Chapter 3: Unbeatable, Unbreakable, Unimpressed

On Friday after class, I headed home with Ryan like usual.

The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. We walked past the soccer field, talking about nothing in particular.

Just outside the school gate, a group of students from another class in uniform surrounded us.

They looked serious—arms crossed, faces set. Ryan tensed up beside me.

I stayed cool. "Hey, guys, what’s up?"

I tried to sound casual, but my pulse was picking up. You never know what high school drama you’ll walk into.

The leader swaggered over, sounding hostile: "You’re Alex from Room 205?"

He sounded like he owned the place. I met his gaze, refusing to flinch.

I was about to snap back, but Ryan quickly grabbed me and whispered,

"Alex, don’t mess with him. That’s Brandon Yates, the school’s wrestling champ!" Wrestling champ? Now I was interested.

I quietly activated my power.

[Ding! You and Brandon Yates are now fifty-fifty!]

Suddenly, every muscle in my body was bursting with power.

It was like someone had poured liquid adrenaline into my veins. Let’s see what this feels like. My hands curled into fists, ready for anything.

"Brandon, right? What do you want?"

I kept my voice steady, refusing to show any nerves.

Brandon pointed at my nose and barked, "Alex, stay away from Katie Lin. Otherwise, every time I see you, I’ll beat you up!"

He said it like he was laying down the law. I just blinked, confused.

Katie Lin? Who’s that?

I looked at Ryan, who quickly explained,

"Katie’s in Room 204. She brought you cookies, man. Last week."

I said "oh," but honestly, I didn’t remember.

I racked my brain for a face, but all I could picture was a box of chocolate chip cookies. Typical.

A few girls from other classes had brought me snacks, but to keep up my "cool guy" act, I just let Ryan handle them.

He’d intercept the snacks, flash a grin, and thank them on my behalf. I figured it was a win-win.

When Brandon realized I had no clue who his crush was, he practically started jumping up and down.

His fists clenched, face turning red. I almost felt bad for him—almost.

"Fine, keep acting cool! Let’s see how tough you really are!"

He lunged at me, throwing a flying kick.

I stepped aside, barely moving, and felt the wind as his foot sailed past. The crowd gasped.

I casually raised my arm and blocked it.

"Wrestling champ? That’s it?"

I couldn’t help but smirk. He looked stunned.

Brandon’s face turned red. He swung an elbow at my temple.

He wasn’t holding back. This was the real deal. Time to see what I could do.

Whoa, he’s actually going for the kill.

But I stayed calm, stuck out one finger, and stopped his elbow cold.

The look on his face was priceless—pure shock.

"Dude, didn’t you eat today?"

I brushed his arm aside. Grinned.

The crowd started whispering. Some even pulled out their phones, ready to record the next viral moment.

Took me a while, but I got it.

Fifty-fifty split means only one thing: neither side can win.

It was the ultimate stalemate. No matter how hard he tried, we’d always be dead even.

Brandon couldn’t beat me, but I couldn’t beat him either. That’s the rule.

Endless. Almost poetic, really.

As long as I didn’t attack, he couldn’t hurt me, no matter what. Even if he pulled out a Gatling gun spitting blue fire, I’d walk away without a scratch.

I pictured him showing up with a paintball gun next time, just to keep things interesting.

He tried a few more moves, but I either blocked them easily or didn’t bother dodging.

I barely broke a sweat. The crowd loved it.

Even the kids who usually ignored fights were glued to the scene. Someone muttered, "Is this guy even human?"

I yawned, acting all cool:

"Dude, that’s enough. I don’t want to stoop to your level, so don’t push me."

I tried to sound bored, like I’d seen it all before. Brandon hesitated, sweat beading on his forehead.

Brandon hesitated, then suddenly blurted an apology:

"My bad, Alex. You win. I’ll leave Katie alone!"

Didn’t see that coming.

The apology took everyone by surprise—even me. I just nodded, playing it cool.

Good. You’ve got potential.

I nodded calmly and led Ryan out of the crowd.

We walked off like nothing happened, but I could feel everyone’s eyes on us. Ryan was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Alex, you’re amazing!"

He was grinning from ear to ear, bouncing on his toes. He started firing off questions faster than I could answer.

Ryan was so hyped he was bouncing. He asked if I’d found a magic ring or made a pact with some ancient mentor AI.

I almost choked. "What are you, psychic?" I joked. Still, I kept my mouth shut. Some things are better left unsaid.

Is he psychic or something? Maybe I should keep an eye on him.

Days went by, and I quickly became a legend at school.

My name was everywhere—hallway whispers, bathroom graffiti, even the teachers started looking at me differently.

Basketball game? I went fifty-fifty with our PE teacher who played in college and scored a triple-double with ease.

Didn’t know I could fly.

I’d never dunked in my life, but that day, I soared. The gym erupted. Even Coach gave me a thumbs-up.

Motivational speech? I went fifty-fifty with the drama teacher and got a standing ovation for my impromptu speech.

I dropped lines from Shakespeare and stand-up comedy. The principal clapped. I bowed. The moment was golden.

Mock SAT? I preemptively went fifty-fifty with all the top students and scored 1550.

My parents nearly fainted. My guidance counselor called me into her office, eyes wide. "Harvard? MIT? Anywhere you want, Alex!"

At this rate, I’d be at the top of my game in no time!

Sky’s the limit.

It felt like the world was finally opening up. For once, I wasn’t just drifting—I was flying.