Chapter 10: *Work Harder*

As Nix lay writhing in Roni’s arms, the bunker was filled with the sounds of his painful cries, his body trembling uncontrollably. Roni held him tightly, her face twisted with worry as she watched his pain unfold. The sudden outburst had jolted everyone awake, and Granny Laurie rushed over, panic in her eyes. “What’s happening? Are we under attack?”

Roni, still holding onto Nix, looked around. “No, Granny, there’s no monsters nearby. But Nix… something’s happening to him.”

Veronica, Roni’s grandfather, stood over them, his deep voice filled with concern. “Veronica, do you know what’s going on?”

Roni thought hard, her brow furrowed in concentration. Then, suddenly, a thought came to her, a distant memory from school. “Wait… I think I know,” she said, looking at her grandfather. “I remember the teachers mentioning this. When an Evolver ranks up from level 1 to level 2, they experience unbearable pain as their body changes.”

Laurie’s heart skipped a beat, fear clutching at her. “Is that what this is? He’s evolving?”

Roni nodded, her mind racing. “Yes… I think so. But it doesn’t usually happen this suddenly. To evolve, most Evolvers need to consume a lot of Genetic Enhance Mutagen, GEM for short. The more GEM you drink, the faster you evolve to the next level.”

Veronica folded his arms, trying to piece everything together. “So why would Nix evolve now? Has he been taking GEMs?”

Roni shook her head, confusion etched across her face. “No, not that I know of. But… our principal said that there’s another way to evolve faster than just consuming GEMs. He mentioned that going through life-and-death battles can speed up the process. The more dangerous the situation, the more your body adapts, forcing itself to evolve for survival. But it’s incredibly risky, people have lost their lives trying to evolve that way.”

Everyone went quiet as the weight of her words sank in.

“But… why would Nix evolve after just one battle? It doesn’t add up,” Roni continued, staring at Nix’s twitching form. “He fought the Vortex Fangbear, sure, but can one battle really cause him to rank up?”

Laurie’s face softened with a mix of understanding and sadness as she looked down at Nix. She sighed heavily, the pieces finally falling into place. “I think he’s been hiding the truth from us,” she said quietly, her voice filled with both worry and love. “Nix probably hasn’t told us everything about his hunts.”

Roni looked at her, puzzled. “What do you mean, Granny?”

Laurie gently brushed Nix’s hair from his damp forehead, her heart heavy with concern. “He’s always been the type to protect me… to downplay how tough things are. Every time he comes back from a hunt, he says it went smoothly. But I’ve always felt like something was off. I’ve noticed the exhaustion in his eyes, the quiet moments when he thinks I’m not looking. He’s been in more dangerous situations than he’s let on… I just know it.”

Roni’s grandfather nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. “So he’s been pushing himself harder than any of us realized.”

Laurie’s voice was tinged with sadness. “I think he didn’t want me to worry. He’s been putting himself in life-and-death situations just to protect us… to make things easier for me. And now, this is the result. His body couldn’t take it anymore, and it’s forcing him to evolve."

Roni bit her lip, her heart aching for Nix. “But why didn’t he tell us? Why didn’t he ask for help?”

“Because that’s who he is,” Laurie said softly, her eyes brimming with both pride and concern. “He doesn’t want to be a burden. He’s always trying to make things better for us, even if it means risking his own life. This kid… he really doesn’t know how to slow down.”

Veronica sighed deeply, shaking his head. “The boy’s got more guts than sense.”

Laurie gave a small, sad smile. “I’m proud of him, but at the same time, I’m terrified. I’ve always felt something was wrong when he came home from a hunt, but I didn’t want to push him. Now I know why.” She leaned down and kissed Nix’s forehead. “He’s stronger than I ever imagined, but we’ll need to have a talk once he’s awake. He’can’t keep pushing himself like this… not without understanding the consequences.”

The bunker remained silent, save for Nix’s painful groans as his body continued its painful evolution. Roni held him tightly, her heart full of admiration and fear. She could feel how much Nix had been through, how far he had gone to protect those he loved.

