After taking the ninth vial, an overwhelming surge of strength and certainty washed over . I didn’t need to test it—no human, not even Randy, could defeat now. My instincts confird my newfound invincibility. With a determined resolve, I headed to school to finish what I had started.
Collins was beside
“Hey, what’s going on with you lately? Why have you been picking fights with Randy on purpose?” He asked .
His voice laced with concern as he feared Randy’s notorious retaliation was a problem for him too.
I said nothing, my focus fixed entirely on my fight.
“You’re scaring , man. Whatever’s happening, please stop. We only have one year left—let’s just endure until then,” he pleaded. It was fear guiding his heart. But sothing had to be done!
“I won’t stop until he apologizes on his knees,” I replied.
“Who are you talking about?" He asked, fear evident in his yes. "Randy? You know that’s impossible. You’re just going to make things worse for all of us!”
“I guess we’ll see about that,” I pressed on.
I made up my mind. It was ti to rip it apart, my bad karma with Randy.
Upon arriving in class, I imdiately made my way toward Randy’s group. They sat together, their faces marked with remnants of pain from our recent battles—their sides plastered with pain-relief patches.
“Look, he’s coming over here again!” Justin blurted out, panic evident in his tone. “I’m tired of this, man!”
“ too,”
“I don’t want to fight a crazy person!”
Randy’s gang shared his sentint.
They had been fighting non-stop for a week and were all worn out and bruised. anwhile, thanks to the serum, on top of getting stronger each day, I also found myself recovering faster after each challenge.
I approached his desk and stood in front of him.
“Not today, okay?” Randy snapped, exasperation edging his words. “I’m not in the mood to fight!”
He destroyed my sense of self. Now that I was no longer an easy prey, the beast wanted to curl up.
“Since when do you ever get too tired to bully others? Don’t tell you’re afraid of getting your ass beaten by so weakling like !”
At that mont, Randy’s expression twisted into sothing monstrous. I had planned to humiliate him in front of the entire class, and as everyone’s attention shifted toward us, curiosity buzzed in the air.
Randy rose from his chair and, from his pocket, pulled a knife—this ti coming prepared for my inexplicable surge in strength.
“A knife?” I scoffed, my fear now completely replaced by confidence.
And then he lunged with a flurry of strikes, but I evaded each attack effortlessly. My speed and power had grown imnsely. I grabbed his wrist, twisted hard, and forced him to his knees as he scread in pain. All eyes were fixed on us, astonished to see the mighty bully reduced to a trembling figure.
“Ti to end this. Apologize for everything you’ve done to and to the others,” I demanded, my tone cold to even my ears. I was resolute and I tightened my grip further.
Randy scread on his knees.
“I’m sorry! Please—let go!” he sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
Before anyone could react further, the vice principal stord in along with the class representative, who had dashed off to seek help when Randy had brandished the knife. The fight was halted, and everyone involved was summoned to the office. Soon, other victims of Randy’s bullying ca forward, and evidence of his tornt surfaced. Randy was expelled, and his life took a drastic downturn.
For years, fear had gripped our school because of Randy. I even beca popular for taking him down—but I didn’t get the satisfaction I wanted.
After defeating my arch enemy, I persisted with my training, running five kiloters daily to keep my stamina. However, the dark clouds were just beginning to make shape. And as easy as peace can sotis be acquired, sustaining it is an entirely different battle.
One morning after a run, I returned ho and sensed that sothing was off. My sister and mother, who were always busy preparing breakfast, were nowhere to be found. After searching the farm frantically, I went down to my father’s basent. And then my eyes t horror thought I’d escaped from. Randy held a knife against Angela’s throat. Mom was tied up and gagged. Despite the intensity of the situation, my heart remained calm, and I knew I had to act carefully to save my family.
I approached them cautiously, “At this rate, we’re going to grow on each other. What do you think you’re doing, man?”
“You tell ,” he retorted, in a low calm tone
I inched closer.
