The following morning, Adrian woke up to a buzzing phone and a slew of missed calls. He groggily answered, only to be bombarded by his best friend, Lisa, on the other end.
"Adrian! Turn on the news! You won't believe what's happening!" she exclaimed.
Rubbing his eyes, Adrian reached for the remote and switched on the TV. The screen showed a breaking news report with the headline: "Mysterious Deaths Puzzle Authorities."
Adrian's heart raced as he listened to the anchor describe a series of unexplained deaths across the city. Victims collapsing without warning, seemingly healthy individuals dropping like flies. It was as if some invisible force had been unleashed.
The realization hit Adrian like a ton of bricks. *Had he unwittingly caused this?* Panic set in, and he clutched the remote tighter, unsure of what to do.
Just then, his apartment door burst open, and Lisa barged in, her face a mix of worry and determination. "Adrian, we need to talk," she said, her voice urgent.
Before he could respond, his gaze locked onto Lisa's eyes, and a wave of terror washed over him. *No! Not again!* He looked away as quickly as he could, his heart racing.
Lisa blinked in confusion. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Adrian's mind raced. How could he explain this to his best friend? Would she even believe him? He took a deep breath and decided to take a leap of faith.
"Lisa, I… I think I have this power. I can… I can kill people just by looking at them."
Lisa stared at him for a moment, her expression a mix of disbelief and concern. Then, unexpectedly, she burst into laughter. "Adrian, are you serious? You expect me to believe you have some kind of deadly gaze?"
Adrian's heart sank, and he felt a mixture of relief and frustration. "I know it sounds insane, but it happened to Mr. Thompson. And now with these news reports, I can't help but think it might be connected."
Lisa's laughter subsided, and she studied his face, her tone more serious. "Okay, let's say I entertain this idea for a moment. How do you even know you're causing these deaths?"
Adrian hesitated, then glanced at his coffee table. He focused on an empty soda can, and within seconds, it crumpled as if crushed by an unseen force.
Lisa's eyes widened in shock. "Okay, maybe you're onto something here."
As they sat there, Lisa listening intently, Adrian recounted the events of the past day. He talked about his encounter with Tim and the bizarre incident at work. Lisa's expression shifted from skepticism to a mixture of concern and determination.
"Look, Adrian, we need to figure this out together. If what you're saying is true, we can't ignore it. But we also need to be careful," Lisa said, her voice steady.
Adrian nodded, a mix of gratitude and trepidation washing over him. As they began to discuss their next steps, he couldn't help but find a glimmer of hope in Lisa's unwavering support.