Chapter 16

Blackridge High – Next Morning

Jerry hadn't slept.

His skin felt too tight. His blood, too hot. He walked through the school halls like a ticking bomb, every heartbeat syncing with the thrum of something alien in his chest.

Don't lose control. Not here.

But the monster inside didn't care.

It whispered to him with every step.

Let them see what you are.

He pushed through the front doors just as the bell rang. A tidal wave of voices and footsteps swept around him—students laughing, lockers slamming, conversations overlapping.

And in the middle of it all… he saw Emily.

She smiled—soft, hopeful.

He tried to smile back.

But the hunger struck like a knife.

Suddenly, Jerry's vision blurred. Everyone around him became a heat signature. Pulsing with light. With energy. With prey.

Feed…

He gasped, stumbling into a locker. His fingers dug into the metal—denting it. He didn't feel pain. Only the monster, rising.

"Jerry?" Emily's voice cut through the static.

He looked up at her—and his reflection stared back from the chrome surface of the locker door.

It wasn't him.

It was the thing.

Black, violet-tinged eyes. Jagged fangs. A face barely human.

His heart exploded into panic. He turned and ran.

Boys' Bathroom – Seconds Later

He crashed into the stall, slammed the door, locked it.

His hands were no longer hands.

Talons.

Pulsing veins of abyssal black crawling up his arms.

He gripped his skull and screamed silently. His spine cracked—ribs shifted—muscles tried to split.

Let go. Break. Devour.

"No—NO!" he hissed.

Flesh rippled. His right arm split into a monstrous claw, black smoke leaking from the veins. His face twitched violently—eye turning abyssal, then snapping back.

Half-transformed.

Someone else walked into the bathroom.

"Yo, anyone in here? Sink's leaking—"

Jerry froze.

One more second and he'd slaughter whoever opened that door.

But before anything could happen, a sharp knock hit the outside of the stall.

"Jerry."

Emily's voice again.

But this time—quiet. Urgent.

"I followed you," she said. "Open the door."

"I can't," he rasped. "I'm not—safe."

There was a pause. "I don't care."

Jerry's vision swam. He could feel his heartbeat syncing to hers through the door. He could smell her—too close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Please leave."

But instead, Emily said something that shattered him:

"My dad said something escaped from Project Abyss. He thinks it's in this school."

Silence.

"I think he's talking about you."

Jerry's clawed hand trembled as it slowly shifted back into flesh. The black receded, burning into his bones like tar.

He opened the stall door just enough for her to see one violet eye.

She didn't scream.

She just looked at him.

"I'm not afraid," she said softly.

"You should be," he replied.

Somewhere Outside – Parked Surveillance Van

Two FBI agents watched the bathroom on thermal cams. One leaned forward.

"He spiked again. Massive Echo flare. That's the kid, no doubt."

The second agent keyed the mic. "Confirm. Abyssborn Signature: 92% match."

Then static buzzed—and another voice broke in on their frequency.

Low. Cold.

"Do not engage. Let the prey ripen."

The signal vanished.

Both agents stared at each other, pale.

"What was that?"

"Not one of ours…"

Xyros Corp – Same Hour

Edward Xyros stood in his office, watching the readings pour in.

Behind him, Dr. Verin looked grim.

"He's slipping," Verin said. "The strain on his nervous system is massive. If the transformation completes without mental synchronization, it'll be permanent."

Edward nodded. "And fatal—for everyone nearby."

Verin turned. "What do you want to do?"

Edward's eyes narrowed.

"Trigger Phase II. Let him taste what's coming."

Blackridge High – Final Scene

Jerry stood in the stairwell alone, gripping the railing as his breathing slowed. The partial transformation had passed, but the scars remained—on his arm, his chest, and deep in his soul.

He looked up—just in time to see a new student being escorted down the hall by a teacher.

The student glanced at Jerry.

And smiled.

Too wide. Too sharp.

For a moment, Jerry saw past the illusion. Saw the thing wearing human skin.

A monster had come to school.

And it knew him.

(To be continued...)