New changes

Jason woke to the soft glow of morning filtering through his window, the remnants of last night's plans lingering in his mind like embers ready to ignite. He stretched, shaking off the weight of exhaustion, and pushed himself up. Today was different. Today, he wasn't the Jason they had abandoned. Today, he was in control.

He moved to his closet, sliding the doors open to reveal his newest collection—clothes that screamed confidence, authority, power. He pulled out a sleek black bomber jacket, its leather smooth beneath his fingers, detailed with subtle silver zippers that caught the light. Underneath, he chose a fitted charcoal-gray turtleneck, effortlessly sharp, wrapping around him like armor.

For pants, he went with tailored black jeans, the perfect balance between casual and commanding, hugging his frame with just the right amount of edge. A dark belt with a silver buckle completed the look—minimal, but striking. And then the finishing touch: polished black combat boots, the kind that carried weight with every step, giving his movements a quiet authority.

As he stood before the mirror, adjusting the folds of his jacket, a slow smirk pulled at his lips. This wasn't just clothing—it was a statement.

Jason was ready.

Jason could feel the eyes on him—the quiet curiosity, the unspoken questions—but he didn't acknowledge them. As he passed through the hallway, Lily stood near her locker, her gaze lingering on him longer than the others. He caught the flicker of surprise, the shift in her expression, but he kept walking, refusing to meet her eyes. He had no time for distractions.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen—his brother. The name alone sent a ripple of irritation through him.

He let it ring.

A second call.

Then a third.

Finally, a message popped up. _Where did you get those clothes?_

Jason smirked slightly, slipping the phone back into his jacket without responding. His brother was confused, probably unsettled by the sudden change. _Good._ Let him wonder. Let them all wonder.

Jason wasn't the weak link anymore. And he was going to make sure everyone knew it.

------

Jason strode into the classroom, his newfound confidence wrapping around him like armor. He ignored the stares, the whispers, the quiet curiosity buzzing in the room. He had more important things to focus on.

As soon as he sat down, the exhaustion from the past few days settled in. His eyes grew heavy, the dull murmur of the lesson fading into background noise. He didn't fight it. For once, he didn't need to be on edge—he had already won the moment he walked through the door.

It wasn't until a sharp voice cut through the haze that he jolted awake.

"Jason." The teacher's tone was firm, unimpressed. "Since you seem so well-rested, maybe you can answer this—who led the invasion of Normandy during World War II?"

Lily let out a soft giggle, and Cole scoffed loudly. "Yeah, right," Cole muttered. "He's gonna fail this one."

Jason blinked, the fog of sleep clearing instantly. He sat up slowly, adjusting his jacket, and turned to the teacher with an unreadable expression. The system interface opened up before him:

Option 1: Remain silent.

[Gain nothing and waste time in class.]

Option 2: Answer the question.

[Gain basic all round high school knowledge]

Option 3: Ignore the teacher.

[-10 popularity & dunce hat.]

"I choose Option 2." He muttered.

And then, calmly, he spoke.

"General Dwight D. Eisenhower," he said, his voice steady. "He was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces and led Operation Overlord, better known as D-Day, on June 6, 1944. The invasion was a turning point in the war, weakening German defenses in Western Europe and leading to the eventual liberation of France."

Silence.

Cole's smirk vanished. Lily's amusement faded into stunned surprise. Even the teacher raised an eyebrow.

Jason exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "Anything else?"

The teacher nodded slowly, recovering. "Well… That's correct."

Jason caught the flicker of disbelief in Cole's eyes, the frustration in his clenched jaw. _Good._

Without another word, Jason turned his gaze back to the board, as if the moment had never happened. But everyone else knew—it had. And none of them would forget it.

As the lesson continued, the hushed murmurs spread through the classroom like wildfire.

_"How did he know that?"_

_"Jason never answers correctly—what's going on?"_

_"Did he cheat? No way he suddenly got smarter overnight."_

Lily leaned over to one of her friends, whispering, eyes darting toward Jason. Even Cole, still stiff with irritation, exchanged a glance with his gang. Something about this wasn't adding up, and they all knew it.

