Vic''s expression darkened, tears streaming down his face. "Screw you, Griswold!" he spat, his voice quivering with a vtile mix of rage and fear. "It''s because of you I got infected! And now you want me to die alone?" He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper that sent a chill through the air. "Either you help me... or I''ll tell the academy everything. Your secrets, Griswold. If I''m going down, you''reing with me."


    The room fell silent, the atmosphere thick with tension, almost suffocating. Ss stared into Vic''s eyes, seeing not just the friend he once knew but the monstrous force wing its way to the surface, distorting every familiar feature.


    "Vic, you need to rx and listen to me," Ss urged after a heavy pause, his tone steady but edged with concern. "There''s no way I can help you. I have no idea what''s happening to you. All I know is that you''ve been scratched, and you need immediate care before things get worse."


    "Liar!" Vic spat, his eyes zing with fury. "You''re a bloody liar, Ss! Not just a liar, but selfish! I know there''s a way you could help me—you just don''t want to! You want me dead, Griswold!" His voice dripped with venom, the bitterness cutting through the air.


    "Why would I want you dead, Vic?" Ss countered, his voice calm but strained. "You''re my friend."


    "I don''t think so… because friends help each other," Vic shot back, his wordsced with bitterness. Before he could say anything more, his face contorted in agony, and he copsed to his knees, clutching his stomach.


    "What''s happening?" Ss asked, his eyes narrowing in concern as he watched Vic, now panting heavily, cold sweat trickling down his pale face.


    "I AM FREAKING HUNGRY!" Vic roared, his voice deep and menacing, almost inhuman. He raised his head, and Ss''s breath caught in his throat—the eyes staring back at him werepletely ck, devoid of the man he once knew.


    Suddenly, a red notification appeared above Vic''s head:


    [Name: Victor Hardcastle]


    [Race: In Transition]


    [HP: ????]


    Ss''s brow furrowed, his eyes scanning the alert. A flicker of confusion crossed his face. The system had never revealed information about a human before—only mutants. Unless... Vic wasn''t human anymore.


    He examined the notification again. The word "Transition" stood out, and a grim understanding dawned on him. Transition was the stage where someone infected by a shifter or mutant would gradually be one themselves—a transformation from human to something entirely different. And right now, Vic was in that dangerous in-between state.


    "Vic, you need to stay calm," Ss urged, his gaze locked onto Vic''s trembling form. But his words fell on deaf ears. The person in front of him was no longer the friend he knew—this was something else, something feral.


    A guttural roar shattered the silence, reverberating through the room like a shockwave. Without warning, Vic lunged forward on all fours, his movements eerily fluid, primal. He closed the distance in seconds, leaping towards Ss with predatory intent.


    Ss''s eyes widened, muscles tensing. Time seemed to slow as Vic hurtled towards him. In a heartbeat, Ss spun his body around, executing a perfectly timed tornado kick.


    BAM!


    The kicknded squarely on Vic''s neck with a sickening thud, sending him crashing backward. He hit the floor hard andy still, unconscious.


    Ss remained frozen for a moment, his breathing heavy, eyes fixed on Vic''s motionless form. After several tense minutes, seeing no sign of movement, he cautiously approached.


    Crouching down beside Vic, Ss examined him closely. The dark, aggressive expression had vanished, reced by the calm serenity of sleep. The feral creature was gone, leaving behind only the friend he once knew, albeit transformed.


    Ss sank to the floor beside him, running a hand through his spiky, snow-white hair. His eyes were distant, shadowed with worry.


    "What am I going to do?" he whispered to himself, the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him like a vice.


    ---


    The next morning dawned with a warm, golden light filtering through the academy''s windows. Students began pouring out of their dorm rooms, their footsteps echoing in the wide corridors as they made their way toward the cafeteria. The scent of freshly prepared meals wafted through the air, mingling with the hum of morning chatter.


    Angelica, David, and Sebastian walked together, their expressions rxed but slightly drowsy from the early start. When they entered the bustling cafeteria, their eyes instinctively darted to their usual table, only to freeze in shock.


    "Where the hell are Vic and Ss?" Sebastian muttered, his gaze sweeping the room, scanning each corner as if expecting them to appear any second.


