Buttercup POV
"Ben…"
I couldn't believe my eyes.
How could I… when everything in front of me felt like a lie?
…Right?
None of this matched the Ben I knew. My mind refused to connect the two—to accept that the person I'd spent years with was the same one standing here now.
I'd known him for three years.
Since the day we met at the arcade.
He was fifteen back then—a year younger than me. I teased him for it at first, not realizing how quickly that joke would turn into something else.
Something real.
Aside from my sisters and the Professor, I'd never been good at connecting with people. My personality was too rough, too blunt.
But with Ben… it was easy.
When he talked about Sumo Slammers, when we played fighting games after school—he matched me. Not just in skill, but in spirit.
We'd play until we ran out of money… or until the staff kicked us out at closing.
And then—
We'd get ice cream.
With the money he suddenly "remembered" he had in his other pocket.
At first, I thought it was coincidence. That he'd genuinely forgotten.
But my sisters noticed.
They pointed out how convenient it was—how he always had just enough for four servings. Not just for us… but for them, too.
That's when I started paying attention.
The way he'd glance at the ice cream shop on the way home.
The way his eyes lingered on the prices.
The exact same ones he'd buy later.
…
They teased me.
Said I had an admirer.
I yelled at them—told them it wasn't like that.
They didn't stop.
They kept asking questions, poking, smiling like they already knew something I didn't. I brushed them off and went to bed—but their words stayed with me.
The next day, I did something stupid.
…I bought ice cream for him.
And his parents.
He tried to refuse. Of course he did.
But he still took it home.
And I—
I spent the rest of the day feeling nervous.
Hopeful.
Half-worried his family wouldn't like it.
From then on, it became our thing.
He'd buy for us.
I'd do extra chores and buy for his family.
A dumb little exchange.
…but it meant something.
It got even better when he transferred to our high school.
He met my sisters. We started eating lunch together. After school, we'd meet up and head straight to the arcade like always.
The teasing stopped bothering me.
…No.
That wasn't true.
I started liking it.
Because somewhere along the way…
I wanted it to be true.
I wanted him to look at me—and only me.
I wanted us to be more than friends.
I just didn't know if he felt the same.
That uncertainty… it got to me.
I pulled back.
Started making excuses.
Our arcade trips dropped to once… maybe twice a week.
I told myself I just needed time.
—
And while I hesitated…
He was getting hurt.
Cash and JT noticed his allowance first. They approached him like friends.
Then they started taking.
Little by little.
Until it wasn't little anymore.
I didn't see it.
I heard rumors.
When I asked him, he brushed it off—said it wasn't much.
…and I believed him.
I didn't see what was happening behind the scenes.
Not even as my sisters helped me build up the courage to confess.
When I finally did—
I gave him the necklace.
The one I saved up for.
Our initials engraved into the metal.
He said yes.
He said he wanted more too.
That was supposed to be the beginning.
The biggest problem I thought I'd have was telling him the truth about myself…
…and keeping up with the Professor's new training.
Not—
This.
…
I blinked.
And reality snapped back into place.
A glowing, distorted figure stood where Ben should have been.
"AHHHHH!!!"
—
Third Person POV
The air around the school turned cold.
Trees rustled violently. Window frames rattled. The clouds above darkened, swirling into something unnatural.
Students froze.
Those inside classrooms. Those outside on the track. By the courts. In the pool.
All of them stopped.
Because now—
They could see it.
Ben Tennyson—or whatever he was becoming—clutched his head in agony.
His body twisted.
His skin flickered between pale flesh and abyssal black, as raw mana distorted the air around him.
His teeth clenched.
His posture snapped between rigid and hunched as waves of pain tore through him.
His head jerked upward.
Toward the sky.
"Vuirmm. Vuirmm. Vuirmm."
Four concentric barriers formed around him—compressing inward before being absorbed into his body.
Then another.
And another.
Each one stacking pressure, building something unstable.
Telekinetic force lifted him off the ground.
The barriers stopped the moment his skin turned fully black—pure mana overtaking him.
The unease in the air spiked.
"AHHHHH!!"
He screamed.
Beams of kinetic energy burst from his arms.
The knife shattered.
Pressure exploded outward—splitting soil, uprooting grass, tearing the ground apart.
He swung his arm.
A black-violet blast carved through the earth—racing straight for JT.
—
Buttercup moved.
A streak of green.
She appeared in front of the beam, bracing.
"Argh—!"
The force hit harder than she expected.
Her feet dug into the ground—but she still slid back.
Ben clenched his fists.
The blast froze midair.
Then split.
Redirected.
Straight at JT.
"No!!"
Buttercup launched forward, intercepting both attacks.
Green energy flared.
Black and green collided violently.
"Ben, stop!" she shouted. "I don't know what's happening, but this isn't right—stop!"
He didn't respond.
Energy pooled in his hands—unstable, ready to burst.
But he stayed still.
Just like she asked.
Buttercup hesitated.
Her voice softened.
"…Tell me who's doing this. I'll stop them."
She looked up at him.
His lips trembled.
"It's not… it's not m-me."
Her heart tightened.
"It isn't…" she repeated.
He grabbed the necklace.
Light surged in his palms.
"Then tell me how to stop it," she said, doubt creeping in.
—
How do you stop this…?
Who can stop this?
Who? Who? Who?
Only I can.
I can? Why?
I'm just a—
No… no…
I'm Tang Yung.
No—Ben.
I—
WHO AM I?!
"WHO AM I?!" he screamed, striking his own head.
Behind him—
Cash's body lifted.
Swelling.
Distorting.
Bones glowing beneath stretched skin.
—
I'm…
Clarity broke through.
Just for a moment.
"A hero!!"
He thrust his hands forward.
A blast fired.
Barely missing.
"Your hero!"
"My… hero?" Buttercup whispered.
Another beam shot past her—
She ducked—
—and it almost hit JT.
Her heart dropped.
She dove after it, trying to reduce the damage—but she wasn't ready.
The impact slammed her into him.
Ben raised both arms.
Fired again.
Buttercup shielded JT, taking the brunt of it.
The blast roared.
"Cough—!" JT choked. "Is that really… Tennyson?"
He stared at her.
At the girl he'd attacked—
protecting him.
Fear crept in.
Were we wrong…?
—
BOOOOM!!!
The blast stopped.
Silence.
Drip. Drip.
Something wet touched their skin.
They looked up.
Cash.
His body tore apart—
—and reformed.
—and tore again.
—and reformed.
Until—
BOOOOM!
He exploded.
Froze midair.
Then stitched back together.
Piece by piece.
JT's legs shook.
This wasn't fear anymore.
This was horror.
—
Ben's focus narrowed.
One thought anchoring him.
The lamp.
Everything started with it.
It brought him here.
Gave him power.
Tore him apart.
Why?
What was it?
A relic?
A curse?
…
A djinn.
A genie.
Something bound to grant wishes—
no matter the cost.
…
Was that what he was becoming?
—
His body changed.
Claws of energy formed.
His shirt burned away.
His hair stretched into a flowing mane of light.
Energy rings circled his arms.
And then—
He laughed.
"Hahahahahahaha—!"
Buttercup's heart sank.
"I'm the hero of this story," he declared.
Even as his mind fractured.
Even as something inside him broke.
He didn't want to let it go.
Power surged.
The ground trembled.
Trees tore free.
Stone lifted—
—
And then everything came crashing down.