Liam stood at the entrance of the classroom, his feet feeling strangely heavy as if they were sinking into the floor. His body tensed slightly, still trying to process everything—the strange messages, the impossible recovery, the murmurs and whispers surrounding him like an invisible fog.
Before he could think too much about it, a soft yet firm voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"Liam, are you alright?"
Miss Amanda's voice was gentle, filled with genuine concern, her dark brown eyes scanning him carefully. Her arms were crossed, a piece of chalk still resting between her delicate fingers. It was rare for teachers to openly show concern for their students, especially when it was someone like Liam—someone most people ignored or ridiculed. But Miss Amanda was different. She wasn't just beautiful; she was kind, though she never showed favoritism.
Liam blinked, realizing he had been standing there for too long, his mind running wild. He cleared his throat, quickly straightening his posture. Just as he did, the message in front of him—the floating, glowing text that had been tormenting him since he stepped into the room—vanished.
A breath of relief slipped past his lips.
Finally, it was gone.
That strange, ridiculous mission had been hanging in front of his vision for minutes now, blocking his sight and making him feel like he was losing his mind. But now that it had disappeared, he could see clearly again, and for the first time since waking up in his room, he felt a sense of normalcy returning to him. Maybe—just maybe—he could go back to his usual life without worrying about some absurd "Lust System" and its bizarre missions.
But then—
Miss Amanda's next words made his stomach twist.
"Liam, why have you been absent from school for an entire week?"
The question hit him like a sudden slap to the face. His mind raced as he tried to come up with an answer.
What was he supposed to say?
That he had been hit by a car? That he had almost died on the street while the very students in this room left him to rot? That he had woken up completely healed with a strange system forcing ridiculous missions on him?
No. That would only make things worse. And why one week, wasn't it just yesterday.
His fingers moved to scratch his forehead as he quickly came up with a believable excuse. Something normal. Something that wouldn't make him seem crazy.
"I was severely sick," he said finally, his voice clear and steady. "I was in the hospital the whole time."
Miss Amanda studied him for a moment, as if trying to see if he was lying, but after a few seconds, she gave a small nod.
"That makes sense," she said, her voice softer now. "Are you feeling better?"
Liam's lips curved into a small smile. "I'm alright now."
The moment those words left his lips, something unexpected happened.
Miss Amanda felt a faint warmth creep up her neck as her eyes momentarily lingered on Liam's face. It was a brief, almost unnoticeable reaction, but for a second, she found herself momentarily affected by that smile.
It was ridiculous. She was the teacher—he was the student.
She quickly cleared her throat, snapping herself out of it before anyone noticed anything strange.
"Well, go ahead and take your seat," she said, shifting her gaze away.
Liam gave a small nod before turning towards his seat, his movements smooth yet oddly different from before. In the past, he would have walked with his head slightly lowered, avoiding everyone's stares, afraid of what the boys would say, of how they would mock him or glare at him with resentment.
But now?
He didn't even acknowledge their presence.
It was as if they didn't exist.
There was no nervousness in his steps, no fear in his eyes. He simply walked past them, ignoring their looks and whispers, as if their opinions no longer mattered.
The classroom, however, was far from calm.
Whispers had turned into full conversations, with students trying to make sense of what they were seeing.
"This dude came back more muscular, I swear."
"No way, man. Did he go to the hospital or a secret gym?"
Kyle, who was sitting closest to Liam's seat, felt a strange pressure building in his chest. His fingers clenched slightly around the edges of his desk, his heart pounding faster as Liam finally reached his seat and turned to look at him.
And then—
Liam smiled.
But it wasn't just any smile.
It was wide, too wide.
A smile that almost reached his ears.
A smile that was wrong.
Kyle felt his entire body stiffen, a chill running down his spine. This wasn't the same Liam he knew—the weak, timid boy they had bullied for years. There was something different. Something unsettling.
His breathing became uneven, and for the first time in a long while, he felt fear.
And it wasn't just him.
Across the room, Sam, Daryl, and Jack—his three friends who had been with him that day—were also frozen in place. Their faces were pale, their hands trembling slightly.
They all knew what this meant.
Liam wasn't supposed to be here.
Liam was supposed to be dead.
But now he was back.
And if he remembered anything—if he knew what they had done—
Then they were absolutely cooked.
Liam, meanwhile, slowly lowered himself into his chair, the smile finally fading from his lips. His fingers curled slightly against the edge of his desk as he murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible even to himself.
"What's wrong with me?"
His mind felt strange—his emotions unstable.
He had never smiled at anyone like that before, especially not Kyle.
And yet, the moment their eyes met, something inside him had shifted, something dark and unfamiliar rising within him.
He didn't know what was happening to him.
But one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.