Chapter 3 - The Echo

"Welcome to The Echo, Ethan," the voice said again. It was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It had an ethereal quality to it that made him shiver.

Ethan took a moment to scan his surroundings once more, his confusion deepening. The room seemed to stretch into infinity, glowing with a gentle luminescence that gave it an otherworldly feel.

"It looks like a dream," he muttered, half to himself.

"Or a nightmare, depending on your perspective," the voice replied. Its tone retained an unnerving calmness, making the sarcastic quip feel out of place.

Ethan managed a weak chuckle, "Well, I'm no stranger to nightmares." He went silent for a moment, then arched an eyebrow, "So what's the deal with this place? You got any grub? Some bandages perhaps?"

The voice ignored his flippant tone. "Unfortunately, The Echo cannot provide physical sustenance or aid. It is... an intangible space."

Ethan sighed in frustration, running his fingers through his curly hair. His fingers brushed against the spot where the glass had been embedded and found it smooth and unblemished. "An intangible space, huh? That's a new one." He paused for a moment, taking stock of his situation before continuing, "So, what now?"

"Now," the voice said, "You have an opportunity."

Ethan raised his eyebrows, a ghost of his usual smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, an opportunity? Well we all know how well those usually go for me."

Ignoring Ethan's sarcasm, the voice continued, "The Echo provides you with a chance to alter the outcomes you regret most."

Ethan's smirk faded. His mind flooded with memories he'd rather forget - Anya's abrupt departure, Jax's betrayal... The choices he had made and the consequences he bore. He shook his head as if to clear it of these thoughts. "And what does that entail exactly?" He asked.

"The Echo allows you to make a quick growth and become an entirely new person" the voice explained.

"So I can become someone else? Someone...better?" Ethan questioned, a strange mix of skepticism and hope mingling in his tone.

"More precisely," the voice intoned, "you can become who you choose to be. The Echo gives the opportunity to guide your metamorphosis, to change the course of your story."

Ethan fell silent, absorbing the strange concept. He looked down at his hands, flexing them thoughtfully. "And what's the catch?" He asked, wary. "There's always a catch."

"The Echo can indeed change you," the voice continued calmly, "but it cannot change others or the world beyond this zone. You will return to your life, but you will be changed in ways you choose."

"Sounds like an empty promise," Ethan said skeptically, squinting against the soft blue light.

"It is not a promise," the voice replied patiently. "It is an opportunity. An opportunity for growth and transformation. It is ultimately your choice whether to take it, or to remain as you are."

Ethan looked around the room, his gaze wandering over the ethereal landscape. He could feel the beat of his heart reverberating in his chest.

Unlike the chaotic rhythm prior to his arrival here, it was now steady. A rhythm that bespoke life, not a desperate fight against death.

"Let me get this straight," he began, "I've got a chance to change myself – to get rid of the regrets and... become a different person?"

"Indeed," confirmed the voice.

"And there's no catch? No price I'll have to pay later on?"

"There is no hidden cost," it replied. "The only requirement is your desire for change and your active participation in the process."

Ethan was silent, mulling over the words. The Echo presented an opportunity he never thought he'd have - a chance to shed his past mistakes and perceived shortcomings.

"After all," he mused aloud, "what have I got to lose?"

"Precisely," the voice replied, almost smug.

Ethan chuckled, shaking his head at the oddity of the situation.

"Alright," he finally said, "I'll bite. Let's do this thing."

He was met with silence. He waited for a moment before looking around, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Hello?" he called out, "Did I break you?"

"No," the voice finally responded. Its tone was different now - warmer, somehow. "Your willingness has been noted. The process will begin shortly."

Ethan blinked at the sudden shift in atmosphere. The blue glow surrounding him seemed to pulse brighter for a moment before slowly dimming into a gentle lullaby of light.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'shortly'?" he asked, but was met with silence.

As the light continued to dim around him, Ethan found himself overcome with an unexpected wave of calm. His heart rate slowed, and his breathing fell into rhythm with the pulsating light.

He felt a strange sensation, as if the fabric of reality around him was gently reshaping itself.

"Ready?" The voice asked, now softer yet somehow more insistent.

Ethan chuckled again, humor dancing in his voice despite the bizarre circumstances. "As ready as I'll ever be," he responded. The chuckle slowly turned into a sigh. He ran a hand through his curly hair and closed his eyes, awaiting whatever came next.