Jason sat back, ignoring the whispers, his expression unreadable. Let them talk. Let them wonder. That was the beauty of it—uncertainty was more powerful than answers.

And as the lesson carried on, Jason simply smirked, tapping his fingers lightly against his desk. This was only the beginning.

Jason remained calm, his fingers tapping lightly against the desk as the whispers grew. He could feel the weight of their curiosity, the way their eyes darted toward him, trying to figure out the impossible change.

Lily leaned closer to her friend, murmuring under her breath. "There's no way he just suddenly knows things like that. What happened to him?"

Cole, still stiff with irritation, narrowed his eyes. He wasn't the type to let things slide—especially when it made him look foolish. "He's messing with us," he muttered. "Probably cheated. Thinks he's better than us now."

Jason smirked to himself but didn't respond. Let them speculate. Let them wonder. The more they tried to find explanations, the deeper their unease would grow.

The teacher continued the lesson, but the tension in the air remained. Jason glanced out the window, the sky stretching endlessly beyond the glass. Today wasn't just another day. Today, the world had started paying attention. And soon? They wouldn't just be whispering.

They'd be afraid.

Jason walked home with the same quiet confidence he had carried all day. The weight of his plans lingered in his mind, unfolding with precision, but before he could reach the school gates, a voice cut through the murmur of students around him.

"Jason!"

He turned to see Lily storming toward him, eyes sharp, frustration radiating off her. She stopped right in front of him, crossing her arms. "I want answers. What's going on with you? You disappear, you come back like—like this, and suddenly you're answering questions like some kind of genius?"

Jason smirked, completely unfazed. The students around them slowed, eager to see what would happen next.

Lily's frustration deepened. "Don't act like this isn't weird, Jason! People don't just change overnight!"

Jason tilted his head slightly, as if amused. Then, without hesitation, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

"And yet, here you are, desperate for my attention," he said, voice dripping with mockery. "Funny, considering you never cared before."

A wave of gasps rippled through the crowd. Lily's face went rigid, stunned into silence.

Jason let his smirk deepen. "You can demand all the explanations you want, but honestly? You're not important enough for me to waste my time."

The sting of his words was undeniable. Lily's confidence faltered, her lips parted as if searching for a comeback—but nothing came.

Jason didn't wait for a response. He turned and walked away, ignoring the murmurs, the wide eyes, the way Lily stood frozen, caught off guard.

-------

Jason sat back, the glow of his screen illuminating the room as the aftermath of his latest move unfolded. The whispers had started. The murmurs of disbelief, shock, and rising tension spread through the school like wildfire. Cole—the untouchable, the arrogant—was now at the center of chaos, his reputation shattering piece by piece.

Jason smirked, watching the notifications roll in. Messages flooded group chats, laughter erupted in private conversations, and Cole's name was smeared across every corner of social media. His downfall was happening in real-time.

Cole wouldn't know who did it. He wouldn't understand how, why, or even when the cracks had started forming. But Jason did. _And that was all that mattered._

The beauty of it wasn't just the revenge—it was the unraveling. The slow destruction. The way power shifted so effortlessly, putting Cole exactly where Jason had been—helpless, humiliated, alone.

Jason leaned back in his chair, the dim glow of his screen reflecting in his eyes as the chaos unfolded before him. The comments poured in, the reactions spiraled, and Cole's name was smeared across every corner of the internet.

He chuckled, slow and deliberate, savoring the destruction. _This_ was power. Not the kind handed to the privileged, not the kind stolen through force—but power earned through patience, through calculation, through control.

For years, they had made him feel small. Useless. Forgotten. But now? He was the one shaping the narrative. He was the one pulling the strings.

Jason ran a hand through his hair, exhaling deeply, letting the satisfaction settle in his chest. He had spent so long being nothing. Tonight, he was everything.

But this was just the beginning.