The suspension gave Ethan time to focus, and the results were written on his body. The soft face that once greeted him in the mirror was now sharper, his jawline faintly defined. The beginnings of lean muscle carved into his arms and shoulders, and his posture had transformed. He no longer slouched to hide from the world—he stood tall, broad, and unyielding.

His once-pale skin was now a little darker from hours spent training outdoors. His hoodie, once snug, now hung looser over his frame, and his jeans fit differently around his thighs. Even his eyes had changed. They no longer darted nervously around a room but held an intense focus that unsettled people.

Standing in front of the mirror on the morning of his return to school, Ethan flexed his hands, feeling the strength in them. “Not enough,” he muttered, pulling on his hoodie. “But it’s a start.”

Walking into school felt like stepping onto a stage. Conversations quieted as Ethan passed. Students whispered behind cupped hands, and more than a few stared openly. He met their gazes with unflinching calm, the intensity in his eyes daring them to say something.

“There he is—Rat Slayer,” someone muttered, followed by muffled laughter.

“Think he’s gonna flip out again?” another whispered.

Ethan didn’t care. He moved through the hallway like a storm on the horizon—silent, steady, and unmistakably there.

Jake Cooper, the school’s star athlete and resident bully, leaned against a locker with his usual entourage. As Ethan passed, Jake’s smirk widened.

“Graves,” Jake called out, loud enough to draw attention. “Back from rat-hunting duty, huh? Heard you went full crazy. What’s next, starting a cult?”

Ethan stopped mid-stride, turning to face Jake. The hallway seemed to hold its breath.

“I’d worry less about me,” Ethan said, his voice calm but sharp. “And more about what’s coming. You’ll be begging for help soon enough.”

Jake blinked, caught off guard by the quiet menace in Ethan’s tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ethan took a step closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. “It means you won’t be laughing when this place is crawling with things that want to tear you apart.”

For a moment, Jake said nothing, his smirk faltering. Then, as if to save face, he laughed awkwardly and turned back to his friends. But the unease in his expression was undeniable.

Ethan walked away, leaving Jake and the onlookers unsettled.

At lunch, Ethan slid into the seat next to Mason and Kyle at their usual corner table. Mason was poking at a slice of pizza, while Kyle leaned back, twirling a pen in his fingers.

“Well, look who’s back,” Mason said, grinning. “How’s it feel to be the school’s most infamous rat exterminator?”

Ethan smirked faintly. “Like nothing’s changed. People are still idiots.”

Kyle leaned forward, lowering his voice. “You missed the aftermath, though. Some kids are still freaking out about those rats. A janitor quit because he swears he saw them glowing.”

Mason chuckled. “Yeah, the school’s chalking it up to a rabies scare, but nobody’s buying it.”

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Ethan nodded. “Good. The longer they stay in denial, the more time we have to prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” Mason asked, his grin fading. “You’ve been saying that a lot lately.”

Ethan leaned in, lowering his voice. “The mutations are spreading. It’s not just rats and dogs. Birds, raccoons, even insects—it’s going to get worse. We’re not just fighting to survive anymore. We’re fighting to win.”

Kyle raised an eyebrow. “Win? Against glowing squirrels and murder rats?”

“Against everything,” Ethan said sharply. “The monsters. The chaos. People who’ll turn on us to save themselves. If we don’t start acting like a team, we’re dead.”

The seriousness in his tone silenced them. Mason glanced at Kyle, then back at Ethan.

“Alright,” Mason said finally. “What’s the plan?”

Ethan pushed the group harder, using his future knowledge to accelerate their progress. Their training wasn’t just about survival anymore—it was about strategy, efficiency, and preparation for the inevitable.

Ethan ramped up sparring sessions, introducing scenarios that mimicked real fights. He taught them how to handle multiple attackers, defend against ambushes, and adapt to changing conditions.

“Keep your guard up!” Ethan shouted as Kyle swung his bat wildly. He sidestepped the blow and tapped Kyle’s ribs with his baton. “You’re leaving yourself open. Tighten your movements.”

Kyle adjusted, his swings growing sharper and more controlled. Mason, armed with a reinforced wrench, practiced precision strikes on a dummy Ethan had rigged with exposed weak points.

“You’re improving,” Ethan said after a session, his voice grudgingly approving. “But you’re not there yet. We need to be faster.”

Mason’s engineering skills became the cornerstone of their preparations. He built a portable alarm system using scrap metal and an old battery, testing it by throwing rocks near the tripwire.

The alarm blared, a shrill, piercing sound.

“It works,” Mason said, grinning. “Louder than I thought.”

“Perfect,” Ethan said. “Noise buys time. Time saves lives.”

Mason also rigged small explosives from household chemicals, testing them cautiously in the lot. When one exploded with a sharp bang, Mason winced but grinned. “Not bad for a first try.”

Ethan shared what he knew about the creatures they would face. He sketched diagrams of mutated animals, explaining their strengths, weaknesses, and behavioral patterns.

“This one,” Ethan said, pointing to a sketch of a mutated hawk, “can dive faster than you think. Aim for the wings—take away its mobility, and it’s grounded.”

Kyle stared at the sketches, his face pale. “You’ve seen all this? Like, in real life?”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “And we’ll see it again soon.”

Late one evening, Ethan returned home from training to find Dakota waiting for him in the living room. His brother’s arms were crossed, his expression a mix of worry and frustration.

“We need to talk,” Dakota said.

Ethan dropped his bag by the door. “About what?”

“About you,” Dakota said, stepping closer. “You’ve been acting weird. Sneaking out, coming back covered in bruises, freaking out at school. What the hell’s going on, Ethan?”

Ethan hesitated, his mind racing. He’d wanted to protect Dakota, to keep him out of the chaos for as long as possible. But the signs were getting worse, and he couldn’t keep lying.

“You’re not going to believe me,” Ethan said quietly.

“Try me,” Dakota said.

Ethan grabbed his notebook and phone from his bag. He flipped to a page showing the glowing-eyed raccoon, along with notes on its behavior and the core they’d extracted.

“This is what’s going on,” Ethan said, handing it to Dakota. “Mutations. Animals turning into monsters. It’s already started, and it’s spreading.”

Dakota stared at the notebook, his expression shifting from confusion to disbelief. “What is this? Some kind of prank?”

Ethan pulled up the video Mason had taken of the glowing core. He held it out to Dakota, who watched in stunned silence as the core pulsed on the screen.

“What... what is that?” Dakota asked, his voice shaking.

“It’s called a core,” Ethan said. “It’s what’s driving the mutations. And this is just the beginning.”

Dakota looked at him, his hands trembling. “How do you know all this?”

Ethan met his gaze, his voice steady. “Because I’ve seen it before. I lived through it. And I’m not letting it happen again.”

Dakota sat heavily on the couch, his face pale. “This is insane.”

“Yeah,” Ethan said. “But it’s real. And if we don’t start preparing now, we’re dead.”

For a long moment, Dakota said nothing. Then he looked up, his eyes hardening. “What do you need me to do?”

Ethan felt a flicker of relief. “I need you to trust me. And I need you to help me protect what matters.”

----------------------------------------

Time Until Cataclysm: 242 Days, 8 Hours, 15 Minutes.