There was a moment of intense stillness, followed by a sensation Ethan could only describe as falling - but not downwards. It was as if he was falling sideways, through time and space, through reality itself.

It was disorienting, exhilarating, and oddly peaceful all at once.

When he finally opened his eyes again, the ethereal blue light had completely faded away. Rubbing his eyes, Ethan sat up to find himself in a familiar setting: his room.

For a moment, he just stared at his surroundings, half-expecting the walls to suddenly melt away and reveal another bizarre landscape. But no, it was definitely his room – the worn-out posters on the wall, the dated band t-shirts slung over the chair, even the coffee stain on his rug. It was all painfully familiar.

Ethan pulled himself to his feet, wincing as his muscles complained. He moved slowly to the mirror hanging on his wall, looking at his reflection critically. He was still himself - there was no noticeable change.

"Did it work?" He asked aloud, half expecting a response from the silence of his room. The lack of reply wasn't surprising. Perhaps he had just experienced some wild hallucination, a product of a stressed and overactive imagination.

"Blake, Jax, Anya… I will have to deal with you all again", Cole says to himself.

"Wait… How did I get in my room? Perhaps everything that happened was a dream? Yeah, it was very sad to be real. Anya is waiting for me in Blackwoods Academy, I know it."

Just then, the door creaked open, flooding the room with warm morning light. His mother appeared in the doorway.

"Ethan," she began, her voice filled with excitement. "I came to tell you some news."

The sight of his mother and the familiarity of his musty room grounded him momentarily. School, he remembered. He was supposed to get ready for school.

"Mmm?" Ethan replied distractedly, reaching for his old pair of jeans draped over a chair.

"Your brother," his mother continued, beaming. "He won that prestigious drawing contest! Can you believe it? They called this morning."

His mother's joy echoed through the room, but Ethan barely registered it.

His mind was too preoccupied with the looming dread of facing another day at Blackwoods Academy. He managed a half-hearted "That's great, mom," before shoving his legs into his jeans.

He knew he should be happier for his brother, but right now there were bigger fish to fry. Like how he was going to face Jax and Blake – the tormentors who had made every single day in that school a nightmare for him.

Ethan hurriedly pulled on a faded band t-shirt and rammed his feet into worn out sneakers. He grabbed his backpack and flew down the stairs two steps at a time. .

He stepped out of his home and closed the door with a soft click before inhaling deeply. He started walking towards school, taking in the sights and sounds of the neighborhood around him.

Ignoring the burning pit in his stomach, he trudged on towards school, his mind cluttered with thoughts of what-ifs and should-haves. Despite the dread, a small, defiant part of him started to kindle hopes of standing up to his bullies this time around.

Walking into Blackwoods Academy was like stepping onto a battlefield for Ethan. It was a place of victory and defeat; love and hate; brutality and compassion. As he moved through the crowded halls towards his locker, he noticed something peculiar.

His bullies - Jax and Blake – were looking at him with mixed expressions of anger and curiosity.

Ethan blinked in surprise when Jax approached him, his brawny frame casting a menacing shadow.

"Cole," Jax began, his voice as abrasive as gravel. He leaned against the locker next to Ethan's, folding his arms across his broad chest with a scornful smirk on his face. "Thought you'd have the sense to play hooky today."

Ethan swallowed down his fear, clutching his backpack straps so tightly that his knuckles turned pale. "What do you want, Jax?" he responded, attempting to keep his voice steady.

Jax didn't reply immediately, instead scrutinizing Ethan with an intensity that made the latter's pulse quicken. Jax's stare felt cold and predatory. Ethan hated how it sent shivers crawling down his spine.

Just as the silence became unbearable, Jax spoke again, "You look different...like you've seen a ghost or something." His tone was laced with mockery, his eyes glinting with amusement.

Ethan forced himself to maintain eye contact, ignoring the prickly heat creeping up his neck. "Guess I've been hanging out in graveyards too much," he retorted, the sarcasm dripping from each syllable.

He could see a flicker of surprise cross Jax's face at his uncharacteristic defiance. But it vanished as quickly as it had come, replaced by an expression that only spelled trouble for Ethan.

"Do remember Victor?" Jax asked, leaning closer, his voice dropping to a foreboding whisper. His breath smelt strongly of mint, probably from the gum he was continuously gnawing on.

Ethan's heart pounded harder against his chest. He knew where this was going.

Victor - his best friend who had to change schools because of the relentless bullying he faced at the hands of these monsters.

