Morning sunlight crept through the thin curtains of their apartment, casting soft stripes across the worn-out floor. Aiden barely slept. His mind kept replaying everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.
A supercar.
Super strength.
A system that responded to Emma's lies like a god rewriting reality.
His life had become something he never believed possible—and something he wasn't prepared for.
Aiden sat at the small wooden table, staring at his hands. They looked ordinary enough, but when he flexed them, he felt the raw power humming beneath his skin. Power strong enough to bend metal, lift cars, maybe more. And all of it… because a child made up a story.
Emma.
Her innocent little lies were now rewriting the world around him.
Aiden rubbed his temples.
He needed control. He needed rules. He needed to think ahead.
But before he could gather his thoughts, the door creaked open and Emma walked out of the small bedroom, rubbing her eyes, messy hair sticking everywhere.
"Aiden… why are you awake so early?" she mumbled.
Aiden forced a normal smile.
"Just busy."
Emma yawned, then blinked at him. "You look tired."
"I'm fine," he said gently. "Go wash up. Breakfast is almost ready."
It wasn't.
He hadn't even started it.
But Emma didn't question him. She padded off toward the bathroom, humming softly, like she always did.
Aiden listened to her small voice echoing down the hall—and something inside him tightened.
He had power now.
But she was still vulnerable.
Still a child who trusted him with her whole world.
He could never let this power hurt her.
No matter what.
Aiden's New Problem
By the time Aiden dropped Emma off at school, he already noticed something was wrong.
Kids — dozens of them — were whispering.
All looking at him.
Some pointed.
Some stared with awe.
Some stepped back like he was a celebrity… or a monster.
Aiden's stomach sank.
He approached slowly, pretending he didn't notice the attention.
He knelt beside Emma.
"Remember what I said yesterday," he whispered. "No telling stories about me. Not even little ones, okay?"
Emma nodded firmly. "I promised, didn't I?"
He smiled and tapped her forehead. "Good girl."
She ran off toward her classroom…
…and instantly, two girls swarmed around her.
"Emma! Is it true your brother can punch through walls?"
"My cousin said your brother carried a motorcycle like it was paper!"
"Is he a superhero?"
Emma blinked, confused.
"W-What? I didn't say those things…"
Aiden froze.
His blood ran cold.
Her classmates were repeating her earlier lie… to each other.
Not to Emma.
Not to him.
Just gossiping.
And the system—
The system was listening.
A sharp digital tone hit his mind like a blade.
⟢ NOTICE: SECONDARY FABRICATION SPREAD DETECTED ⟣
Analyzing peer statements…
FILTER: Duplicate claims ignored.
INCOMING: NEW CLAIM
"EMMA'S BROTHER CAN BREAK ANYTHING WITH HIS BARE HANDS."
EVALUATING—
REALIZATION GRANTED.
NEW ABILITY: DESTRUCTIVE FORCE LV.1
Aiden staggered against a tree, breath ripped from his lungs.
Strength surged through his body—different from before.
He felt pressure building in his arms, in his bones, like invisible weights compressing into pure force.
His fingertips tingled.
His palms grew warm.
He felt… dangerous.
Aiden clenched his fists and the ground beneath his shoe cracked slightly.
This power wasn't like lifting things.
This one… destroyed things.
He released a shaky breath.
"No… no, no… this is getting out of control."
A few hours ago he could lift a motorcycle.
Now he could accidentally punch a hole through a wall.
What would the next rumor give him?
What if the kids said he could shoot fire?
Or teleport?
Or read minds?
Anything a child imagines could spiral into reality.
He needed to get out of here.
Aiden turned away quickly, forcing himself not to react to the whispers following him like a swarm of bees.
A Visit from the Landlord
When Aiden returned home, someone stood waiting in the hallway.
The landlord.
Aiden's heart sank.
The landlord never came up unless it was to demand money.
The man adjusted his belt and cleared his throat. "Ah, Aiden. There you are."
Aiden approached slowly. "Morning, sir."
The landlord smiled.
Aiden froze.
In all the years he had lived here, he had never seen the man smile.
"I heard… you're doing very well now," the landlord said, patting Aiden's shoulder like they were old friends.
Aiden's stomach twisted.
"Who told you that?" he asked carefully.
"Oh, some kids downstairs said your sister mentioned you bought a fancy car." The landlord chuckled. "Can't hide success, can you? Anyway, congrats."
Aiden's blood turned cold.
Emma didn't say that.
Those were just spreading rumors.
Which meant—
More lies.
More power.
More danger.
"And since you're doing better," the landlord continued, leaning closer, "I assume you can pay the three months you owe me… today?"
Aiden's jaw tightened.
He could lie.
He could argue.
He could fight.
But none of that would fix the problem.
Instead, he reached into his pocket.
A moment of panic.
He had almost forgotten—
Inside his wallet…
was money.
A lot of money.
Emma's lie turned real.
"Super rich," she had said.
He pulled out a thick wad of cash, shocking even himself.
"Here." Aiden handed it over.
The landlord's eyes widened at the amount.
"Aiden… this is too much."
"Keep it," Aiden said. "Cover future rent."
The landlord stared at him for a breathless moment…
…and then backed away nervously, almost bowing.
Aiden shut the door slowly, leaning against it as his head spun.
Money.
Cars.
Strength.
Destructive power.
Everything was spiraling faster than he could control.
He couldn't live like this.
He needed structure.
Protection.
A plan.
And then—
His phone buzzed.
A text message.
From an unknown number.
Unknown Message
Aiden opened the message.
"We need to talk about your abilities."
Aiden froze.
His vision blurred.
His throat tightened.
Someone knew.
Another message arrived instantly.
"Meet me behind Westbridge School at 4 PM."
"Come alone."
Aiden stared at the screen, muscles locking.
Was it a trap?
A threat?
A government agent?
Another system user?
Someone who saw too much?
Dozens of possibilities flooded his mind.
But one thing was certain—
Whoever sent the message…
knew something they shouldn't.
And that meant Emma could be in danger.
Aiden's jaw tightened with silent resolve.
He grabbed his jacket.
He didn't know who he was going to meet.
But he knew one thing:
If anyone came for his sister—
they would regret it.