Chapter 3: The First Move
The night was quiet, but Don's mind was anything but. As he sat in his dimly lit room, staring at the ceiling, he replayed his conversations with Jak and Lila over and over. Weak, pathetic, predictable. That's what they were. That's what they all were. Jak's righteousness, Lila's innocence—it was laughable.
But then why did his sister's words linger?
"But you're still lonely, Don. You're still... so alone."
His jaw clenched. She was wrong. He wasn't lonely. He was just ahead of everyone else. That was the cost of being special.
His gaze shifted to the small flickering candle on his desk. Shadows danced along the walls, stretching and twisting like the people in his life—figures that moved, talked, acted, but ultimately, they were just projections. Nothing more.
He exhaled sharply, shaking the thought away. He had more important things to focus on.
Tomorrow, he would take his first real step toward proving his superiority.
---
The schoolyard buzzed with the usual noise—students chatting, laughing, the occasional scuffle. Don stood at the edge, watching, analyzing.
His ability to see thirty minutes into the future had given him an advantage in dodging fights, slipping out of trouble, and outmaneuvering his bullies, but now it was time to test something new.
Power wasn't just about avoiding. It was about control.
His eyes locked onto Kyle, the same brute who had tried to shove him around the other day. Kyle was stupid, impulsive. Easy to manipulate.
Perfect.
---
Don walked toward Kyle with calculated steps, a small smirk on his face.
Kyle noticed him immediately, scoffing. "What do you want, freak?"
Don didn't answer right away. Instead, he watched, letting his power activate.
Thirty minutes from now...
Kyle would be standing by the lockers, arguing with one of his so-called friends. The argument would escalate into a fight. But what interested Don wasn't the fight—it was what came after. Kyle would storm off, frustrated, looking for someone to take his anger out on.
Don could use that.
Let's push the pieces into place.
With a casual shrug, Don spoke. "I heard Jake was talking behind your back."
Kyle's smug expression shifted instantly. "The hell are you talking about?"
Don faked an innocent look. "I don't know, man. Just saying what I heard. Something about you being all talk."
Kyle's fists clenched. "That little—where is he?"
Don smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.
"By the lockers," he answered smoothly. "Go see for yourself."
Kyle wasted no time, storming off in the exact direction Don had predicted.
Don exhaled, feeling the rush of control settle in his bones.
For the first time, he wasn't just reacting to the world.
He was shaping it.
---
He followed at a distance, watching from the shadows as Kyle confronted Jake. The argument played out exactly as Don had seen—angry words, pushing, shoving, and then a full-blown fight.
But what came next was what truly mattered.
Kyle, furious, humiliated from losing the scuffle, stormed away, fists shaking. His frustration needed a new target.
And Don was standing right in his path.
"Hey, Kyle," Don called, keeping his voice light.
Kyle turned, his face twisted in anger. "You—this is your fault!"
Don didn't flinch. He didn't need to. He already knew what was going to happen.
"I tried to warn you," Don said smoothly, stepping back just as Kyle lunged. His opponent's punch swung wildly, missing by an inch.
Don smirked. He had already seen the attack, had already moved before Kyle even finished his motion.
Kyle stumbled forward, unbalanced.
Don reached out, ever so slightly, and nudged him.
It wasn't even a strong push, but it was enough.
Kyle tripped, falling hard against the pavement.
A few students turned, eyes widening at the sight of the school's usual bully on the ground.
And just like that, the balance of power shifted.
Don looked down at Kyle, his expression unreadable. "Try that again," he said, his voice calm, controlled.
Kyle looked up, his face twisting with frustration... but something else was there, too.
Fear.
Don turned and walked away, his heart pounding—not from nerves, but from exhilaration.
This was just the beginning.
---
Later that night, as Don sat alone in his room, he let himself reflect on what had happened.
For the first time, he didn't feel like a victim of circumstance. He had set the pieces, controlled the board.
He wasn't just a step ahead anymore.
He was playing the game.
A slow grin spread across his face.
Jak, Lila, their so-called ideals… they meant nothing.
They would see, just like Kyle had.
The world didn't belong to those who worked the hardest or hoped for the best.
It belonged to those who took control.
And Don was going to take it all.