Ethan's grip around his bag handle tightened, a surge of anger washing over him. "What about him?" he asked through gritted teeth.

A cruel smirk played on Jax's lips as he leaned back against the locker, looking down at Ethan with a malevolent glint in his eyes.

"I'm just saying, you might want to get friendly with the idea of switching schools too." There was no mirth in his laughter, only an icy threat that promised more hardship for Ethan.

Ethan swallowed hard, memories of Victor's tear-streaked face flooding his mind. How he had cried in Ethan's arms, promising to stay in touch even after changing schools, away from their tormenting hell.

And now Jax was suggesting Ethan was going to tread the same path.

The burning pit in his stomach flared up again as he met Jax's gaze with a defiant glare. Aware of the mounting attention from their classmates due to Jax's raised voice, Ethan steadied his breathing and forced a smile onto his face.

"Oh, I see," he said lightly, tilting his head a little as if considering Jax's words.

"Maybe you should try it. Switching schools, I mean. We could really use a break from your delightful presence." Ethan's voice rang out clear and defiant in the hallway, the sarcasm coming off him in waves.

His heart was pounding against his ribs, but there was a strange thrill to standing up to Jax, a sense of satisfaction that came with looking him in the eye and not blinking.

For a moment, stunned silence reigned in the corridor as Jax stared at him in disbelief. Blake, leaning casually against a locker nearby, dropped his jaw slightly while Anya's eyes widened with surprise.

The moment passed quickly and Jax's face twisted into an ugly snarl as he lunged forward, slamming Ethan hard against the lockers. The impact sent a painful jolt through his body and he struggled to keep from cringing.

The cruel grin on Jax's face faded into a dangerous scowl as he locked eyes with Ethan. "You're amusing yourself now, are you?" he hissed, his face mere inches from Ethan's.

His breath reeked of stale coffee and mint gum, a nauseating combination that made Ethan's stomach churn. "You're going to pay for that."

Ethan, gasping for breath, managed to summon up a weak chuckle. "Really? I didn't think you accepted credit cards."

Laughter spilled from some of the surrounding lockers. Blake shifted uneasily, glancing at Jax then away again. Even Anya looked uncertain, her eyes flicking between the two boys.

Jax's grip on Ethan's collar tightened as his face twisted into an enraged sneer. "You think this is a joke, loser?" he spat, thrusting Ethan back against the lockers once more.

"You're dead, you are hearing me? You are dead!", Jax says, his voice echoing through the suddenly quiet corridor.

Ethan could hear the intake of breath from their captive audience. His heart pounded like a wild drum in his chest, but he refused to let Jax see fear in his eyes.

Before he could muster a response, the shrill blare of the school's warning bell cut through the tension-filled silence. Blinking in surprise, Jax released Ethan abruptly and stepped back. Ethan stumbled forward, gasping for air and rubbing at his sore collarbone.

"Think you got away this time, Cole," Jax growled under his breath, glaring daggers at Ethan. "Wait until after school. You'll be begging for mercy."

Ethan didn't know why he was talking back to Jax. It was like some unknown power was helping him.

As Jax and Blake turned to leave, Ethan watched them go with a lump forming in his throat. Their predatory smiles would haunt him, he realized with a shudder. But he was resolute.

He was aware of the eyes that lingered on him. Some were filled with awe, some with sympathy, and others with a newfound respect that warmed something deep within Ethan's chest. As if for the first time, he felt like he had a voice that mattered. Like his words could hold weight and influence the world around him.

"Thanks for the advice, Jax," Ethan called out after them, his voice laced with a quiet confidence that hadn't been there before. "But I think I'll stick around."

The hallway burst into hushed whispers as soon as Ethan finished speaking. He caught sight of Anya pressed against her locker, wide-eyed and awestruck.

Her gaze made his heart flutter, but he swallowed the feeling down. He had bigger battles to fight.

After everyone dissipated, Ethan found himself back against his locker, his body still trembling from the adrenaline. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and closed his eyes for a moment, reaching up to touch the tender area where Jax's hands had gripped him.

Ethan knew he'd have a bruise there in the morning, a reminder of Jax's threat. But it would also serve as a symbol of his resilience, his unwillingness to be bullied.

It would be a badge of honor, a testament to his bravery in the face of adversity.

With the memory of Jax's ominous threat still lingering in his mind, Ethan steeled himself for what was to come.

He knew he would have to confront his nemesis again after school, but he was no longer afraid.

