movies. You should get some sleep] Luna stated.
Jayden exhaled and climbed into his bed, then he layed and stared into the ceiling. Thinking back to the day's events. It had been one hell of an emotional ride.
He began to think about how he and Tasha had both shared a special moment together, and it made him wonder what would happen next.
His thoughts went haywire as he pondered how this would affect his relationship with Jessica. But he chuckled, and threw them at the back of his mind.
Then his thoughts landed on Cassandra.
"Right," he thought. "I still need to see her mom,"
He grabbed his holo tab and texted her:
[Hey, it's Jayden. I think I'll be free Tuesday. I can meet your mom then]
Seconds later, she replied:
[Hi Jayden! That's perfect. I'll let her know. Have a good night]
Jayden placed the tab aside. Closed his eyes and slowly drifted into the dreaming.
.....
The next morning hit Jayden like a sledgehammer.
He woke up groaning, a sharp, shrieking sound piercing through his ears like nails on a chalkboard. His hand shot up instinctively, clutching the side of his head, his face twisted in discomfort.
"What the hell is that? My alarm?" he grumbled, voice thick with sleep and irritation. But when he glanced at the holo-tab beside his bed, the screen was blank. No alarm. No notification.
Yet the sound persisted... deep, metallic whooshing, like jet engines on repeat. Jayden forced himself to sit up, eyes squinting against the early morning light. The noise was still there, loud and obnoxious, like it was coming from right outside his room.
Only it wasn't.
He walked to his window and pulled back the blinds.. and there it was. A stream of flying cars zooming across the skyline, miles away. Miles. Yet Jayden could hear them like they were just meters away..
"…What the hell?" he muttered.
Then something even stranger happened. His nose twitched. He could smell toast… eggs… detergent… mint gum. Someone, somewhere opposite the block was brushing their teeth.
His brows furrowed. Then his eyes sharpened.. literally. He blinked, and the world around him turned crisp like someone had switched his vision to 4K Ultra HD. The sunlight bouncing off the trees outside sparkled like diamonds, and he could even make out ants crawling up the fence two houses away.
He stumbled backward, gasping.
[Jayden, calm down] Luna said gently, her voice cutting through the chaos like a lifeline. [You're not dying. Take deep breaths. Slowly.]
He did. Inhale. Exhale.
Again.
And again.
Gradually, the world dulled back to a manageable level. The buzzing of faraway engines faded to a background hum. The colors softened. His breath slowed.
"What… just happened?" he muttered, hand resting on his chest.
[Seems your senses have suddenly heightened] Luna muttered
Jayden sighed and rubbed his temple. "Great. First, heightened emotions. And now, heightened senses. Could this get any worse,"
He headed for the bathroom, but paused mid-step... The system screen flashed in front of his eyes, giving him the weirdest notification ever.
[+4 Strength]
[+2 Speed]
[+2 Stamina]
Jayden blinked. "Huh? What the...?"
But it wasn't finished, another popped up.
[+10 Perception]
[+1 Agility]
[+2 Defense]
[+3 Strength]
[+ 2 Speed...]
Then another.
And another.
The notifications kept coming like someone forgot to close the tap.
"Luna," Jayden called. "What the hell is going on? Is this another glitch?"
[Oh, uh... Nothing to worry about. Just… bonus stats. Heh]
Jayden narrowed his eyes, this was weird. How could the system suddenly start giving him free stats. He was a little bit excited but still, he was cautious. "Luna. tell me what you know," he asked sharply
[Okay, okay!] she groaned. [Fine. I was gonna tell you eventually]
"Tell me what, Luna?"
[Your original stats. When the system bound to you... they weren't normal. They were too high.. too unstable] Luna explained. [So, the system sealed most of them off. If it hadn't, your body might have imploded]
Jayden's face twisted. "You sealed my stats?!"
[For your own good!] Luna snapped. [The system thought it was too risky to give you full access at level one. You'd get cocky. Stop training. Maybe blow up a bus just by sneezing]
"Like how much stats are we talking about?" Jayden asked. "What was my original strength?"
Luna sighed. [Jayden, at the time the system integrated into your body. It was... 100]
Jayden's eyes widened. "One... hundred? But it was twenty when I woke up. The system sealed 80% percent of my strength?!" he voiced out, filled with rage. He was now understanding why the system was always generous in giving out stats. It was he's to begin with.
[Calm down. It was the best thing to do] Luna retorted. [It would make sure to keep the balance between physical stats and levels]
"It wasn't your's... or the system's decision to make," Jayden bellowed. His jaw clenched. And his heart rate spiked.
