2024-11-28 17:55:1710
Ethan hurried down the hallway, already cursing his luck. The morning had been nothing but a disaster. His alarm hadn’t gone off, he’d missed the bus, and now he was sprinting to class, barely managing to squeeze through the door as the final bell rang.
“Mr. Walker,” Mr. Hendricks, his math teacher, said without even looking up. “How kind of you to grace us with your presence.”
Ethan forced a smile. “Sorry, sir. Won’t happen again.”
“Sit down before I change my mind about marking you present.”
Sliding into a desk at the back of the room, Ethan let out a quiet sigh. Great start to the day.
By the time second period rolled around, Ethan found himself struggling to stay awake. Between practicing his Voice Modulation skill and worrying about the mirror, he’d barely slept. His head drooped, and his eyes fluttered shut.
“Mr. Walker!”
Ethan jolted awake. Mr. Hendricks stood over him, arms crossed and a scowl plastered on his face. “Would you care to explain why my riveting lecture on quadratic equations is putting you to sleep?”
Thinking quickly, Ethan activated the mirror. Voice Modulation, don’t fail me now.
“Sorry, sir,” he said, his voice rasping and weak. “I haven’t been feeling well all morning.”
Mr. Hendricks frowned, the sternness in his expression softening. “You do sound terrible. Go to the nurse’s office. And next time, don’t come to school sick.”
“Thank you, sir,” Ethan said, suppressing a grin. That was easier than I thought.
On his way to the nurse’s office, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Luke Miller leaning against a locker, his eyes locked onto Ethan.
What’s his problem? Ethan wondered. Luke was the school’s golden boy—popular, athletic, and always at the center of attention. But right now, his expression was anything but friendly.
The mirror buzzed in Ethan’s pocket. He pulled it out discreetly, the screen lighting up with a warning:
“Danger detected nearby.”
Ethan’s stomach churned. Danger? Here?
“Walker!” a voice called, snapping him out of his thoughts.
He turned to see Megan Young, one of the quieter students in his class, staggering toward him. Her face was pale, and her steps wobbled.
“Hey, are you okay?” Ethan asked, rushing to her side.
“I... I don’t feel...” Megan’s sentence trailed off as she collapsed.
Instinctively, Ethan caught her, lowering her gently to the floor. “Hang on, Megan. I’ll get help.”
As he reached for his phone to call the nurse, a strange sensation rippled through him. The mirror buzzed again, and a notification appeared:
“Robbery skill activated.”
Ethan looked down in confusion, realizing he was now holding Megan’s notebook.
“What the—” he muttered, quickly shoving it behind his back as Megan groaned and began to stir.
“Ethan?” she mumbled weakly, her eyes fluttering open.
“Yeah, it’s me,” Ethan said, forcing a smile. “You fainted. Do you remember what happened?”
“I... I think I skipped breakfast,” she said, sitting up slowly. “Thank you for catching me.”
“No problem,” Ethan said, feeling heat rise to his face. He discreetly slipped the notebook into her bag. Please don’t notice.
By the time Megan was safely in the nurse’s office, Ethan’s day felt like a complete mess. As he walked back toward the hallway, the mirror buzzed again.
“New skill unlocked: Deception.”
Ethan groaned. “Great. Just what I need—another skill to make my life harder.”
Still, he couldn’t ignore the potential. If I can control these abilities, maybe I can finally turn things around.
Lost in thought, Ethan didn’t notice Luke stepping in front of him until it was too late.
“Walker,” Luke said, his tone sharp. “What are you up to?”
“Nothing,” Ethan replied quickly. “Why do you care?”
Luke crossed his arms, his gaze scrutinizing. “You’ve been acting weird all day. Sneaking around, talking to yourself...”
Ethan’s heart raced. “I think you’ve got the wrong guy.”
Luke didn’t look convinced. “I’ll be watching you.”
As Luke walked away, Ethan let out a shaky breath. This day just keeps getting worse.
Determined to make it through the rest of the day without incident, Ethan headed to his next class. But as he sat down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the mirror’s warning wasn’t just about Luke or the scammers.
There’s more going on here. I just need to figure out what.
The mirror buzzed one last time, displaying a cryptic message:
“Prepare for what’s coming.”
Ethan stared at the screen, a sense of unease settling over him. What does that even mean?