Laurie’s voice, though soft, was full of determination. “He’s evolving now because he’s already faced death more times than we’ll ever know. He’s been putting his life on the line for us, and it’s time we realize just how much he’s been carrying. But no matter how strong he becomes, I’ll always worry about him.”

Roni nodded, her grip on Nix tightening. “We’ll be here for him, Granny. We will support him.

Nix woke up drenched in sweat, his head buzzing, his vision blurred. His body felt strange, heavier, tighter, almost like he’d outgrown himself overnight. His shirt clung to his skin like it was two sizes too small. The sweat had started to itch, so he groaned and dragged himself toward the bathroom, every movement stiff and unfamiliar.

By the time he reached the bathroom, he had already ripped his shirt off without realizing it. Nix stood there in a daze, blinking at the pieces of fabric in his hands. What’s going on with me?

The cold water from the shower helped clear his mind, and for a moment, everything felt normal again. The water ran over his head, cooling his burning thoughts, but as he tilted his head down to open his eyes, he found himself staring at something completely unexpected, another pair of eyes, wide and startled, staring back at him from the misty fog of the bathroom.

A cascade of red curls framed the figure in front of him. Bubbles clung to her skin, covering the essential parts, but there was no doubt about who it was.

“W-what are you doing?” Roni’s shy voice cut through the steam.

Nix’s brain short-circuited. “Oh… hi, Roni.” Then, as if hit by a truck, reality slammed into him. His face flushed bright red as panic surged through his veins. “Oh, crap!”

He bolted from the bathroom, grabbing the door and slamming it shut with a loud thud. “Sorry! My bad!” he shouted through the door, cringing at the awkwardness of it all.

Minutes passed, Nix found himself in the kitchen, taking sips of water, his thoughts racing as he replayed the scenario in his mind. What just happened? My hair regrew. I'll keep it short and simple, but what the.. How could I have missed seeing her inside?

Roni appeared in the doorway, her face still flushed with embarrassment. She wore a fresh set of clothes but refused to make eye contact with him. Nix fumbled with his glass, trying to find the right words.

“Uh… I’m really sorry about that. I thought nobody was in there.” He paused, then added, “And… why didn’t you lock the door?”

Roni blinked, finally looking at him. “I didn’t leave it open, Nix. Why would you think I’d do that?”

Nix frowned, confused. “What do you mean? It was wide open when I walked in.”

Roni bit her lip and pointed toward the door. “I didn’t leave it open.” Her voice softened, “Look.”

Nix turned, following her gaze. The bathroom door was twisted at the knob, as if someone had accidentally crushed it in their hand. A handprint was clearly visible in the wood. His handprint.

“Oh… that’s…” Nix trailed off, unsure how to explain it.

Roni sighed and crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. “It’s okay. I think I know what’s going on.”

“You do?” Nix asked, still processing.

“You just evolved to Rank 2, Nix. You need to learn how to control your strength. That’s why everything feels off right now.”

Nix blinked, trying to wrap his head around her words. “Rank 2? But I thought you only evolve after consuming a bunch of GEMs or after intense training. I barely,”

“You fought the Vortex Fangbear,” Roni interrupted. “That was no normal battle, Nix. To evolve, you either have to consume GEMs, or you go through life-and-death battles that push your body to its limits. Those kinds of fights force your body to adapt rapidly. But most people don’t choose that route because it’s too dangerous.”

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Our principal even mentioned it in school, the more life-threatening situations you survive, the faster your evolution. But… people usually avoid those situations. They’re too risky.”

Nix swallowed hard. “So, you’re saying… that battle… it made me evolve?”

“Exactly,” Roni said. “And judging by what just happened with the door, you need to start training to control your new strength.”

Nix felt the weight of her words sink in. He had evolved, but not in the traditional way by drinking GEMs. It was because of the constant near-death situations he had been in. All the hunts, the dangerous encounters he had been through, everything was starting to catch up.

“Wait,”Roni said suddenly, as if a thought had just hit her. “How many life-and-death situations have you been in?”