[Heart Rate: 100 Bpm]
"I almost died out there, Luna," he said through gritted teeth. "If I had my full stats—hell, even half.. that C-Rank bastard wouldn't have even scratched me."
[Jayden, relax...]
"No!" he snapped. "You think sealing my strength made me better? It almost got me killed!"
His breathing deepened. His fists clenched. The monitor blinked again:
[112 Bpm… ]
[118 Bpm… ]
[120 Bpm…]
Then it happened. The usual
His fingers stretched.. bones cracking, claws sliding out like knives from flesh. His eyes flickered gold, a low growl rumbling from his throat. His voice dropped an octave.
"I could've died, Luna."
[Jayden. Listen to me. Stop, dammit!] Luna yelled, but it was to no avail. Jayden's anger was taking over, and it was even more terrifying than the previous times he would get angry. This was abnormal.
He wasn't listening. His rage was blooming, full and wild. The room felt smaller. Hotter. His blood boiled, and it wasn't just anger anymore. It was the Beast stirring. Then...
"Jayden?"
A soft voice drifted from the hallway. Familiar. Gentle. Calming.
It was Jessica.
"Are you okay in there?" she called out.
Everything stopped.
His heart rate plummeted. The growl faded. His claws slowly slid back. The light in his eyes dimmed.
Jayden blinked, breathing in shallow, controlled puffs. "…Yeah. I'm fine," he called back.
"Okay," Jessica replied. "We're heading out soon."
"Got it."
Jayden leaned against the wall, his chest heaving. He stared down at his shaking hands.
"…That was too close."
[You okay?] Luna asked carefully.
Jayden exhaled. "Yeah. Barely."
He rubbed his neck, shame curling in his gut. "I'm sorry, Luna. I shouldn't have snapped like that. I don't know what came over me,"
[It's fine. But… that was terrifying]
Jayden sighed. "Guess you were half-right about what you said yesterday. All my other emotions seem to already be stable. But… not anger. It's like the rest of them are normal again, except for rage."
Luna sighed. [Great. The worst of them all]
Jayden exhaled. "It worse, Luna. Unlike the anger I would usually feel on a normal day, this was... different,"
[Yeah, that's heightened Rage for you] Luna muttered. [We have to think of a way to always snap you out of it. Or else...]
"I know," Jayden said. "The rage seemed to suddenly dissipate when I heard Jessica's voice earlier. So maybe if I'm around people... it'll help calm me down,"
[Hmm, maybe] Luna speculated. [But you can also try something else]
Jayden raised a brow. "What?"
[Pain] Luna replied. [Hurting yourself could stimulate enough shock to snap your out of rage. Or even distract you from getting angry at all]
Jayden nodded. "Okay, it's worth a shot. But..." he paused, seeing the endless notification that kept appearing in his face.
"How long is this gonna take? And besides... why are the stats suddenly getting unsealed?"
Luna exhaled. [Well, that's because the stats are... bursting out from the seal. Something really strange is happening to your body and that seems to be forcing the sealed stats out] she explained
Jayden nodded. Then he recollected the notifications he had received when he was dangling in the claws of the Greater Wolverine Stalker. "That day, I got a 200% boost in all stats. Is this related to it?" he asked
[Yes] Luna replied. [But unlike that day, this is permanent]
Jayden exhaled, he was extremely excited. He always considered his current stats to be a bit higher than normal, and now... They were getting even more high.
It made him wonder how his strength could have even been around the range of one hundred at the time of integrating with the system. He never had inhuman strength or impressive speed, so how?
This was a mystery he decided to throw at the back of his mind. For now, he had anger issues to deal with.
[+2 Strength]
[+ 4 Stamina...]
"So how long is this gonna take exactly?" he asked, watching as the notifications kept pouring in.
[Maybe an hour or two] Luna replied. [Shouldn't be long]
Jayden closed his eyes. "What exactly is happening to me? Heightened emotions. Heightened senses. And now, my stats are undergoing a massive spike," he pondered
[It's gonna be fine, Jayden] Luna comforted. [I'm sure it's just puberty.. or something]
Jayden was amused. "Puberty? This is no time for jokes, Luna," he chuckled, causing Luna to burst into laughter.
Jayden sighed, walked to the bathroom, splashed water on his face, and stared at his reflection.
This was gonna be a long day.
Later that morning, he met up with Tasha and Jessica. As they stepped outside, the sun was rising… but something else was rising too.
....
Jacob's hovercar hovered into the school's lot, its sleek frame gleaming under the morning sun. Jayden sat in the back, sandwiched between Jessica and Tasha, his face calm but his nerves burning beneath the surface. The inside of the car smelled like leather and aftershave and someone's leftover cologne, but to Jayden's nose, it was like being trapped in a chemical factory.
