Jason couldn't focus for the rest of the day. Every class blurred together, every teacher's voice sounded distant. His mind was stuck on her. The brief interaction he had with Alex replayed in his head over and over. The subtle hesitation in her voice, the way her gaze lingered on him a second too long — it was the first step.
But there was a nagging feeling of hunger — not for food, not for sleep — but for violence. Ever since his reincarnation, the primal urge to dominate in the ring, to crush anyone who stood against him, was always simmering under his skin. I need a fight.
By lunch, Jason already had a target in mind.
---
Cafeteria
Jason entered the bustling cafeteria, scanning the crowd. The cliques were easy to spot: jocks, nerds, goths, cheerleaders. It was standard high school dynamics, but Jason didn't care about any of that. His focus was on Tyler. The captain of the wrestling team — the guy who tried to test him this morning.
And there he was, laughing with his friends at a table near the center.
Jason smiled coldly. Perfect.
Grabbing his tray of food, Jason walked past Tyler's table, intentionally brushing his shoulder hard against Tyler's back. The force nearly made Tyler spill his drink.
"Yo, what the hell?" Tyler turned, glaring.
Jason didn't even stop. "Watch where you're sitting."
Silence. The entire table of jocks stared at Jason like he'd lost his mind. Tyler immediately stood up. "You got a problem, new guy?"
Jason turned slowly, his eyes dead and predatory. "Yeah. You."
A hush fell over the cafeteria. Everyone turned to watch. The new guy calling out the wrestling captain? This was about to get interesting.
Tyler scoffed, trying to save face. "You don't want this smoke, bro."
Jason took a slow step forward, his aura suffocating. "I've already beaten tougher guys than you. Wanna test that out?"
Tyler's pride flared. "Oh, you think you're some hotshot boxer, huh? Alright. After school. Behind the gym."
Jason's smile turned feral. "I was hoping you'd say that."
---
After School - Behind the Gym
A crowd had already formed. Word spread like wildfire — Tyler vs the new guy. Most of the students were expecting Tyler to dominate. After all, he was built like a tank and had wrestling championships under his belt.
But Jason? He was calm. Too calm. His heartbeat was steady, his breathing slow, like a predator waiting to strike.
Tyler cracked his knuckles. "Last chance to back out, tough guy."
Jason smirked. "I'm gonna fold you in two."
The crowd erupted. Tyler, now properly pissed off, lunged first.
Big mistake.
Jason side-stepped the punch effortlessly, his body moving like liquid. Before Tyler could recover, Jason's fist exploded into his ribs. CRACK. The air left Tyler's lungs instantly, his knees buckling.
"Holy sh*t!" someone screamed.
Jason didn't let up. He pivoted, driving his elbow into the side of Tyler's face. Blood sprayed from his nose as he stumbled back, dazed and confused.
Jason smiled darkly. He's mine now.
"Get up," Jason growled.
Tyler, humiliated and furious, rushed again — swinging wild. Jason slipped under the punch and buried his fist into Tyler's gut. Tyler's body folded like paper, his mouth wide open but no sound came out.
Jason grabbed him by the hair and drove his knee into his face. Blood splattered across the pavement. The crowd gasped.
Jason leaned down, his voice like venom. "I told you. You aren't built for this."
Tyler collapsed, unconscious. The crowd fell into stunned silence. Jason stepped back, rolling his shoulders. "Anyone else?"
Silence. Absolute silence.
Jason scoffed. Thought so.
As he turned to leave, his eyes met Alex's — she had been watching the whole thing from the edge of the crowd, her expression a mix of shock, fascination… and something else. Attraction.
Jason smiled. She sees it now.
And he wasn't stopping until she was his.