8: Power Unleashed

The hallway was buzzing with the usual chaos of high school. The bell had just rung, and students poured out of classrooms, filling the space with the familiar hum of voices, laughter, and the clatter of lockers being slammed shut. Scott and I were walking toward the next class, as usual, but there was something different today—something simmering beneath the surface.

I could feel it.

Scott had been on edge lately, ever since that day in the woods. The weird howl, the sense that something was lurking just out of sight... it was all starting to feel less like coincidence and more like a warning. He had been quieter than usual, lost in his own thoughts, and I was starting to sense a tension growing between us, even though we hadn't talked about it. Not yet.

"Hey, you okay?" Scott asked, glancing at me as we walked past a group of students who were gossiping loudly.

"Yeah," I said, trying to shake off the feeling that something was off. "Just... you know. Stuff."

Scott raised an eyebrow. "Stuff? Like what?"

I shook my head, running a hand through my hair. "I don't know. I just... feel like something's changing, man. Like I'm not... I'm not me anymore."

Scott gave me a strange look. "You mean you're going through one of those 'teenage' phases? Because that would explain a lot."

I half-laughed, but it didn't make the feeling inside me go away. If anything, it grew stronger, like a pulse beneath my skin that I couldn't ignore. The world around me seemed sharper, more vivid than before. The buzz of voices was louder, the movement of people more pronounced. And then there were the dreams—the ones that left me waking up with a sense of unease I couldn't shake. The feeling of power, raw and untamed, coursing through me like electricity.

"Hey!" Stiles' voice broke through my thoughts as he popped up beside us. "What's up with you two? You're like zombies today."

Scott gave him a tight smile, but Stiles didn't seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on something down the hall.

"Stiles, what—"

Before I could finish, I felt the familiar, sharp sensation of a jolt of irritation shooting through me. The source? Lucas Greer. The guy was always looking for trouble, and today, he found it.

Lucas had been talking behind our backs for weeks, spreading rumors about Scott and me. And right now, he was walking by, smirking as he made some snide comment under his breath. I saw Scott's hands tighten into fists, his jaw clenching, but before he could say anything, Lucas brushed past us. That was when the surge of heat hit me—something primal, something... unstoppable.

Without thinking, I reached out and slammed my fist into the nearest locker. The sharp clang rang through the hallway, and in an instant, the locker's metal door caved in, leaving a noticeable dent.

The hallway went dead silent. I stood there, my fist still pressed against the locker, feeling a rush of adrenaline flood my system. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my mind raced. What the hell just happened?

"Whoa..." Stiles muttered, his eyes wide as he stared at the dent. "Did you just... do that?"

Scott was equally stunned, his gaze darting between me and the locker. "Did you... what the hell was that?"

I pulled my hand back quickly, trying to act like nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "I... I don't know. It was just... adrenaline. You know how it gets sometimes, right? Like, when you get pissed off and your heart races and—"

But even as I said the words, I could feel it deep down. That wasn't just adrenaline. That was something else.

Stiles blinked rapidly, glancing at the locker again. "Yeah, right. Just... adrenaline." He didn't sound convinced. "Because I've seen some crazy stuff, but that... that was something else."

"I said it was nothing, okay?" I snapped, a little more forcefully than I meant to. The words left my mouth before I could stop them, and I immediately regretted the tone. But the pressure was building inside me, making it hard to stay calm.

Scott stepped closer, his brows furrowed. "You didn't just dent that locker with your bare hand, man. What's going on? You're acting... weird. Different."

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words didn't come out. Instead, I felt something strange rise in me, something more visceral than any reaction I'd ever had before. My mind flashed back to those dreams—the ones where I was running through a forest, power surging through me, unstoppable and free. It was like something deep inside me was waking up. Something dangerous.

"Look, I—" I started, but I couldn't finish. The words stuck in my throat, and I turned away, unable to face Scott.

"Hey, man," Stiles said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You don't need to freak out. But whatever that was... it didn't feel like adrenaline. It felt like... power."

I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. "It was nothing. Really." I turned to Scott, hoping he would buy it. "I don't know why I did that. I just got mad, you know? And everything was too loud, and... I don't know. It just... happened."

Scott didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press it. Instead, he ran a hand through his hair, his face clouded with concern. "Just... be careful, alright? That was... it was a lot."

I nodded, though I didn't know if I was agreeing with him or just trying to convince myself. "Yeah, I'll be fine. It's not a big deal."

But the truth was, it was a big deal. Something had shifted inside me, and I didn't know how to control it. The power was there, like a tide, and it was rising, unstoppable. What was happening to me?

"Alright, well, I'm going to go grab my books for next class," Stiles said, his voice returning to its usual cheery tone. "Don't go destroying any more school property, okay? We still need to graduate." He shot me a grin, but there was a strange edge to it now, like he was trying to hide his own concern.

I watched him walk away, the knot in my stomach tightening with each step he took.

Scott stayed behind for a moment, looking at me with narrowed eyes. "You sure you're alright?"

I forced a smile, though it felt fake, even to me. "Yeah. Just... don't worry about it, okay?"

He didn't respond immediately, just stared at me for a long moment, like he was searching for something in my eyes. Finally, he sighed, shaking his head. "Alright. Just don't do that again."

"Yeah," I murmured, though I knew deep down that this wouldn't be the last time. I was only beginning to understand what was happening to me—and I was terrified that I wasn't ready for what was to come.

As I walked away, the weight of the power inside me pressed down harder, and I knew one thing for certain: whatever I was becoming, I had no idea how to stop it.