JINX

J - "Phantom" - Referring to a supernatural or elusive being that is difficult to comprehend or identify.

I - "Incognito" - Denoting an entity that conceals its true nature or purpose, often to remain unrecognized or mysterious.

N - "Nebulous" - Describing an entity that is vague, indistinct, or lacking clear definition or boundaries.

X - "Xenomorph" - A term used to depict an extraterrestrial creature or life form that is unknown or unfamiliar to human understanding.

This acronym, JINX, encapsulates various aspects of entities or beings that are unidentified, mysterious, and beyond conventional understanding.

That's how they explained it to me, but all I could think about at the time was how or why they put J and phantom together. For real, it makes no sense.

I guess they just really wanted to use the acronym, but all it does is tell you how little they know about this thing so...yeah, it still makes no sense. They might as well have labeled it X. 

"As you can probably tell...we know nothing about it, not it's motives or reality of origin." Zeus admitted, "Except that it breaches the fabric of time everytime it comes to possess you, all of you."

"What does that mean?" 

I asked, trying to get him to explain a little further.

He clapped his hands and the holograms reformed into four large circles rising on top of one another around us. 

"You're interested? Good," Zeus said, "Here's what we do know." 

Apparently, JINX is an entity with the power to break through realities, to break through time. Time is the fourth dimension of the universe. 

If one could concoct some way to manipulate it they could travel anywhere in space, that's to say between realities. Space is dependent on time to continue to exist, everything you see and touch grows, changes, dies and develops over time. 

If time stopped, so too would continuity. Then comes the end.

Zeus used the rings to explain to me that there are actually four true realities, the ones that began. 

He said that they are the original realities that are permitted to exist and that due to JINX's interference, multiple branch realities were begining to grow.

They labled these branch realities Betas and the true ones Alphas.

The Beta realities could connect to the other Alpha realities and disrupt what is called Eternal Recurrence. 

Basically, all the events happening in those Alpha realities were set to happen over and over and over again. But he didn't explain why, just that it had to happen that way or all realities would come undone. 

His plan to catch JINX sounded like a first draft though. By possessing all of us, JINX had created alternate timelines that were not supposed to happen which led Zeus to believe that he might be searching for a host. 

So, all of us illusions were candidates, and in the past eight years I was the only one who showed any promise. To make us combatible with evil, they had to make us evil. They believed that the most compatible candidate would become its host and lead them straight to its true being somewhere in the multiverse. 

"You're the key to catching JINX. You get revenge for your parents and we save the universe. Win win." Zeus offered, "It's a pretty sweet deal, don't you think?"

Was everything he had just told me bullshit? Absolutely. Did I buy it? Heck yeah, didn't even ask for change. 

To be honest though, it wasn't about my parents anymore. When I agreed, I thought it would make the nightmares go away, that if I caught who was truly to blame then the guilt would finally go away. I just needed something, anything that could prove that I didn't do it.

And besides, I had nothing left to lose. Sure, these people used us, killed most of us and are trying to turn us into monsters. But the world had already done the same, there's no point in fighting it.

Afterwards, my training was with Bishop directly and he pulled no punches. I had 10 times as many bruises after every sparring session, and like they wanted, I began to hate him. 

Everyone kept a distance from me and still looked at me like I was the villain, but the thought of finally avenging my parents kept me distracted. 

My dosage of pills was reduced to only once in the morning, then brutal training throughout the day. I only got to eat if I laid at least one punch on Bishop, but sometimes I'd be so hurt that I wouldn't be able to open my mouth. 

Anger, exhaustion, hatred, fear, became all I experienced 24/7 and they showed themselves in my shadow. I was avoided for a different reason now, no one could tell if I was alive or dead. After a month, neither could I. 

There were no signs of JINX or the dream version of me, but I could now go one on one with Bishop without losing my footing. I was on a different level compared to the others, and they hated that too. 

Especially Shark'o, he still thought I had to pay for what I did to El. I heard from the whispers that he was now the strongest in combat class, but he never got promoted to the second stage of the program. 

Jealousy piled on top of a grudge, he wasn't what you'd call a fan. Sometimes I'd catch him glaring at me during meals as I sat alone on my table, but Sive would always tap his shoulder to get him to turn away. 

But he seemed more mad at Shark'o for some reason, he looked jealous. I thought to myself. 

I couldn't understand it so I started paying more attention to them, I'd stare at Shark'o every chance I got and he'd glare at me. It was like a game to me as I tried to understand what Sive was thinking. 

Everytime, Shark'o would get a kick in the leg of palm slap from Sive and it'd make me laugh, or at least grin.

Then it hit me...like a lightning bolt, it suddenly just clicked one day. I mean, I knew about Sive but holy shit, Shark'o was gay too?

Yes, I realize that took me way too long to figure out...but that's not important right now. 

I don't know why I pictured them kissing at that moment but Shark'o's glare was suddenly not that serious. I mean, he should thank me, at least they had the room to themselves now. 

But then something else crossed my mind, maybe Shark'o hated me so much because he had some sort of crush on El? Holy damn, I thought that's gotta be it. 

After that, reading people became my new favorite passtime. By the end of the second month I knew almost everyone's names. I found joy in the simplest things. 

I paid close attention to what they said during meals. When you're lonely, I mean really lonely, you'd do just about anything to keep your sanity. 

For me, pretending I was part of them worked. They didn't even know I was there but I laughed at all their jokes. I became really good at listening. Sure it made me feel a little left out but it was good. It also helped me relax after a long day of supernatural ass whooping.

But it never changed my nightly routine. The blood was still very much real...and the corpses still talked beside me when everyone else went silent. Yup, my schizophrenia still held strong.

For those who may not know, Schizophrenia is a mental illness that causes the patient to have both vusual and auditorial hallucinations.

Simply put, I finally accepted that I was nuts. After the fight, my dead parents stuck around, but I made it a point to not let anyone see. I want to give them another reason to treat me like a desease. 

Days went by like this, and on day 45 of the second stage of the program, a new candidate arrived. She was set to arrive just a week after my fight with El but I guess something happened. 

I layed one eye on her and thought to myself, holy shit, I've been jinxed. Pun intended.