A few days later, school was back in session, and for the most part, everything felt normal. Quest found himself slipping back into his usual routine, though something inside him had shifted. He was becoming more aware of his strength, his power, and the darker thoughts that sometimes flickered in the back of his mind. Still, he tried to push them aside, convincing himself that things would settle down if he just stayed calm.

It was gym class, and the students were outside playing a game—something simple, with a bit of pushing and shoving for fun. Quest wasn't paying much attention to the rules; he was caught up in the easy competition, the thrill of testing his strength without thinking too much about it.

Then came his turn. He lunged forward, aiming to push one of his classmates—Tina, the daughter of his family's friend, Linda. But just as he reached out, Tina sidestepped, and Quest stumbled, slamming hard onto the ground. The impact should have hurt, but for him, it barely registered. His classmates laughed, and the teacher scolded Tina for moving out of the way.

"Go help him up," the teacher ordered, her voice stern. "Or you'll fail this part of the class."

Tina hesitated but finally approached Quest, extending her hand to help him up. There was no malice in her eyes, just an awkward sense of obligation. Quest raised his hand to meet hers, his fingers curling around her smaller hand.

But something in him snapped.

He didn't know why—maybe it was the humiliation of falling, or the way everyone had laughed, or maybe it was just the raw, unchecked power inside him—but as he stood, he tightened his grip on Tina's hand. His fingers dug in, his strength far greater than he realized, and the panic in her eyes barely registered as he squeezed harder and harder.

Tina gasped in pain, her face contorting as she tried to pull her hand free. "Quest, stop!" she yelped, but the words didn't reach him. The world around him blurred, and all he could feel was the surge of power, the control he had over her. And then, with a sickening crack, her hand gave way.

The sound snapped Quest back to reality. He released her immediately, horror flashing through him as Tina crumpled to the ground, clutching her broken hand, tears streaming down her face. The teacher ran over, shouting, but Quest barely heard her. His heart was pounding, his mind reeling. He hadn't meant to do it—or had he? He couldn't be sure.

The next few hours were a blur. Tina was rushed to the nurse's office, and Quest was escorted to the principal's office. By the time his parents arrived, his head was spinning. Claire and James sat across from the principal, their faces pale with shock, while Linda, Tina's mother, sat beside them, her expression torn between anger and concern. A police officer stood near the door, watching the scene unfold.

"Quest," the principal began, her voice tight with frustration, "do you have any idea what you've done? This isn't just a playground accident. You've seriously injured another student."

Quest sat in silence, staring down at his hands. The same hands that had caused the destruction in town just days before, and now… this. He felt a mixture of guilt and fear rising in his chest, but beneath it all, there was something else—something darker. A quiet thrill that he had to force himself to ignore.

"I didn't mean to," he mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

The principal wasn't satisfied. "That's not good enough. You're going to have to explain this, not just to us, but to the authorities."

His mother reached out to him, her voice shaking. "Quest, we'll figure this out, okay? We'll—"

Linda interrupted, her voice thick with emotion. "He broke her hand, Claire. My daughter—" She stopped herself, struggling to hold back tears. "I don't know what's going on with him, but this… this isn't normal."

The police officer stepped forward, eyeing Quest warily. "Son, we're going to have to ask you some questions. Depending on how things go, we might need to take further action. For now, we're here to help, but we need to understand what happened."

Quest's mind raced. He knew he couldn't tell them the truth—not about his powers, not about the explosion, not about any of it. He had to keep this hidden, at least for now. So he did what he had done after the explosion. He lied.

"I… I slipped," Quest said, his voice trembling as he forced the words out. "I didn't mean to hurt her. It was an accident. I didn't realize how hard I was squeezing."

The room was silent for a moment. His parents exchanged a glance, clearly conflicted. Claire was still holding onto the belief that her son was good, that this was just a terrible mistake. James, however, looked more concerned, his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of it all.

The principal sighed, leaning back in her chair. "For now, we're suspending you from school, Quest. Tina's family has every right to press charges, and we'll be reviewing this incident carefully. You need to understand how serious this is."

As they left the office, Quest's mind swirled with a storm of emotions. He knew that things were getting out of control. The voices had gone silent again, but the damage was done. Deep down, he knew he was far more dangerous than anyone could imagine. And soon, they would all find out just how far he was willing to go.