Ethan sat alone, gripping the edges of his desk so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The classroom was dark, empty, and silent, but the echoes of cruel voices rang in his mind like a relentless drumbeat.
"Weak!"
"Freak!"
"Dork!"
"Don't you ever talk to me again!"
"Nerd!"
"Stop it," he thought, pressing his palms against his temples. His chest felt tight, his breaths shallow and quick. I'm not weak! Why do they treat me like this? What did I ever do to deserve it?
Ethan's thoughts spiraled deeper into despair. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, but he blinked them away, biting his lip hard enough to taste blood. The world wasn't fair—he knew that much—but he had always believed if he worked hard enough, if he endured long enough, things would change.
But they hadn't.
Suddenly, a low, sinister chuckle broke through the silence.
[Do you want to be strong?]
Ethan's head shot up. His eyes darted around the room, but it was empty. "W-who's there?" he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.
[Accept my power, and you won't ever have to hear those words again...]
The voice seemed to echo inside his skull, oily and persuasive. Ethan felt a chill creep up his spine. "I don't want it!" he yelled, his voice shaking.
[Do you want to continue being weak?] The voice sneered. [Do you want to be ignored, stepped on, treated like garbage? Then ignore me, and you shall remain a worthless piece of shit forever.]
Ethan's chest heaved as the words cut deep. His mind reeled.
Worthless… forever?
His hands trembled. He didn't want this—he didn't—but the weight of the word forever was suffocating. "What… what do you want in return?"
[You just have to kill everyone who stands in your way. That is all...]
Ethan froze. The word kill hung heavy in the air. For a moment, he felt like running, like screaming, but then another voice crept into his thoughts—a softer, more familiar one.
"Weakling."
"Nobody."
"Doormat."
He clenched his fists. His lips quivered, but his resolve hardened. If no one cared about him, why should he care about them?
"If that's what it takes to be recognized… to be strong…" His voice cracked but grew louder. "Then let me have it!"
[As you wish...]
The darkness swirled around Ethan, filling his mind and body with an overwhelming force.
[Player overwrite commencing...]
[...]
[Player overwrite complete.]
_________________________________________________
Avi blinked awake, his vision swimming with dim light. The room smelled of blood and sweat, the air heavy and oppressive. His body ached all over, and his head pounded like a war drum.
"Thank God, you're awake!" Ken's voice was the first thing Avi registered. He knelt beside him, his face a mix of relief and concern. Ryan stood a few steps away, his arms crossed and his jaw tight, while Sophia and Mia lingered near the doorway, whispering to each other.
"What happened?" Avi croaked, his throat dry. He struggled to sit up, only for Ken to help steady him. "Did we win?"
The group exchanged glances, their expressions uneasy.
"You… don't remember?" Ken asked, his tone careful.
"Not a thing," Avi admitted, frowning. "Why? Did something happen?"
Ken hesitated, then took a deep breath. "It was Ethan. He…"
"Don't," Ryan interrupted sharply, his gaze fixed on Avi. "Don't talk about Ethan. Let's talk about you."
Avi raised an eyebrow. "Me? What about me?"
Sophia stepped forward, her voice low but steady. "You saved us. All that's left of us. But the way you fought…" She trailed off, glancing at Ken as if unsure how to continue.
"You were like someone else," Mia finished softly.
"Someone terrifying," Ryan muttered under his breath.
Avi's stomach tightened. "What are you all talking about?"
Ken sat back, running a hand through his hair. "Let me start. I think you remembered when Ethan was almost about to kill me. I couldn't even move. He was so fast, so strong, I thought I was done for. Then you came running after I called you."
"You threw Ethan off me," Ken said, his voice tinged with awe. "And I mean kicked him away from me—like he was nothing."
Ryan stepped in, his voice begrudging. "After that, Ethan turned his attention on me, Sophia, and Mia. We're the only ones left. We were trying to run, but he was too fast. He nearly got to us, but then you—"
"—tackled Ethan," Sophia cut in, her green eyes wide. "You pulled him away and gave us time to escape."
Mia nodded. "You were a blur. You didn't even hesitate to put yourself between us and him."
