Chapter 36: The Weight of Control

Jake Foster hadn’t expected to feel so exposed, walking through the common area. He and Levi had been out of sight for weeks, locked away in rooms with only the sterile white walls and sharp words from Academy scientists to keep them company. But here they were, thrown into the spotlight like two wild animals, put on display for everyone to gawk at.

He didn’t like it.

As he sat across from Levi in the mess hall, Jake felt the eyes of the other students burning into him. They were trying to figure him out, just like they were trying to figure out Levi. The whispers, the stares—it was all too familiar. But this time, it wasn’t the reckless Jake Foster from before. This time, he knew better.

He couldn’t afford to be reckless anymore.

The weight of Galewood hung heavy on him, even here, in this new place. The destruction he had caused, the lives lost—all of it lingered in the back of his mind like a shadow he couldn’t shake. He glanced at Levi again, still unsettled by the change in him. Levi had always been the one to pull Jake back from the edge, the one who thought things through. But now? Now Levi felt like a stranger, someone he didn’t know how to reach.

Jake clenched his fists under the table, his knuckles turning white. He had to keep it together. He had to be the responsible one now, the one who stayed in control. If he let his emotions slip, if he let himself feel the guilt, the grief—it would all come crashing down again.

And he couldn’t let that happen. Not here.

He’d seen the way the Academy worked. The coldness, the precision with which they monitored and tested him. He didn’t trust any of it, but more than anything, he didn’t trust what would happen if he lost control again. The Academy already knew too much about him—about his powers. They were watching, waiting for a slip-up.

He couldn’t let them see him slip.

Across the table, Levi was leaning back in his chair, that same smirk on his face. Jake didn’t know whether to be pissed off or worried. Maybe both. Levi had always been smart—too smart, really. But now, there was something in his eyes that made Jake uneasy. Levi wasn’t angry. He wasn’t frustrated. Hell, he didn’t seem to care about anything.

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And that was what scared Jake the most.

Levi caught him staring and raised an eyebrow, his grin widening slightly, like he knew exactly what Jake was thinking. Jake quickly looked away, his jaw tightening. He didn’t want Levi to know how much this was bothering him. He couldn’t show it. Not here.

The students in the mess hall were still watching them, the whispers swirling around like a storm. Jake could hear fragments of their conversations, the way they talked about Galewood, about the rumors. They didn’t know. They couldn’t know. But the suspicion was there, hanging in the air like a dark cloud.

Jake took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. He had to stay focused. He had to figure out what the Academy wanted from them, why they were suddenly being allowed to sit with the other students. It wasn’t a privilege. It was a test. Everything here was a damn test.

Levi didn’t seem to care. He just sat there, acting like none of it mattered. Jake’s chest tightened with frustration. How could Levi be so casual about this? How could he just sit there and smirk when everything around them was falling apart?

But then Jake considered that—Levi had seemed broken. After the explosion, after absorbing all those emotions, Levi had been shattered. And somehow, he had come back. Jake didn’t know how, and it terrified him.

Had Levi come back the same?

No, he couldn’t have.

The Levi Jake knew would’ve been talking, planning, figuring out their next move. But this Levi… this Levi just watched the world like it was some kind of game, with no real stake in anything.

Jake pressed his palms flat against the table, grounding himself. He had to take control of this. Levi wasn’t going to help him anymore, not the way he used to. If Jake didn’t figure out a way to control his power, to understand it, then everything would fall apart again. And next time, it might be worse.

The thought of losing control again, of causing another explosion, made his stomach churn. He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t. Not after Galewood.

Suddenly, the mess hall doors swung open, and a few more students trickled in. Jake glanced up, his eyes scanning the room for anyone who looked like they might be watching too closely. The Academy’s staff were always lurking, even when you couldn’t see them.

He leaned back in his chair, trying to appear as calm as Levi. It wasn’t easy. His body felt like a coiled spring, ready to snap at any moment. Every muscle was tense, every thought racing through his mind faster than he could control.

Levi, on the other hand, looked perfectly relaxed. Too relaxed. Like none of this mattered. Jake didn’t know whether to be envious or angry.

“You good?” Levi’s voice cut through the tension like a knife, startling Jake.

He looked over at Levi, surprised to hear him speak. It wasn’t the words that threw him off—it was the tone. Levi wasn’t concerned. He wasn’t checking in. He was just… curious. Like he was watching Jake as if he were a bug under a microscope.

Jake swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Levi raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced, but didn’t push it. He just shrugged, his gaze drifting back to the students, his expression unreadable.

Jake clenched his jaw, feeling the frustration rise in his chest again. He couldn’t figure Levi out, not anymore. And that made everything so much harder. How could he protect Levi when he didn’t even know what was going on inside his head?

But one thing was clear: he had to figure out a way to control his power. If he didn’t, the next time he lost control, it might not just be Galewood. It could be worse. Much worse.

Jake didn’t want to think about what that would mean.