The front door clicked shut behind Takuya. The weight of the bracelet in his pocket felt like a lead sinker. He walked into the genkan. He kicked off his shoes.
"Takuya? Is that you?" His mother's voice came from the living room. It was gentle. It was tired.
"Yeah, I'm home." He walked into the living room. His mother sat on the couch. She looked up from her paperwork. She gave him a small, weary smile.
"How was school?" she asked.
"It was fine, Mom." He kept his voice even. He tried to act normal.
He walked past her into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass of water. He needed a moment. He needed to think.
Garia. Professor Monster. Iron Cross Army. The words echoed in his mind.
He came back to the living room. His mother was still watching him. Her eyes were full of concern.
"You seem quiet today," she said.
"Just a long day." He forced a smile. He took a sip of water. The bracelet felt heavy against his leg.
Dinner was a quiet affair. His mother talked about her day. About a new client. About a recipe she wanted to try. Her voice was soft. It was soothing. But it sounded distant.
Takuya pushed his food around his plate. The rice. The grilled fish. It all tasted like nothing. He kept seeing Garia's eyes. He kept hearing Garia's words. Vengeance. Power. Spider X Bracelet.
"Takuya?" His mother's voice broke through his thoughts. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yeah, just tired," he said. He pushed his chair back. It scraped against the wooden floor. "I think I'm going to head to bed."
"Already?" She looked at him. Her brows were slightly furrowed.
"Yeah." He gave her another quick smile. "Long day."
He made his escape. He walked down the hall. He went into his room.
The Spider X Bracelet lay on his nightstand. It pulsed faintly in the dark. It was a dark shape. A silent invitation. Takuya tossed and turned. Sleep would not come. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Garia's glowing gaze. He saw his father's face.
He needed water. His throat was dry. He pushed himself out of bed. He crept out of his room. The house was dark. The house was silent.
He passed his parents' room. A soft, muffled sound reached his ears. A sob.
He stopped. He pressed his ear against the door. He heard it again. His mother.
He pushed the door open a crack. The room was mostly dark. Moonlight spilled through the window. It illuminated a figure on the bed. His mother.
She was curled on his father's side of the bed. Her back was to him. She clutched something to her chest. A photograph. He knew it was his father. He saw her shoulders shaking. Silent sobs wracked her body.
His heart twisted. A pain sharper than any bruise. He pulled the door shut. He backed away. The muffled sobs continued. They echoed in the quiet hall.
Takuya retreated to his room. The image of his mother's tears burned behind his eyes. It was raw. It was painful. It was real.
His earlier hesitation vanished. The uncertainty evaporated. Only cold resolve remained. Vengeance. Justice. It wasn't just for him. It was for his mother. It was for his family.
He walked to the nightstand. He picked up the Spider X Bracelet. It was cool in his hand. He looked at the red spider emblem. It seemed to glow brighter. He took a deep breath.
He slid the bracelet onto his left wrist.
A sharp, stinging pain shot through him. A needle-like mechanism extended. It pierced his skin. A gasp escaped his lips.
A strange warmth spread from the bracelet. It coursed through his veins. It was overwhelming. His vision blurred. Colors swirled. Light and shadow danced before his eyes.
He felt his body. It was being pulled apart. Then reassembled. Every cell. Every atom. His essence. It was rewriting itself. He lost himself in the sensation. He fell back onto his bed. A deep, dreamless sleep claimed him.
Morning light streamed through his window. Takuya woke. His mind felt hazy. Like he had been dreaming for a thousand years. He stretched. A new power coursed through his limbs. It felt strange. It felt good.
He sat up, blinking. The world seemed sharper. Colors brighter. Sounds clearer. He felt taller. Stronger. He ran a hand over his face. His skin felt…different. Not just smooth, but almost too smooth. Like polished stone.
He walked to the full-length mirror on his closet door. What stared back was his reflection, but it was also not. His dark brown eyes held a new intensity. They seemed to glow faintly, like embers. His black hair was still messy, but it stood with a defiant energy. A faint, almost invisible spiderweb pattern seemed to spread across his exposed skin, shimmering in the morning light. He moved his arm. Muscles bunched and flowed with a power that hadn't been there yesterday.
He reached for the bedpost. He gripped it. He tested his strength. His fingers closed too tightly. The wood groaned. A slight indentation appeared. His eyes widened. What was that?
"Takuya! Breakfast!" His mother's voice called from the kitchen.
He quickly pulled his hand away from the bedpost. He got dressed. He walked into the kitchen. His mother looked at him. She tilted her head.
"Did you get taller overnight?" she asked. A slight smile played on her lips.
"Growth spurt, Mom," he mumbled. He grabbed a pair of chopsticks. He reached for his bowl of rice.
His fingers closed around the chopsticks. Too tight.
Crack!
The sound was loud. It echoed in the quiet kitchen. The chopsticks snapped in his hand. His mother looked at him. Her eyes were wide. She looked concerned.
"Oh, these must have been old," Takuya said quickly. He tried to sound casual. He tossed the broken pieces into the trash. "Must have been really old."
He grabbed another pair. He was more careful this time. His mother was still watching him. Her gaze was intense.
He ate quickly. He wanted to get out. He wanted to understand what was happening. He finished his meal. He grabbed his bag.
"See you later, Mom!" he called. He rushed for the door.
"Be careful, Takuya," she said. Her voice was laced with worry.
He was already out the door. He left her standing there. She looked at the broken chopsticks. She looked at the door he had just rushed through. A worried look spread across her face.