His ears twitched at every honk, every chirp, every high-pitched squeal from a kilometer away. And his eyes, even the glint off the car mirror was starting to make his temples throb.
"You good, Jayden?" Jacob asked, glancing at Jayden through the rear-view mirror.
Jayden nodded stiffly. "Yeah. I'm good."
Jacob didn't look convinced, but he shrugged and pulled the car into park. "All right. Bye Girls. And, Jayden. Have fun, okay,"
Jayden managed a dry smile. "Sure thing."
"Bye, dad," the girls said.
Then, they all alighted from the car and Jacob flew off.
Jessica straightened her school skirt, Tasha adjusted her hair, and Jayden just clenched his fists. His breaths were shallow. Controlled. He was trying hard to hold his rage.
They were halfway to the seniors' building when Jessica, who'd been watching him quietly, suddenly slipped her hand into his.
Jayden blinked, shocked by the softness of her grip, the sudden warmth it brought. He turned to her, wide-eyed, but she gave him only a small, reassuring smile.
"I can feel you shaking," she whispered. "Just… hold on to me."
His heart stuttered. The chaos in his chest quieted.. just a little.
Tasha, walking on his other side, noticed the sudden interlocking of hands and raised a brow. "Huh?" she muttered to herself. "When did they get this close? Did something happen over the weekend?"
She bit her lip, a strange mix of curiosity and amusement on her face. But then she smiled, shrugging it off as something sweet. If Jessica liked Jayden again, then it meant her prayers had been answered.
But whatever it was that was going on, she wasn't about to be left out. She and Jayden had confessed to one another but decided to keep things casual until they'd talk. But that didn't mean, she'd just sit by idly.
With a small smirk, she hooked her arm around Jayden's other arm and leaned into him lightly.
And just like that, Jayden disheveled soul with a monster under his skin, walked into the senior building flanked by two of the most gorgeous girls in school.
The hallway exploded as they stepped through
-"Is that…?"
-"No freaking way…"
-"Isn't that the guy who wiped the floor with Carl's lackeys in the previous martial arts class?"
-"Damn. He's got the twin goddesses on both arms? I'm so jealous!"
-"Lucky bastard."
Jayden heard every word. Every. Single. One. Thanks to his heightened senses, every whisper felt like a direct shout in his ear. But somehow, having Jessica's fingers locked in his and Tasha's arm wrapped around his own helped calm the storm in his chest.
He didn't say a word. Just walked, face blank, eyes forward, like none of it touched him. But on the inside… he was fighting a battle.
They made their way to the combat hall.. a massive arena-style space with a wide stage at the front and training circles drawn out across the tiled floor. Students were scattered in cliques, chatting, laughing, stretching out their limbs or gossiping.
Tasha squeezed Jayden's arm gently. "I'm gonna go help set things up," she said. "Prez duties. You two behave."
Jayden nodded. "Sure."
Jessica gave her sister a little smile, then turned to Jayden, her grip still firm. "C'mon, let's find a spot."
They picked a spot near the center. Jayden leaned back against the wall, his hands now tucked in his blazer pockets. But the tremble had returned. His teeth gritted together every few seconds, and he kept exhaling through his nose like a bull trying to stay calm.
Jessica watched him, she was wary.
His jaw was tight. His eyes flickered occasionally. His fingers clenched in and out of fists. And then she saw it.. he was digging his fingernails into his own palm.
Her heart skipped.
"Jayden…" she whispered. "Are you okay?"
He didn't look at her. Just nodded slowly. "I'm fine."
"No. You're not." she retorted
"I said I'm fine." Jayden said sharply, but in a softer tone
Jessica frowned but didn't push further. She reached out again, this time placing her hand lightly on his shoulder. He didn't flinch.. but he did seem to breathe a little easier.
Before she could say anything else, the front doors swung open and a sharp voice rang across the hall.
"Everyone to your places!"
A tall woman stepped onto the platform, her boots echoing across the stage. Her face was stern, her short red hair slicked back in perfect military fashion.
Jayden blinked. "That's the instructor?"
Jessica nodded. "Combat teacher. Mrs. Vandros. She's scary, but also really good"
Students scrambled into lines as Tasha returned to the front to stand beside the instructor, clipboard in hand.
Jayden rolled his shoulders. His heart was still beating fast, his muscles tight… but his mind was focused.
The battle of emotions was still brewing under the surface.. but for now, he was calm.
Combat class had begun.