The mere thought of Jax and Blake no longer provoked fear but stirred a sense of defiance within him.

The next hours passed in a blur of algebra equations and English literature, but Ethan's mind was far away, weaving strategies and calculating outcomes.

As the final bell rang at the end of the day, he stood up, prepared for whatever awaited him.

Outside the school gates, Jax and Blake were waiting. His heart pounded as he approached them, their confident smiles faltering somewhat upon seeing the determined set in Ethan's shoulders.

"You showed up," Blake sarcastically drawled out, his eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

"Chicken finally grew some feathers?" Jax sneered, his face contorting into a cruel smirk.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the school's front yard. The chilly wind ruffled Ethan's brown curls and brought a goosebump-inducing shiver to his body, but he was too focused on what was about to happen.

"Guess I did," Ethan responded coolly, returning their smirks with a smile of his own.

This wasn't the same weak, easily intimidated Ethan they were used to cornering. He was done playing the victim.

A shocked silence settled between them for a few heartbeats as they processed Ethan's confidence, before it was replaced by a ripple of laughter from Jax.

"Good one, loser," Jax chuckled, his laughter echoing hollowly in the empty schoolyard. "Just remember, you asked for this."

Ethan squared his shoulders and met the taller boy's gaze head-on. "I'm not asking for anything, Jax," he said evenly, "Just giving you what you deserve."

A gasp went through the small crowd that had gathered to watch the showdown. Jax's smirk faded into a scowl as he took a threatening step forward. Blake, meanwhile, lingered behind him, his face ashen and conflicted.

Before any further words could be thrown around, Ethan launched himself at Jax. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as their bodies collided, fists flying and grunts of effort filling the air.

This wasn't just about Ethan anymore, it was for every student who'd ever been belittled, mocked, and pushed around by the likes of Jax and Blake.

A strong right hook sent Ethan staggering back a step, lip split and blood trickling down his chin. He spat out a mouthful of bloodied spit onto the asphalt, a savage grin spreading across his face.

His brown eyes blazed with an indomitable spirit as he lunged back into the fray.

Despite Blake's initial reluctance to engage in the fight, he found himself being pulled into the chaos by Jax's insistence. He landed a few reluctant punches, but Ethan could see the hesitation in his eyes.

It fueled him further, solidifying his conviction that he was doing the right thing.

Gradually, however, Ethan started to lose ground. Each strike from Jax landed more heavily than the last. His vision blurred as a punch smashed into his left eye, the force of it causing him to stumble backward.

Another hard hit from Blake caused him to wince and gasp as a sharp pain shot through his rib cage, reminding him of the ruthlessness of his opponents.

He could hear the shocked gasps and murmurs from the crowd standing at a safe distance. One voice stood out among them, a girl's – probably that of Isa, who Ethan had always been fond of.

It bolstered him momentarily, but Jax and Blake were ruthless, and his strength was waning under their relentless barrage.

As Ethan grappled to stay upright, he tried to find an opening, a moment of respite to launch a counterattack.

But it seemed that Jax and Blake had a solid rhythm going, their punches landing in sync.

A particularly vicious punch from Jax had him seeing stars, his ears ringing as he staggered backward.

His back hit the school's brick wall, and he slumped down, clutching his side.

It was clear to everyone watching that he was on the losing end.

Jax and Blake moved in closer, their triumphant grins returning as they saw Ethan wavering.

Their laughter echoed around the empty schoolyard, each sound wave hitting Ethan like another punch.

In spite of it all, Ethan forced himself to stand upright again, wiping a smear of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. His brown eyes were dull but defiant as he met their gaze.

"I wish… I wish I had the power to defeat those two."

[Password accepted. Initiating system.]

Cole's voice trembled with confusion as he asked, "What is this voice?"

The words that followed were not spoken but appeared in his mind like a message from some unknown source.

[The echo's program...Ethan Cole...welcome to the system.]

As the crowd around him looked on in bewilderment, Ethan's own voice echoed out, "Where are you?"

Jax's sneering voice cut through the chaos, "Looks like someone got knocked senseless. Figures it would be you, loser."

But Ethan wasn't crazy. He was hearing a voice only he could hear. It spoke of quests and a system, offering to help him with an unseen power.

"You said 'password accepted'," Ethan interrupted. "Does that mean the password was 'power'? We can discuss this tutorial later, I need to take down those two first. Give me the help to do so."

[As you wish, Ethan Cole. Power-up incoming]

"Power-up?"