Nix paused, not sure how to answer. He had lied to Granny Laurie, downplaying how dangerous his hunts had been. He had told her they were just simple hunts, nothing life-threatening. He hadn’t wanted to worry her.

But now… Roni was looking at him, waiting for an answer. He couldn’t lie to her.

“I’ve had a few close calls,” Nix admitted, avoiding eye contact. “But I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

Roni frowned, concern etched across her face. “Nix, you can’t keep pushing yourself like this. You’re lucky you survived, but one of these days, you might not.”

Nix stayed silent, guilt gnawing at him. He knew she was right, but he didn’t want to stop. There was too much at stake, Granny Laurie, his friends, the survival of his world. He needed to be stronger. He had to keep going.

Granny Laurie, who had been quietly watching from the corner, stepped forward. Her voice was soft, but there was a firmness behind it. “I always knew you weren’t telling me the whole story, Nix.” She gave him a small, sad smile. “You think you’re protecting me by hiding the truth, but you’re only hurting yourself.”

Nix clenched his fists, feeling the weight of her words. “I just didn’t want you to worry, Granny.”

Laurie nodded, understanding but still firm. “I know, but you can’t take on everything by yourself. You’ve been through more than anyone your age should, but you’re not invincible. You have to take care of yourself, too.”

The room grew quiet. Roni, Laurie, and Nix stood in shared silence, each of them processing the gravity of what had happened. Nix rubbed the back of his neck, still feeling the lingering awkwardness of the whole situation with Roni and the confusion of his sudden evolution. Nix did not feel sorry for pushing himself to work hard everyday, because he would've lost this warm home if he slacked off.

Thinking to himself, he realized he could only just protect them now, but he would need to go beyond his limits in order to gain the confidence to protect everything and everyone important to him.

Granny Laurie finally broke the silence with a soft chuckle, her eyes twinkling with humor. “Well, Nix, it looks like you’ve got more than just school and hunts to worry about now.” She walked over and patted him on the back, her tone playful. “Your first real responsibility as a Rank 2 Evolver is to make sure you don’t break our house. If you go around crushing doorknobs or punching walls by accident, we’ll end up sleeping in a pile of debris!”

Roni stifled a laugh, and Nix’s face softened, a smile tugging at his lips.

“I’ll be careful,” he said, trying not to laugh himself. “I’ll make sure our house stays in one piece.”

Granny Laurie grinned, clearly pleased with herself. “Good, because I’ve gotten attached to having a roof over my head, you know. I’m not as young as I used to be, and I prefer my bed to a pile of rubble.”

Nix laughed, the tension from the earlier conversation finally easing. It was the kind of joke only Granny Laurie could make, and it reminded him that despite everything changing, some things, like her humor never would.

Roni nudged him, her smile returning. “She’s right, though. You’ll need to figure out how to control this new strength of yours before you end up ripping more than just your clothes.”

Nix glanced down at the torn fabric still clinging to his body and sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.” He felt the weight of the change in his body, but not in the overwhelming way he had expected. Instead, it felt like a new challenge, something he needed to work on, like learning a new skill.

Granny Laurie gave him another playful nudge. “Well, no time like the present. But first, we’ll need to get you some new clothes that actually fit. Can’t have you running around looking like you’re about to burst out of everything you wear.”

Nix couldn’t help but smile. The situation had been serious, but it was also… normal, in its own way. Sure, he’d evolved, but he wasn’t some superhero destined for greatness. He was just Nix, the kid who went hunting to help out, the kid who accidentally ripped a doorknob off because he didn’t know his own strength. There were probably tons of other people like him out there, evolving, learning, growing. He was just one of many.

“Yeah, new clothes sound good,” he said, looking at the ragged remains of his shirt. “I don’t think this one’s going to make it.”

Roni chuckled. “Probably not.”

As they stood there in the kitchen, the atmosphere lightened, and the earlier tension seemed to fade away. It wasn’t about responsibility or saving the world, it was just about learning how to live with whatever came next, one step at a time.