The return

A week passed slowly for Jacoby Morrison.

Being suspended meant staying home, grounded, and completely cut off from his phone. No TikTok. No messages. No way to talk to Matthew.

The only thing keeping Jacoby distracted during those days was the strange power inside him.

The black liquid energy had become slightly easier to control. Sometimes he could make it appear in small amounts, letting it drip from his palm before quickly wiping it away.

But the voice he heard that night… the presence… still lingered in the back of his mind.

Something ancient was watching.

Something powerful.

And it hadn’t fully revealed itself yet.

⸻

Monday morning finally arrived.

Jacoby stood outside the school gates, staring at the building.

His stomach churned with anxiety.

“Great,” he muttered quietly. “Back to this place…”

Students walked past him into the building like normal, chatting and laughing.

Some of them noticed Jacoby standing there.

A few whispered.

Others snickered.

Nothing had changed.

Jacoby sighed and walked inside.

The familiar hallway noise surrounded him immediately—lockers slamming, shoes squeaking across the floor, students talking loudly.

He kept his head down as he walked to class.

By the time he reached the door, the class had already started.

Of course.

He pushed the door open.

The teacher glanced up.

“Jacoby,” the teacher said. “Nice of you to join us.”

A few students snickered.

Jacoby gave a small shrug and walked to his desk.

Just another normal day of being late.

He dropped into his chair and leaned back slightly, staring at the desk in front of him.

For a few seconds, he didn’t notice anything unusual.

Then he felt someone looking at him.

Jacoby slowly raised his head.

The student sitting next to him smiled politely.

He had messy hair, kind eyes, and looked slightly nervous.

“Hey,” the boy whispered. “You must be Jacoby, right?”

Jacoby blinked.

“Uh… yeah?”

The boy rubbed the back of his neck.

“I’m new here. My name is Matthew—”

Jacoby immediately sat up straight.

His brain froze.

“Hi Matthew,” Jacoby started automatically. “My name is Jacoby Morri—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

His eyes widened.

“…Matthew?”

The realization hit him like a truck.

“WAIT.”

Jacoby stared at him.

“MATTHEW?!”

The boy looked confused for a second before recognition hit him too.

“Oh—”

Matthew blinked.

“Jacoby?!”

The two stared at each other in shock.

Matthew laughed quietly.

“I didn’t know you went to this school!”

Jacoby opened his mouth to respond—

But suddenly his voice came out different.

Instead of his usual tone, his voice became high-pitched and feminine, almost like a girl’s voice.

“H-hi Matthew!”

The classroom went silent for a moment.

Then a few students turned around.

Someone in the back snickered.

“Did his voice just—?”

“Why does he sound like that?”

A couple students made disgusted faces.

Jacoby’s cheeks immediately turned bright red.

He cleared his throat nervously.

“S-sorry,” he said quickly, his voice still unusually high. “My voice just… does that sometimes.”

More quiet laughter spread around the room.

Jacoby looked down at his desk, embarrassed.

Matthew frowned slightly and leaned closer.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Are you okay?”

Jacoby hesitated.

Then he sighed quietly.

“No…”

Matthew’s expression became serious.

“What happened?”

Jacoby glanced around the classroom.

Several students were still staring at him.

He leaned closer to Matthew and whispered.

“Everyone here has been bullying me.”

Matthew’s eyes hardened immediately.

“Who?”

Jacoby slowly lifted his hand and pointed across the room.

At the back of the class sat Carter, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin.

Carter noticed Jacoby pointing.

His grin widened.

Matthew followed Jacoby’s finger and locked eyes with Carter.

The atmosphere in the classroom suddenly felt heavier.

Matthew’s friendly expression vanished.

His voice lowered.

“Got it.”

He turned back to Jacoby.

“Don’t worry.”

Matthew cracked his knuckles quietly.

“I’ll deal with him.”

Jacoby blinked in surprise.

But something else stirred deep inside him at the same time.

That strange energy in his chest pulsed again.

Watching Carter smirk at him…

Watching the class laugh at him…

Jacoby’s fists slowly tightened under the desk.

And deep within him, the power of Amaterasu flickered like a rising sun.

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