The Awakening

Ethan Cross was used to being invisible. A nobody. The guy who sat at the back of the class, ignored by everyone, bullied by some, and forgotten by most. At Greenwood High, he was just "that loser." Even at home, his stepfather barely acknowledged his existence, and his mother was too tired from work to notice his struggles.

But everything changed the night he turned 18.

It started as a fever, burning deep in his bones. His skin prickled, his muscles ached, and a strange hunger gnawed at his stomach. Then came the dreams—visions of shadowy forests, glowing red eyes watching him from the dark, and a monstrous voice whispering his name.

"You are not like them. You are more."

Ethan woke up gasping, drenched in sweat. But something was wrong. His nails were sharper, his teeth felt... pointed. When he rushed to the mirror, his ears had lengthened slightly, and his pupils gleamed an eerie gold.

"What the hell is happening to me?"

Panic surged through him. His body felt different—stronger, faster. He clenched his fists, and the wooden desk beside him cracked under his grip.

Then, the scent hit him. A mix of sweat, adrenaline, and fear but not his own.

His senses had sharpened. He could hear footsteps outside his room, slow and hesitant. He could smell the stale cologne of his stepfather standing by the door, debating whether to knock.

Ethan stumbled back. His heart pounded.

"This isn't normal. This isn't human."

And then, deep inside him, something growled in approval.

The half-goblin power had awakened.