Takuya jumped on his bike and kicked the starter, making the engine roar to life. He twisted the throttle, and the bike shot forward, weaving through the morning traffic. The usual city sounds surrounded him: the rumble of cars, the chatter of people, and distant sirens.
But something was wrong.
The sounds were too loud. Every engine roar was a blast, every conversation a shout, and the distant sirens felt as if they were inside his head. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second.
Too much.
He almost veered into a white delivery van. A horn blared, and he jerked the handlebars, making the bike swerve. He barely avoided a collision. His heart hammered against his ribs as he pulled over to the curb, his hands shaking.
What the hell was that?
He took off his helmet, but the world still felt like a giant speaker. The rush of cars on the street and the distant construction created a wall of sound. He closed his eyes, trying to focus and make sense of it all.
He felt dizzy. The new power from the bracelet was too much. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
This is new. This is different.
* * *
The classroom sounds were overwhelming. Each rustle of paper and every soft cough grated on his ears. He could even hear the whispers from the back row; someone was talking about the cafeteria's mystery meat.
Too loud.
The scrape of a chair made him flinch. The teacher's voice felt like a megaphone in his head. He tried to focus on the whiteboard, but the math problems blurred together. His thoughts raced, bumping into each other like cars on a crowded highway.
He gripped his pen. He needed to write something down. Anything to ground himself. His fingers tightened. Unintentionally.
Crack!
The pen splintered. Ink bloomed across his palm. He quickly shoved the pieces into his pencil case. He hoped no one saw it. A quick glance around. No one seemed to notice. Good.
A cold wave of panic washed over him. I can't control anything. His own body felt alien. He looked at his hands. They trembled slightly. He squeezed them into fists under the desk.
This is bad. Really bad.
Lunchtime was worse. The cafeteria was a sea of noise. The clatter of trays. The roar of conversation. It all hammered at him. He moved through the line. He grabbed a tray. The plastic felt too slick. Too light.
He found an empty spot at a table. He tried to set his tray down. His hand stuck. It clung to the metal. An invisible grip. What the hell? He pulled. It stayed put. He pulled harder.
Thwip!
A thin, white strand shot from his wrist. It zipped across the room. It latched onto another student's tray. Food went flying. A high-pitched squeal.
Oh, no.
Takuya tried to reel the web back in. Subtly. He overshot. The entire tray rocketed across the cafeteria. It sailed through the air. It landed with a splat. Right in front of Rito.
Rito looked down. A piece of fried chicken landed on his shoe. He took a step back. He slipped. His feet went out from under him.
Thud!
Rito landed on his backside. The impact knocked the air out of him. He looked up.
His eyes widened. He had seen Haruna's underwear.
Haruna let out a piercing scream. Her face burned red. She covered her mouth. Rito scrambled to his feet.
"I am so sorry, Sairenji!" Rito stammered. His face was bright crimson. He bowed repeatedly. "I didn't mean to! I swear!"
Takuya felt frozen. He had caused all of this. A surge of guilt hit him. Shame burned in his gut.
Rito. Sairenji. I'm so sorry.
He couldn't move. Couldn't speak. He just stood there.
He turned. He bolted. He ran from the cafeteria. He needed to get out. He needed to disappear.
Takuya sprinted down the hallway. He wanted to get away. Far away. From the screaming. From the embarrassment. From the guilt. He turned a corner. He nearly ran into someone.
"Woah, Takkun!"
Nijika. Her voice was bright. Energetic. She stood there. Ryo was beside her. Ryo had her hands in her oversized hoodie pockets. Her blue hair fell over one eye. Small piercings glinted in her ears. A bass guitar strap was slung over her shoulder. Always.
"We were just looking for you," Nijika said. Her smile was wide. "We wanted to cheer you up. Maybe head to STARRY?"
"You look like a cornered animal," Ryo said. Her voice was flat. Detached.
Takuya tried to brush past them. "I don't have time to talk," he muttered. He kept his head down.
Nijika grabbed his arm. "Hey! Hold on. You can't keep pushing everyone away." Her grip was firm.
Takuya panicked. Not now. He tried to gently push her away. He just wanted to leave. His hand went to her shoulder.
The stickiness. It activated again. His palm glued itself to her uniform.
Oh, no. Not again.
He pulled. His hand stayed. He was stuck.
Takuya started to squirm. He tried to unstick his hand. Nijika held on. She tried to keep him still. They began a comical struggle. Takuya pulled. Nijika pulled back.
He used a little too much strength.
Tear!
Nijika's uniform shoulder ripped. The fabric gave way. Her bra strap was exposed. A sudden silence fell over the hallway.
Ryo broke the quiet. "Bold move, Takkun." Her voice was still calm. Unflappable.
Nijika's face turned a deep scarlet. Embarrassment. Anger. They warred in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry!" Takuya shouted. He let go. His hand peeled away from her uniform. He turned. He ran.
"TAKUYA YAMASHIRO!" Nijika's voice echoed down the hall. Furious. Deeply embarrassed. She started chasing him.
Takuya sprinted. His legs pumped. He looked for an escape. He saw an open window at the end of the corridor. He didn't think. He jumped.
Please stick, please stick, please stick.
He hit the wall outside.
Splat!
He clung to it. His hands and feet stuck. He was plastered to the school wall.
Nijika ran past the open window. Her angry shouts faded down the hall. She continued her chase. She didn't notice him. He was stuck to the wall.
Takuya let out a long sigh. His heart hammered.
That was close.
He realized his full predicament. He needed to find Garia. Now. He needed to understand these powers. He needed to control them. Before he caused any more trouble.
***
Advance Chapters on patreon.com/Najicablitz.
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