Ethan didn't go home after school.
He couldn't.
Not today.
His legs carried him automatically through empty streets, past fading sunlight and drifting shadows. Every step felt heavier than the last, like something invisible was pulling at him from inside.
That moment in class… with Ryan…
It wouldn't leave his mind.
Ryan had looked at him with pure hostility—then suddenly backed off, as if his anger had evaporated.
Just like that.
No reason. No explanation.
Ethan stopped walking and leaned against a wall.
The street was quiet.
Too quiet.
"What did I do…?" he whispered.
He pressed a hand against his chest again.
Thump.
Thump.
Still normal.
But his thoughts weren't.
A memory flashed in his mind.
Ryan standing over him.
The tension rising.
The strange feeling building in his chest.
And then—
Silence.
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
"Was it… me?"
He shook his head immediately.
"No. That's impossible."
But even as he said it, doubt lingered.
Because deep inside, something felt… familiar about it.
Like his body had reacted before his mind could understand.
A soft breeze passed through the street, rustling scattered papers near his feet.
Ethan looked up.
The sky was turning orange.
Evening.
He sighed and started walking again.
"I need to stop thinking like this…"
But the more he tried to ignore it, the stronger the feeling became.
As if something inside him was responding to emotions around him.
Not just his own.
Others'.
By the time he reached his neighborhood, the sun had nearly disappeared.
His small apartment building stood quietly among taller, newer buildings. It looked forgotten—just like him.
Ethan entered without greeting anyone.
Inside, everything was still.
Silent.
Safe.
Or at least, it should have been.
But tonight, even silence felt strange.
He dropped his bag beside the bed and sat down heavily.
His eyes drifted to his hands.
They looked the same.
Normal.
Human.
But what if they weren't?
"What am I becoming…?"
The question lingered in the air.
Then—
A knock.
Ethan froze.
No one ever visited him.
Ever.
He stood slowly, moving toward the door.
"…Who is it?" he called out cautiously.
Silence.
Then—
"Ethan."
His heart skipped slightly.
That voice.
He knew it.
He opened the door.
And there she was.
Lena Hart.
Standing casually outside his apartment like she belonged there.
Ethan blinked in disbelief.
"What are you doing here?" he asked quickly.
Lena gave a small shrug. "You left school suddenly. I was worried."
Ethan's grip tightened slightly on the door handle.
"You followed me… all the way here?"
"It wasn't hard," she said calmly. "You walk like you're trying to disappear."
Ethan looked away.
"…I'm fine."
Lena didn't move.
Instead, she studied him carefully.
Not in a judging way.
In a curious way.
Like she was trying to understand something she couldn't see.
"You're not fine," she said softly.
Ethan frowned slightly. "Why do you care?"
That question hung between them.
For a moment, Lena didn't answer.
Then she stepped slightly closer.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But something about you feels… different."
Ethan's chest tightened.
Danger.
That feeling returned.
Soft at first.
Then stronger.
He could feel her emotions now—clearly.
Concern.
Curiosity.
And something else…
Warmth.
His breath slowed.
The air around them felt heavier again.
Lena tilted her head slightly.
"Ethan?"
He snapped out of it.
"I… I told you I'm fine," he said quickly.
But his voice wasn't steady.
Because he felt it again.
That ripple.
Spreading outward.
The hallway lights flickered slightly.
Lena noticed.
"…Did you see that?" she asked.
Ethan didn't respond.
He couldn't.
Because now he was sure.
It wasn't random.
It was happening because of him.
Lena stepped back slightly, glancing around the hallway.
"Your building is kind of old," she said lightly, breaking the tension. "Feels like it could collapse any second."
Ethan let out a short breath—almost a laugh.
"Yeah. It matches me."
Lena turned back to him immediately.
"That's not funny."
The seriousness in her voice caught him off guard.
Ethan looked at her.
She wasn't smiling anymore.
"I don't like when people talk about themselves like that," she added.
Silence.
Ethan didn't know what to say.
No one had ever said something like that to him before.
Not seriously.
Not like it mattered.
A strange feeling rose in his chest again.
But this time…
It wasn't chaotic.
It was warm.
Steady.
And for a moment, everything around them softened.
The hallway noise faded.
Even the distant city sounds seemed quieter.
Lena blinked.
"…Did it just get quieter?"
Ethan's eyes widened slightly.
He stepped back.
"I think you should go," he said quickly.
Lena frowned. "Why?"
"Because…" Ethan hesitated. "Because I'm not normal."
That sentence finally broke the air between them.
Lena stared at him.
But instead of fear…
There was curiosity again.
Even stronger than before.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Ethan looked down.
His hands were trembling slightly now.
"I don't know what's happening to me," he admitted quietly. "But when I feel something strongly… things around me change."
Lena didn't laugh.
She didn't dismiss him.
She just listened.
"…Change how?" she asked.
Ethan hesitated.
Then spoke.
"People… act differently. Emotions shift. It's like…" He paused, searching for words. "Like I'm touching them without touching them."
Silence.
Lena studied him carefully.
Then she said something unexpected.
"Show me."
Ethan looked up sharply.
"What?"
"Do it again," she said calmly. "If it's real… show me."
Ethan shook his head immediately.
"No. I can't control it."
Lena stepped closer again.
"Then try."
Their eyes met.
For the first time, Ethan didn't look away immediately.
Something in her expression… wasn't fear.
It was trust.
Or maybe something close to it.
Ethan swallowed.
"I don't know what will happen," he warned.
"That's fine," Lena said softly. "I'm still here."
Those words hit him harder than expected.
Still here.
No one ever stayed near him like this.
Not willingly.
Ethan closed his eyes slowly.
He focused.
On her presence.
On the feeling of being seen.
And somewhere deep inside—
Something responded.
A pulse.
Slow.
Then stronger.
The air shifted again.
The hallway lights flickered once more.
Lena's breath caught slightly.
"…Ethan?"
He opened his eyes.
And saw it.
Her expression had changed.
Not dramatically.
But subtly.
Calmer.
Warmer.
Like something inside her had softened without permission.
Ethan took a step back immediately.
"No…" he whispered. "I didn't mean to—"
But Lena raised a hand slightly.
"Wait," she said.
She touched her chest lightly.
"…I feel… lighter."
Ethan froze.
That was it.
Confirmation.
Absolute confirmation.
His power wasn't just real.
It responded to emotion.
And it affected others.
Lena looked at him again.
This time, more seriously.
"Ethan," she said quietly, "what exactly are you?"
Ethan couldn't answer.
Because for the first time in his life…
He didn't know.