“Don’t move, or I’ll slit her throat!” he warned. His eyes were dark with psychotic expression. “You see... sothing’s been bothering for a long ti. No one can get that strong so fast. I had to figure out how a weakling coward like you suddenly got this powerful. I even paid your friend Collins a visit earlier today. He said you’ve been holed up in so basent at your house. I had to check it out for myself. What kind of training have you been doing?”
“It’s over—you’ve done enough. Put down that knife, and maybe I’ll let you go with your jaw intact!” I went in straight.
“Still cocky in this situation, I see. You’ve ruined my life! A nobody like you couldn’t have done all this without help. Tell , what drugs are you taking?” His grip on the knife tightened dangerously.
I wanted to move to disarm him, but I wasn’t sure if I was fast enough.
“I’ve got nothing to lose!” Randy said nonchalantly. “And when I’m done with you, rember this—everything that happens here will be your fault.”
He reached for a jar of water beside him, poured so into a cup on the table, and drank it.
“No!” I tried to stop him, realizing he had used the sa cup from which I had taken my serum.
“What?! I can’t even get a glass of water in peace? Relax—we’re just getting started. I’m going to take my ti making you suffer... over and over again,” he declared before he began to cough violently. His reaction mirrored the one I’d experienced the first ti I had taken the serum.
“What... urrgh... what have you done to ?” he sputtered before collapsing unconscious onto the floor.
I rushed to untie my mother, and she imdiately called the police. They arrived promptly, cuffed Randy, and took him to the hospital.
I kept quiet about what might have caused his sudden collapse—after all, he’d only drunk from the cup. After giving our statents to the police, we returned ho. It seed as though trauma had beco the Silver family’s new norm.
Six hours later, Randy awoke in the hospital, restrained.
He was surrounded by two nurses
“We can’t draw his blood. Sothing’s not right here,” A nurse questioned. “who is this kid?”
“He’s awake!” another nurse exclaid as a team of dical personnel rushed in, intrigued by the unusual case.
“Hey, kid! Can you hear ? What’s your na?” a doctor inquired.
“Where am I? Let out of here!” Randy demanded.
“We can’t do that—you’re in the hospital. How are you feeling?” another voice responded.
A police officer entered and approached, beginning the formal process: “Mr. Randy Clayman, you’re under arrest for the attempted murder of the Silver family. You have the right to remain silent—anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...”
“They are still alive?” Randy interrupted, disbelief in his voice.
“Yes. The family is alive.” The officer replied. “You’ve traumatized them, but with proper help and ti, they will recover,”
Randy, fueled by rage, suddenly broke free of his restraints with a single flex of his muscles. In a flash, he crushed the officer’s head in one brutal blow, filling the room with blood and leaving everyone frozen in shock.
“That bastard!” Randy roared. “It was in the water! He’s going to pay now!”
After a brief mont of silence and disbelief from all who witnessed the incident, Randy strode to the door and left. Outside, he paused, looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath before assuming a sprint stance. In a blur of motion, he raced straight to my house.
Approaching sonic speed, within re monts he arrived, crashing through the front door and walls with the force of an explosion. Splintered fragnts of the destroyed door whirled toward my mother and sister. The worst was about to happen.
In that instant, I realized I could only move fast enough to save one of them.
We were having dinner when everything changed. The chaos was too much to bear; my mind struggled to co to terms with the unfolding events.
I felt as if I were drowning in my own thoughts, fighting to accept the harsh reality. I couldn’t deny what was happening. Angela was closest to —I threw myself in front of her to shield her from the oncoming debris. I saw shards of wood nearly striking my mother. Desperation flared within , and as my body burned with a need to exceed its limits, an unfamiliar energy surged through . My eyes glowed blue; my vessels burned; my muscles blazed. I moved as fast as I could toward her. But...one shard already found its mark. Holding her in my arms, I felt her life slipping away.
That was the mont I realized I had lost a fight before it even began.
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