The morning light streamed through the curtains, painting Jason's room in warm gold. He sat on the edge of his bed, stretching his arms, letting the stiffness of sleep fade before reaching lazily for the remote. The TV flickered to life, filling the quiet room with a low hum.
So much for reducing screen time.
Beside him, Jay crunched through his food, his small paws tapping rhythmically against the floor. Jason absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair, longer now than it had ever been. He really needed a trim—but for some reason, he hesitated.
Elyse had already left that morning.
She had been up before sunrise, double-checking her documents, making sure everything for her college enrollment was in place. Jason had offered to help, but she had waved him off with a determined shake of her head.
"I got this. I don't need you holding my hand," she had said, stuffing her last notebook into her bag. But then, as if realizing how final her words sounded, she softened.
"Meet me tonight, okay? At Robert's place. Anywhere Door, remember?"
Jason had promised. He never broke promises to Elyse.
But before leaving, she had lingered at his doorway, arms crossed, her expression unusually serious.
"Jason, go to the temple or church or something, I insist. Get some blessings, take some advice for the recent paranormal stuff."
Her voice had been firm, but there was something else beneath it—something deeper. Concern.
Jason had scoffed at the time. "You know I don't do visiting religious places."
Elyse just exhaled, shaking her head. "I know you don't. But maybe you should."
Jason had laughed it off, but now, in the quiet of his room, her words settled over him like an itch he couldn't scratch.
It wasn't about faith. It wasn't about him. It was about her.
Elyse believed in these things. Not in a naive, blind way, but in a way that made her Elyse. She saw strength in tradition, in rituals, in things Jason had long since brushed off as superstition.
And yet…
She had never asked him for anything like this before.
Her visit had lasted five days—five long, eventful days. And in that time, something had shifted.
Jason could feel it.
His body felt different. His strength, his endurance… something in him was changing. It wasn't just in his muscles, in the way he moved—it was deeper. The longer his hair grew, the stronger it became, as if something was being woven into him strand by strand.
Maybe I really am a modern-age Samson…
The thought made him chuckle, but then another voice—one from his past—slipped into his mind.
His mother's voice.
"Jason, never forget where your strength comes from. It is not just your body, but your will."
He frowned. When was the last time he called her?
Shit.
Jason grabbed his phone, dialing quickly. It rang twice before she picked up.
"Jason, finally! Do you even remember you have a mother?"
Her voice was warm but laced with that distinct motherly I-will-guilt-you-into-submission tone.
Jason braced himself. "Hey, Ma."
"What's this? My son suddenly remembers I exist?"
"Come on, it hasn't been that long—"
"Three weeks and four days."
Jason winced. "You counted?"
"I count everything, Jason. Now tell me, are you eating properly? Sleeping enough? Do you need anything?"
Jason answered automatically—yes, yes, no—but his mind was elsewhere.
Something was wrong with him.
There were moments—fleeting, disjointed—where it felt as if someone else was inside his body, moving his limbs, making choices without his knowledge. A vision—something blurred, distant, and out of reach—kept flashing through his mind. It never lasted long enough for him to make sense of it, but each time, it left a strange, hollow feeling in his chest.
And more than that… he was worried about Elyse.
She wasn't just his sister. She was the person who mattered most. The one he had always protected. The one he had once broken a guy's hand for after a single offhand remark.
If she saw him like this—distracted, unsure, changing—would she worry?
No.
He wouldn't let that happen.
"Jason?"
His mother's voice pulled him back.
"Yeah?"
"Take care of yourself."
Jason swallowed. "I will."
As the call ended, the TV continued its steady stream of morning news.
"Early this morning, a warehouse storing gunpowder near the forest park area was detonated by police officials. Authorities confirm there was no civilian threat. In other news, the International Space Council announces the launch of its latest Mars colony module, marking another milestone in humanity's expansion beyond Earth in 2030."
Jason frowned. An explosion? Maybe that was what they had heard last night.
Another report followed immediately.
"Additionally, a surge of fake videos has been flooding the internet, causing widespread misinformation. Experts warn against believing unverified content."
Jason exhaled sharply.
The world never changes, does it?
He pushed himself up from the bed, stretching, his joints cracking lightly. He had other things to worry about.
Today, he was training the new recruits at the office.
Time to focus.
---
"It was around midnight—maybe a little past twelve. A man… tall, fit, wearing a hood. He came whistling, just pushing a trolley under the streetlight. He left it there and walked towards me, slowly. He asked, 'Where's the nearest public toilet?'"
The witness, a scrawny man in his late twenties, sat at the police station, his fingers twitching against the table. His eyes darted between the officers.
"I couldn't see his face properly, but he looked like some rich guy. The way he walked… I got scared. Thought he might run me over with a car or—" He gulped, lowering his voice. "—kidnap me for my organs. So I ran."
That was the only testimony they had.
And then, there was July.