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13
Mark Young, the class president, sat diligently at her desk, immersed in her studies. Ethan glanced at her, pretending to do his own homework. He could tell that she was under pressure, but her dedication to her work was impressive.At the back of the classroom, Patriack Montgomery, slumped over his desk, still recovering from a hangover. The smell of alcohol lingered around him, and his disheveled appearance made it clear he had been partying hard the night before.The door creaked open, and Kim Jin-soo, Patriack’s closest friend, walked in with his usual smirk. He looked directly at Mark, his eyes gleaming with mischief.“Hey, Mark,” Jin-soo greeted her casually. “Mr. Johnson wants to see you. He said something about needing help with organizing materials for the upcoming test.”Mark raised an eyebrow, looking up from her notes. “Mr. Johnson? I didn’t hear anything about that.”“Oh, yeah, it’s really urgent,” Jin-soo insisted, his smile widening. “He’s waiting for you in the old tea
12
Ethan sat at his desk, examining the Demon Revealing Mirror's glowing screen."Suspicion level: Teacher J. Investigate carefully."He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Guess it’s you first, Teach.”The next day, Ethan walked into a small electronics shop. The shopkeeper glanced up from a magazine. “What’ll it be, kid?”“I need something discreet,” Ethan said, sliding a few bills onto the counter. “A tape recorder or anything small enough to hide.”The man raised an eyebrow but handed over a compact recorder and a few spare batteries. “Keep outta trouble.Later that evening, Ethan waited until the school was empty. His heart pounded as he crept toward Teacher J’s office.This is reckless, he thought, gripping the recorder tightly. But if he’s involved in something shady, I need proof.Quietly, Ethan slipped inside. The faint smell of coffee lingered as he scanned the cluttered desk. Carefully, he tucked the recorder beneath a stack of papers and slipped out unnoticed.The next
11
Ethan pushed open the classroom door cautiously, his tardiness drawing the immediate glare of his teacher, Mrs. Larkins.“Walker,” she said sharply, slamming the attendance book on her desk. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”“Uh, good morning, Mrs. Larkins,” Ethan said with a sheepish grin.“It’s almost afternoon. Sit down.”Ethan shuffled to his seat, the weight of the classroom's collective stares following him. He dropped into his chair, resolving to turn over a new leaf. Focus. Get through this. Prove you’re serious about changing.By the time the lecture on advanced calculus began, Ethan’s determination started to waver. The numbers on the board seemed to blur, his eyelids growing heavier with each passing second.“Walker!”Ethan jerked awake, nearly toppling his desk. Mrs. Larkins was standing over him, her arms crossed. “Sleeping already? Care to explain?”Thinking quickly, Ethan activated the Demon Revealing Mirror in his pocket. Its screen glowed faintly as he summoned
10
10Ethan hurried down the hallway, already cursing his luck. The morning had been nothing but a disaster. His alarm hadn’t gone off, he’d missed the bus, and now he was sprinting to class, barely managing to squeeze through the door as the final bell rang.“Mr. Walker,” Mr. Hendricks, his math teacher, said without even looking up. “How kind of you to grace us with your presence.”Ethan forced a smile. “Sorry, sir. Won’t happen again.”“Sit down before I change my mind about marking you present.”Sliding into a desk at the back of the room, Ethan let out a quiet sigh. Great start to the day.By the time second period rolled around, Ethan found himself struggling to stay awake. Between practicing his Voice Modulation skill and worrying about the mirror, he’d barely slept. His head drooped, and his eyes fluttered shut.“Mr. Walker!”Ethan jolted awake. Mr. Hendricks stood over him, arms crossed and a scowl plastered on his face. “Would you care to explain why my riveting lecture on quad
9
Ethan sat at the kitchen table, the mirror glowing in front of him. His eyes focused on the screen, his fingers swiping across the glass as he activated the Voice Modulation skill once again.“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, glancing at the clock. “It should be easier by now.”He took a deep breath and pressed the button. “Okay, let’s try this again.”“Hello, this is Emily Walker,” he said in a near-perfect imitation of his sister’s voice. He had practiced her tone, her pauses, and her mannerisms until it felt almost natural.After a few seconds of listening to his own voice echo back, he frowned. “It’s still not right.”It’ll have to do. I don’t have time to perfect it today.Just then, the phone rang. Ethan’s heart skipped. It’s them.With a swift motion, he grabbed the phone and, without missing a beat, activated the skill. He cleared his throat and put on a faltering but determined voice.“Hello?”“It’s your brother. Where’s the money?!” The voice on the other end was gruff, imp
8
8Emily Walker trudged up the apartment stairs, her body weighed down by exhaustion. She fumbled with the keys, her mind drifting to Ethan and Adam.I hope they ate dinner. Maybe I can pick up something nice for them on payday.Before she could unlock the door, Ethan appeared behind her, grinning.“Hey, Em. Don’t go in just yet.”She turned, startled. “Ethan? What’s going on?”“Trust me,” he said, holding up a blindfold.“Seriously? I just got home!”“Come on,” he coaxed. “It’s a surprise. You’ll like it.”Emily sighed, too tired to argue. “Fine, but this better be good.”Ethan carefully tied the blindfold over her eyes and guided her down the stairs.“Where are we going?” she asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.“Patience,” Ethan replied, his tone light.The blindfold came off to reveal a small but cozy house, its windows glowing warmly in the night.Emily froze, her mouth slightly open. “Ethan… what is this?”“Our new home,” Ethan said, his smile wide.Her eyes darted between hi
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