The Heart of the Underdog

The next day at school, Sid and Remond were sitting on the same bench in their classroom.

Sid glanced at Remond from the corner of his eye. His friend seemed oddly distracted—his gaze unfocused, posture more slouched than usual. Something was definitely off. Sid suspected it might have something to do with the serum bottle they'd lost the day before. He frowned, tapping his pen against the desk in thought. Maybe he just needs time to process everything, Sid reasoned. Pushing him now might only make things worse.

When the bell rang for the tiffin break, Remond stood up without a word and silently walked out of the classroom. Sid watched him go, concern flickering in his eyes, but he chose not to follow.

Meanwhile, Remond made his way to the bathroom, his steps heavy—not from physical exhaustion but from the storm of thoughts swirling in his mind. His chest felt tight as if the weight of what had happened the previous day was finally catching up to him.

Leaning over the sink, he stared at his reflection in the mirror. The face staring back at him wasn't the same calm and collected one he was used to. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he clenched the edge of the sink.

"Huh… what the hell is happening to me?" he muttered, his voice low and strained.

He splashed cold water on his face, trying to snap himself out of it, but the unease lingered. His thoughts turned inward, replaying everything in vivid detail—the attack, the broken serum bottle, the strange sensations in his body.

"My body…" he whispered, almost afraid to say it out loud. "It feels like it's storing energy or something." His voice trembled, laced with disbelief and an undercurrent of awe. "But how? Is this because of the serum?"

Images of the serum spilling over him flashed in his mind, making his stomach churn. Shaking his head, he tried to push the thoughts away, but curiosity gnawed at him. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing as a dangerous thought crossed his mind.

"Let's test this," he murmured to himself, his voice tinged with both hesitation and excitement.

Before he could second-guess himself, he swung his fist at the bathroom wall with all the strength he could muster.

CRACK!

The sound reverberated through the small space. Remond froze, his heart pounding in his chest. His breath hitched as he stared at the large crack spreading across the wall.

"Wow," he gasped, taking a step back. His wide eyes reflected a mix of fear and exhilaration. "Did I really crack the wall? That's insane. Oh God…"

Adrenaline coursed through him, but a wave of panic soon followed. He gripped the edge of the sink tightly, his knuckles white. "Okay, calm down," he muttered, forcing himself to breathe evenly. "I need to figure this out before I lose control completely."

The sound of approaching footsteps snapped him out of his thoughts. Someone entered the bathroom, their gaze immediately locking onto the cracked wall.

"What the—?!" the newcomer stammered, their voice filled with shock.

Panic surged through Remond like a jolt of electricity. "Oh, uh… I just noticed that!" he blurted out, his voice awkward and unconvincing. He plastered a wide-eyed expression of feigned surprise, hoping it would be enough to fool them.

The person frowned, clearly suspicious but didn't press further before leaving. Remond let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his damp hair. That was too close.

Later, the incident was reported to the Headmaster. Though Remond wasn't directly implicated, he couldn't shake the feeling of dread that hung over him. "Phew… that was a close call," he muttered under his breath, relief and guilt swirling inside him. "I just avoided a big fine. I need to be more careful from now on."

As he walked back to class, his thoughts churned with worry. Even though I seem to have powers like some kind of superhero, I can't let anyone find out. It's all because of that serum.

He frowned, his pace slowing as darker thoughts crept in. If this gets out, they'll come after me. Worse, my family might be dragged into this.

He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if they no longer belonged to him. "My family's already sacrificed so much just to give me a decent life," he murmured, his voice heavy with gratitude and guilt. "I can't let anything happen to them. Not because of me."

Stopping for a moment, he looked up at the sky, its calm expanse at odds with the turmoil in his heart. Letting out a long breath, he tried to push the thoughts away. "Let's just forget it for now," he said to himself, forcing a small, rueful smile. "I still have two more classes. I better hurry."

With that, he quickened his pace, slipping back into the familiar rhythm of school life—at least on the surface. Deep down, he knew nothing would ever be the same again.