The worn leather of my boxing gloves creaked and crackled as I pounded the heavy bag, sweat stinging my eyes. Punching things was how I dealt with most things — frustration, deadlines, existential dread, loneliness… Just the usual stuff that upsets most people, I guess?

Here at Silverthorne University, there were plenty of things to get upset about. College life during this first year, for the most part, was a cacophony of jocks, parties, and gossip — the antithesis to my introverted nature.

My safe space after a good boxing session was the library, a haven shared with countless dusty tomes and the occasional sigh of a fellow bibliophile with no friends. There, I could disappear into the fictional worlds spun by people like me — people who created realities far more appealing than the one blaring pop music from frat houses.

Except today, even the library wasn’t offering its usual relief. The culprits? My best friends, Claude and Reyna. Claude is the walking embodiment of an extrovert with a social network larger than Silverthorne itself. Meanwhile Reyna, my childhood friend, was the resident voice of reason in our odd little group of three.

“Darian the Destroyer!” Claude boomed, putting an arm over me from behind.

“Shh!” The librarian shushed him.

He ignored her.

“Had a good boxing session? How about you beat up some loneliness tonight? Did you download the app I told you to?”

He brandished his phone, the screen showing a dating app logo. Reyna, who trailed behind him, cleared her throat.

“Maybe… Darian isn’t cut out for the online dating scene.”

“Bullshit!” Claude declared, prompting another shushing from the librarian. “Just follow my lead dude, we’ll get you a little date in no time.”

Reyna shot me a sympathetic look, but I was already being overwhelmed by Claude’s enthusiasm.

Truth be told, the idea of meeting someone who might actually understand me — someone who preferred a bit of sport or a nice quiet space to read as opposed to a bar — wasn’t entirely unappealing. And besides I had no one but these two knuckleheads in my life, so maybe the prospect of a third person in it didn’t seem so bad.

With Reyna offering subtle hints and Claude’s flamboyant coaching, I somehow through the grace of whatever divine entity, managed to land a match! Olivia. Her profile picture displayed a girl with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a pretty good physique based on her gym photos. We chatted for what felt like minutes (it was actually hours), and to my utter disbelief, she seemed… amazing.

Days flew by in a flurry of excited texts. Olivia loved the same obscure fantasy novels I worshipped, swooned over the same electronic music, and was into some pretty interesting things. So, we did what any pair of responsible adults would do and set up a first date.

The day of our date dawned, and for the first time in years, I felt like a nervous wreck.

 I traded my usual cargo pants for a decent pair of jeans and a well-fitting shirt that highlighted my lean muscles. A spritz of my most expensive cologne (courtesy of Claude, the charmer) completed the transformation.

Stepping out of my dorm, I felt oddly self-conscious, a feeling I usually associated with presentations and not dates. Did I actually like this girl? I mean, maybe. I’d have to see her in person to be sure.

Olivia was waiting at the pre-agreed restaurant, she was even prettier in person. We sat down, ordered food, and our conversation flowed effortlessly. She was everything I could have hoped for: smart, funny, and devastatingly cute.

As the evening progressed, we found ourselves strolling through a quiet side street. The air grew chilly, and Olivia suggested a shortcut through an alley.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

A shiver rippled down my spine, not from the cold, but from a vague sense of unease. Yet, the idea of spending more time with her outweighed any hesitance. I followed her into the alleyway.

The streetlights overhead flickered, casting eerie shadows on the worn brick walls.

Olivia turned, and for a heartbeat, she seemed different — more beautiful, perhaps.

“Like the shortcut?” Her voice held an allure I hadn’t noticed before. Before I could reply, she was closing the distance between us with a playful look in her eyes. A blush crept onto my cheeks; was this really going to happen?

Then, she grabbed my collar, pulling me closer. It wasn’t a rough pull, yet it held a surprising amount of strength. Her lips met mine, soft and so loving. I was caught in a mix of confusion, excitement, and a growing heat.

The kiss deepened as Olivia pulled me closer. But the moment was abruptly shattered by the sound of drunken laughter echoing through the alley. We broke apart, turning to see three thugs stumbling towards us, their eyes glinting with malice.

The largest of the three sneered at us, his words slurring as he spoke, “Well, well, what do we have here? A couple of lovebirds out for a late night stroll?”

