Chapter 75 – The Unraveling Threads

Lena tried to lose herself in the familiar rhythm of UA life. Theory classes in the morning, practical training in the afternoon. It was supposed to be a return to normalcy after the unsettling chaos of the training camp. But normalcy felt like a distant, distorted memory.

Even simple tasks had become a subtle battle. During lunch, as she reached for her chopsticks, the metal briefly shimmered, reflecting a flicker of her hand moving before she actually shifted it. In the locker room, putting on her hero costume, she heard the clack of her gauntlet fastening twice, milliseconds apart, before it truly clicked into place. The temporal reverberations, these unpredictable echoes and minute skips in reality, were becoming more frequent, more insistent. They were like static on a radio, growing louder, drowning out the clear signal of the present.

The pressure inside her, the feeling of that vast, formless "Hole" expanding within her core, felt immense. It wasn't a voice, or a presence she could discern, just a raw, unyielding power that felt like her but also terrifyingly untamed. It pulsed, creating these ripples that made her question her own perception. Was she going mad? Or was her Quirk truly breaking the world around her?

Later, during combat training with All Might, Lena's precision suffered. She'd anticipate an attack, her body ready to counter, only for the punch to land a split-second earlier than her intuition suggested, throwing her off balance. All Might, ever perceptive, noted her unusual hesitation. "Something on your mind, Young Oxton? You seem… a touch out of sync today."

"Just a little tired, All Might," she lied, forcing a strained smile. He looked unconvinced, but let it go. Lena knew she couldn't explain. How could she? She barely understood it herself.

After classes, Kyoka found Lena sitting alone in an empty classroom, her head bowed, her hands pressed against her temples.

"Hey," Kyoka said softly, sitting beside her. "Still feeling… out of phase?"

Lena let out a shaky breath. "It's getting worse, Kyoka. It's not just me anymore. I think… I think it's affecting things around me. Subtle stuff. Like reality is glitching." She looked up, her eyes wide with a fear Kyoka rarely saw. "What if I can't control it? What if I hurt someone by accident?"

Kyoka gently took Lena's hands, her touch warm and grounding. "You won't," she said firmly. "We'll figure it out. You're strong, Lena. And I can still feel it, that… odd frequency around you. It's stronger, yes. But it's part of you. We'll learn to harmonize with it." She squeezed Lena's hands. "You don't have to carry this alone. Talk to me. Let me help."

Lena felt a powerful surge of gratitude. Kyoka was her anchor, her safe harbor. Even if she couldn't explain the full scope of the internal chaos, Kyoka's unwavering presence was a lifeline.

Meanwhile, in the common room, Mina approached Momo, a determined glint in her eyes. "Okay, Operation: Cheer-Up-Lena is a go. I'm thinking... an impromptu dorm movie night? Something light. No heroics, no training. Just us."

Momo nodded thoughtfully. "A good idea. She's been far too withdrawn. I've noticed it too, the way she seems to… flinch at certain sounds, or pause for a moment before reacting. It's unsettling."

They approached Lena and Kyoka later, full of enthusiastic suggestions. Lena appreciated the gesture, but a part of her recoiled. The thought of being in a confined space, trying to relax, while her Quirk might suddenly make the movie skip or a sound loop, filled her with dread. "That's really sweet, guys," Lena said, forcing cheer into her voice. "But I'm just… really wiped. Maybe tomorrow?"

Mina and Momo exchanged a look of mild disappointment, but nodded. "Sure, Lena. Whenever you're ready." As they walked away, Mina muttered, "She's definitely hiding something." Momo just sighed, her concern deepening.

In the secure server rooms deep beneath UA, Principal Nezu's sharp eyes scanned a series of system error logs. "Curious," he chirped, tapping a paw on a console. "An increasing number of minor data corruptions. Temporal inconsistencies in security camera footage. Brief network outages that self-correct before they can be traced."

Aizawa, who was reviewing a student performance report, grunted. "Standard UA tech issues, sir. Probably need an upgrade."

"Perhaps," Nezu mused, a glint in his eyes. "But the pattern is… unusual. Almost as if something is probing our systems, learning our rhythms, causing subtle, untraceable disruptions. Not an attack, not yet. More like… a test." He made a mental note to heighten digital security, even if it meant allocating more resources to the IT department.

Far above them, somewhere in the city, Reaper perched on a grimy rooftop, his red lenses locked onto UA's campus. He felt the increasing fluctuations in the city's temporal field, faint ripples emanating from the school grounds. His internal chronometer registered微小的跳动.She's changing, he rasped to himself, a cold satisfaction in his voice. Moira will be pleased. The anomaly grows.

At his private research lab, Winston Oxton stared intently at a holographic projection. It showed a series of complex energy signatures, overlaid with real-time atmospheric data. For weeks, he'd been tracking anomalous temporal-entropic readings – subtle distortions in the local space-time continuum that defied explanation. Today, he'd finally found a recurring pattern. A unique signature that flared whenever there was a significant energy discharge in the Musutafu area… particularly from a certain set of coordinates that matched UA High.

"Incredible," Winston murmured, adjusting his glasses. "This isn't just an energy signature. It's… a unique temporal distortion field. And it's growing in intensity." His mind raced, recalling old theories, obscure research papers. He had to cross-reference this. He needed more data, more advanced analysis than his personal lab could provide. He thought of his daughter, of the strange incidents, the unsettling reports. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but the evidence was mounting. Lena was at the center of this.

He picked up his secure satellite phone, pausing before dialing. This was beyond his current resources. He needed to consult someone with a truly global perspective on Quirk science, someone who might have encountered similar phenomena. Someone with vast, classified research capabilities. His thoughts drifted to a familiar island in the middle of the Pacific.

Lena lay in bed later that night, Kyoka asleep beside her, her steady breathing a gentle comfort. The temporal static within her had dulled slightly, but the profound sense of raw, expanding power remained. It was a terrifying, alien feeling, yet intrinsically a part of her. She clutched Kyoka's hand, drawing strength from the physical connection.

What is happening to me? she wondered, staring up at the ceiling. My Quirk… it's doing something I don't understand. The world felt like it was subtly coming apart at the seams around her, and she was the one pulling the threads. She knew she had to control it. She had to. For Kyoka, for her friends, for her father. She wouldn't let this strange, terrifying power hurt anyone she loved. The burden felt immense, but her determination was fierce. The fight to understand and control this escalating power had just begun.