Avi listened, his heart pounding. He could barely process what they were saying.
"Then what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ryan hesitated, glancing at Ken before continuing. "You didn't stop. You fought him. Alone. And it wasn't just the way you moved—it was the way you fought. You were brutal, precise… almost like you weren't yourself."
Mia chimed in, her voice soft. "We've seen you everyday, Avi. You weren't like that, I've never even seen you fight, but this… this was different. You were like a professional fighter, dodging his attacks, landing blow after blow with that chair leg you were holding. It was… incredible. And terrifying."
Ryan crossed his arms, his jaw clenched. "Terrifying, because for a second, we thought…"
Sophia glanced at Avi, her expression conflicted. "We thought you'd turn into him."
"What?" Avi's voice was sharp, his hands curling into fists.
"Your eyes," Ryan said, his voice trembling. "They were… old and calculating. Like you know when the fight is going to end. We thought you'd lose control, and we'd have to—"
"Ryan," Ken interrupted, his tone firm.
Ryan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, Avi. I was scared. I even wanted to… tie you up after you collapsed, just in case. But Ken stopped me."
Ken looked at Avi, his expression serious. "I told them not to. You saved us, Avi. Whatever happened, whatever that was, you saved us. That's all that matters."
Ryan swallowed hard, his voice softer now. "I'm sorry. For doubting you."
Avi stared at them, his mind racing. He didn't know what to say. Part of him wanted to deny everything, to laugh it off as some misunderstanding, but deep down, he knew something was wrong.
He opened his system panel, hoping for answers.
Avi Eques
Species: Human
Status: Normal
Job: None
Title: Weak That Beats the Strong
Lvl: 2
Stats:
| Strength: 14.675 → 16.943 |
| Defense: 9.180 → 11.007 |
| Stamina: 8.987 → 9.080 |
| Agility: 12.991 → 14.047 |
| Intelligence: 8.034 → 8.034 |
Skills:
| Clairvoyance |
| ??? |
The increase in his stats was staggering. Avi scrolled through the panel again, pausing when his eyes landed on the new title beneath his name.
"Weak That Beats the Strong."
He let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "Well, that's not ominous at all."
"What's not ominous?" Ken asked, leaning closer.
"Oh, nothing," Avi said quickly, dismissing the panel with a wave. "Just the system's way of saying, 'Congrats, you survived, but we're still judging you.'"
Ken chuckled, but his gaze didn't waver. "You sure you're alright?"
"Define 'alright,'" Avi replied, forcing a small grin. "I'm standing, talking, and still occasionally breathing. That counts, right?"
Emily walked up, her voice soft but firm. "You don't have to joke all the time, Avi. It's okay to just… with here in this mess with you."
Avi turned to her, a flicker of guilt crossing his face before he masked it with a playful smirk. "I'm not joking. You guys are here. I'm here. I'd say we make a pretty decent team. You know, as long as we avoid anything resembling demon monsters for the next… forever."
Emily smiled faintly. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"Impossible, but lovable," Avi replied lightly. Then, his tone softened. "Seriously, though. Thanks, Ems. And you too, Ken. I don't say it enough, but I'm glad you two are here."
Ken clapped him on the shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring. "You don't have to say it, Avi. We've got your back. Always."
Avi's smile grew, but the weight of the title and the stats lingered in the back of his mind. Whatever was happening to him, it wasn't normal. And while he appreciated the reassurance from his friends, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger—and much worse.
Still, he wasn't about to let them see his doubt. "Well," he said, injecting a bit of levity back into his voice, "if you two are done being all sentimental, let's get moving. I'd rather not tempt fate by sticking around here. Pretty sure I've hit my quota for near-death experiences today."
Ken chuckled as they started walking. Emily stayed by his side, her presence a quiet comfort.
As they moved forward, Avi glanced over his shoulder, the title flashing briefly in his thoughts again. Weak That Beats the Strong.
Whatever it meant, he'd have to figure it out—one step at a time.
_______________
As they left the room, a dark, viscous sludge pooled where Ethan's corpse had been. It slithered silently toward the door, leaving behind a faint, haunting whisper.
"This is not the end."