Chapter-3:Fear spreads
The world resumed all at once. Sound rushed back like a flood—voices, footsteps, chaos—filling the space that had been frozen moments ago. "Hey, what happened?!" "Why is he on the ground?!" Students crowded around the collapsed boy, panic spreading quickly as someone tried to lift him. His body looked pale, trembling slightly. "He's breathing… but why is he so weak?!" "I—I don't know… he was just standing and then—" Their voices overlapped, confused and afraid, unable to understand what had just happened.
Raj stood behind them, silent, watching. His fingers flexed slowly as a strange sensation flowed through him. Strength. It was real. Not a dream, not imagination. His body felt lighter, sharper—alive. For the first time in his life, Raj felt something he had never known before. Power. A faint whisper echoed in his mind, something only he could hear.
A student suddenly turned. "…Raj?" Another followed, their eyes widening. "Wait… weren't you just—" They remembered everything—the kick, the insults, the laughter. And now Raj stood there, perfectly fine. No… better than fine. Something was wrong. "…What did you do?" someone asked, their voice uneasy.
Raj didn't answer. He simply looked at them—calm, too calm. One of them instinctively stepped back. "…Dude… why is he looking like that?" "Like what?" "…Like he's going to kill someone." Silence fell instantly, heavy and suffocating. Raj tilted his head slightly. Kill? The word echoed in his mind. It didn't feel scary. It didn't even feel wrong. It just felt… distant.
Footsteps approached quickly. A teacher. "What is going on here?!" The crowd split immediately. "Sir! He just collapsed!" "We don't know what happened!" The teacher knelt beside the unconscious boy, checking his pulse. His expression darkened. "…Severe energy loss." "What?! That's impossible—awakening just happened!" Murmurs spread like wildfire. "Energy loss? How?!" "Is it… an ability?" The word lingered in the air.
Raj's eyes flickered. The system screen was still there—faint, invisible to everyone else. [Cooldown: 02:47] [New Target Available] His gaze shifted, locking onto another red mark. Closer this time. A girl. She stood frozen, staring directly at him, her eyes filled with pure fear. Raj felt something stir inside him again. His fingers twitched slightly. Again…? But he stopped himself. Not yet. Slowly, he lowered his hand.
"Everyone step back!" the teacher ordered firmly. "This student needs immediate attention." Two seniors rushed forward, lifting the unconscious boy as his head fell limply to the side. The crowd grew uneasy. "Is this… dangerous?" "Can someone do this to others?" "Are we even safe?" Fear spread faster than fire, crawling through every whisper, every glance.
Raj watched it all quietly, listening. A cold thought formed in his mind. The more they fear… the stronger I become. His lips moved slightly, almost forming a smile.
"Raj." A firm voice cut through everything. He looked up. The teacher was staring directly at him. "You were standing closest. Did you see anything?" The entire crowd fell silent, all eyes turning toward him. Raj blinked once, slow and controlled. "…No." The lie came out clean, without hesitation. The teacher studied him for a moment, searching his face for anything unusual, but Raj's expression remained empty. "…I see," the teacher finally said, turning away. "Everyone return to your classes. No more discussion." Reluctantly, the students began to disperse, though whispers followed. "…Something's wrong with him." "Did you see his eyes?" "Yeah… that wasn't normal." Raj heard every word—and smiled faintly.
Soon, the hallway emptied, leaving only a few behind. Her. The girl with the red mark. She hadn't moved. She was still staring at him, trembling. "Y-you…" her voice shook. "…You did this, didn't you?" Raj stepped forward. Just one step. She flinched instantly, backing into the wall. "D-Don't come closer!" There was nowhere left to run.
Raj stopped, watching her carefully—her fear, her breathing, her weakness. The red mark above her head flickered, glowing brighter. [Steal Available] His heartbeat slowed, becoming steady, controlled. "…What will I get this time?" he whispered softly.
The girl's eyes filled with panic. "Stay away from me!"
Raj raised his hand.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Only curiosity.
Only hunger.
"…Steal."
(Chapter-3 Ended)