Instinctively, I pulled Olivia behind me, clasping her hand in mine. “We don’t want any trouble,” I said firmly, hoping to defuse the situation. “We’re leaving.”

They began surrounding us.

Realising there was no way out of this without a fight, I slipped into a defensive stance. As the first thug lunged, I dodged it and countered with a swift uppercut to his chin, sending him crumpling to the ground unconscious. Idiot.

The second came at with a flurry of blows. I managed to block of them before landing a series of strikes to his head and sternum. He staggered back, gasping for air.

Just when I thought I had the upper hand, the third pulled out a knife. Seriously?

I weaved and dodged his attacks, but in a moment of distraction, the thug I had knocked down earlier grabbed me from behind, holding me in place.

A searing pain exploded in my chest as the knife found its mark multiple times, before finding my neck. I crumpled to my knees, blood seeping through my shirt and from my neck.

The two remaining thugs turned their attention to Olivia. But in an instant, she moved with inhuman speed, dispatching them both with ease. Their heads were rolling on the ground the next second, their blood spraying all over the brick wall in the alleyway.

As she turned to face me, I saw her eyes — they were no longer the blue I had been entranced by, but instead were a glowing unnatural crimson.

“You’re… beautiful…” were the only words I managed to whisper as my vision blurred at the edges.

Olivia knelt beside me, her face showing a mix of regret and longing. “Close your eyes,” she murmured leaning in close.

I watched as she slit her wrist, drawing blood before putting her wrist against my lips, forcing me to drink it, and then… darkness.

*

*

*

I stumbled out of bed, my mind reeling from the events of last night. Were these memories even real? Instinctively, my hand shot to my neck, searching for any sign of the cut. To my surprise, my fingers met only smooth, unbroken skin.

Lifting my shirt, I examined my chest, expecting to find the knife wounds. But there was nothing — no blood, scars, not even a scratch.

Confused, I reached for my phone, hoping to find some explanation in a message from Olivia. But my inbox was empty. Am I going crazy? I opened the dating app, scrolling through my matches, but Olivia’s profile had vanished, like she never existed. The only thing I had was a picture of us that she took herself.

As I set my phone down, a weird sensation came over me. My body felt different, not in a bad way, but I felt stronger, more energised. I glanced down after lifting my shirt up and had to do a double-take. What? My usually lean, somewhat athletic physique had been replaced by a set of abs and well-defined muscles that I never had before.

Stunned, I walked to the mirror, hardly recognising the person staring back at me. It was still me, but somehow… better? My features were more symmetrical, my jawline more defined, and my eyes were still the same old brown but I could see better even without my glasses. Huh.

I looked like an enhanced version of myself, like someone had taken my appearance and dialled up the attractiveness a bit.

What the hell happened to me?

I stood there, staring at my reflection, my mind lost in thought. I couldn’t go to college looking like this. People would ask questions, and I had no answers. No one changes this much in just a day. I needed to disappear for a week, maybe more. But most importantly, I needed to find Olivia — if she was even real.

Determined, I took a quick shower and got dressed. I put on a hoodie and a pair of jeans, then grabbed a black cap, pulling it low over my face. With my hood up, I slipped out of my dorm, keeping my head down to avoid any unwanted attention.

My first stop was the restaurant where Olivia and I had our date. I approached the manager, trying to look as unassuming as possible.

“Excuse me, I was here yesterday, and I think I might have lost my wallet. Could I maybe look at your security footage?”

The manager eyed me suspiciously. “I’m sorry, but we can’t just show our footage to anyone.”

I put on my most earnest expression. “Please, this was the last place I remember having it. It would really help me out.”

The manager sighed. “Fine. But make it quick.”

She led me to a small office in the back and pulled up the footage from the previous evening. I leaned in, scanning the screens as closely as possible. There! I saw myself, sitting at a table with Olivia, laughing and talking. She was real. This wasn’t some crazy dream.

I thanked the manager and hurried out of the restaurant.

Outside, the early morning sun was just starting to peek over the horizon.

I pulled out my phone, hoping that she might have left some clue, some way to contact her. But there was nothing. Fuck. Frustrated, I shoved my phone back in my pocket. I had to think. If I were Olivia, where would I go? She had mentioned she lived near the ocean, there was only one place like that in our city. Trident Square.

That’s where I had to go looking. I’d search all day, no, all week if I had to.