7 Hiding the truth

Chapter 7: Hiding the Truth

Amelia sat in the dimly lit room, her back pressed against the cold wooden wall. Her breath came out in slow, measured puffs, trying to keep herself calm. Everything had changed, and the weight of that reality pressed down on her like an avalanche.

She could still feel the tingling in her fingers—the lingering sensation of strength that shouldn't belong to her. The echo of a bone snapping under her grip played in her mind like a haunting melody. The memory sent a shiver down her spine, not out of fear but out of something deeper, something darker.

Power.

The AI's voice had been emotionless, robotic, yet every word it spoke carried an undeniable force.

[Level up through revenge.]

The words burned into her soul. She hadn't even begun to understand what she had become, but the system had already dictated her path. Every part of her body felt different—stronger, faster, sharper. Her wounds had healed overnight as if they had never existed. Her bruises, once marks of humiliation, had faded into nothingness. The pain was gone, but the memories were raw, searing through her mind like an open wound.

She clenched her fists. No. She couldn't afford to be reckless. If she let them see what she had become, if she let her emotions take over, she would lose everything before she even began.

She had to hide it.

---

The next morning, Amelia moved through the school hallways, keeping her head down, forcing herself to act as she always had. Weak. Small. Invisible. But inside, she was anything but.

Every sound around her was amplified—the chatter of students, the rustling of books, the heartbeat of those who passed by her. The world was sharper, clearer. The scent of blood, of sweat, of fear—it all lingered in the air like a melody she could now decipher.

Then she saw them.

Victoria and her followers stood at the lockers, laughing, carefree. As if they hadn't nearly beaten her to death. As if they weren't monsters dressed in expensive clothes. Amelia's fingers twitched at her sides, the AI's words whispering in her mind.

[Revenge will make you stronger.]

She took a slow breath. Not yet.

One of Victoria's friends, Evelyn, glanced in her direction. Their eyes met. Amelia expected to see the same disdain, the same cruelty. But for the first time, she saw something else.

Hesitation.

Fear.

Her heart pounded in her chest. They had noticed. They didn't understand why, but they sensed something was different. Amelia lowered her gaze and quickened her pace, disappearing into the crowd before Victoria could turn to see what had caught Evelyn's attention.

---

She spent the day testing her limits. Her grip was stronger, her reflexes faster. She could hear whispered conversations from across the room, sense the subtle shifts in people's breathing. The system had made her into something else. Something more.

But it came with a price.

[You must evolve.]

She didn't know how the system worked, but one thing was clear—this power wasn't meant to sit idle. It demanded action. It demanded growth. And the only way to grow was through revenge.

But she couldn't afford to be reckless. If she exposed herself too soon, if she lost control, everything could be taken away from her.

So she would wait.

Plan.

Hunt.

The shadows of the past still clung to her, but now, for the first time, she wasn't afraid of them. She was learning to control them. And when the time was right, she would strike.

And they would never see it coming.