    Angelica''s brows furrowed, concern etching lines on her face. "I don''t know. Vic is neverte for breakfast. Ever." Her voice carried an edge of unease as she stared at the empty spot they always upied. It felt wrong, out of ce.


    "They probably overslept," Sebastian shrugged, trying to mask his own worry with nonchnce. "They''ll show up soon. You know Vic can''t stay away from food for long." He forced a grin, but his eyes betrayed the doubt gnawing at him.


    The trio made their way to the food vendor, loading their trays with steaming tes of eggs, toast, and fruit. The clinking of utensils and murmured conversations filled the space around them as they settled into their usual spot, the absence of their friends casting a shadow over the table.


    They ate in silence for a few moments, the atmosphere heavy. Finally, Sebastian broke the stillness, his voice tentative.


    "I''ve been meaning to ask, Angelica…" He hesitated, looking at her with curiosity. "Youe from an affluent family, right? So why don''t you have those fancy gears and weapons like the others? And why work so hard to pass the tests when your family could easily buy you a good score?"


    Angelica''s fork paused mid-air, her eyes darkening as she set it down. David shot Sebastian a re, his expression hardening. "What? I''m just asking," Sebastian muttered, shifting ufortably under David''s stare.


    A heavy silence stretched between them before Angelica spoke, her voice quiet but firm. "Just because I have theirst name doesn''t mean I''m part of the family."


    Sebastian blinked, confusion clouding his features. "What do you mean?"


    Angelica sighed, her eyes distant. "Haven''t you been at this academy long enough to hear the rumors?" she asked, her voice almost bitter.


    "No. I used to attend the Arc 1 mutant academy. I got transferred here just a few weeks ago," Sebastian exined, curiosity piqued.


    "And you haven''t heard anything about me?" she pressed, a hint of surprise in her tone.


    Sebastian shook his head. "No. What rumors?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A faint, humorless smile tugged at Angelica''s lips.


    "I guess they finally stopped talking about it." She took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on a spot in the distance. "I was disowned by my family after awakening a lightning ability instead of an ice ability. Every member of my family has an ice ability—it''s what they''re known for. When I turned out different, I was deemed a disgrace. A failure. They banished me." She picked up a small piece of bread, chewing slowly as if to mask the raw emotion in her voice.


    Sebastian''s eyes widened. "So you''re the one everyone wouldn''t stop talking about…" he blurted out, then immediately regretted it as Angelica''s cheeks flushed.


    "Rx, I''m just teasing," he added quickly, offering a small, apologetic smile. "I get it. My family treats me like an outcast too. My younger siblings are stronger than me, so they don''t even see me as their son anymore. Their focus is on them, not me. That''s why I train so hard—to prove I''m not the trash they think I am."


    Angelica''s eyes softened. "It must be hard, living under the same roof with people who don''t love you," she said quietly.


    Sebastian nodded, a shadow passing over his face. "Yeah. It''s worse than you think. But I''ve learned to stop caring and focus on getting stronger. That''s all that matters now."


    Angelica smiled faintly, nodding in understanding. The table fell into silence again, each lost in their own thoughts. Angelica kept ncing toward the cafeteria entrance, her worry growing with each passing minute.


    Several minutes dragged by, and still, there was no sign of Vic or Ss. The pit in her stomach deepened. Something was wrong. She could feel it.


    "They should be here by now," she said, pushing her tray aside and standing abruptly. "Something''s wrong."


    "Where are you going?" Sebastian asked, rising to his feet.


    "I''m checking their rooms. Are youing?" she called over her shoulder, already moving. David and Sebastian exchanged a nce before hurrying after her, their footsteps echoing through the cafeteria.


    Before they reached the door, it swung open with a metallic ng. Two academy staff members stepped in, d in shiny silver armor that caught the light. Their presencemanded immediate attention, and the room fell silent.


    One of them cleared his throat, his voice booming across the cafeteria. "Attention, students! In less than an hour, you will all hear a signal. Once it sounds, you are to gather in the main assembly hall. Every single student must be present. Sir Dominic will be making a major announcement." His gaze swept over the room, lingering for a moment before he turned and exited.


    The tension in the room was palpable as murmurs erupted. Angelica exchanged a worried nce with David and Sebastian. The timing was too suspicious. Ss and Vic were missing, and now this sudden, urgent announcement. Something was definitely wrong.