The reaction was immediate.
By morning, John's song had climbed into trending lists across multiple platforms—not exploding like before, but moving with intent, like something guided rather than viral.
The system tracked it silently.
[Current Points: 158,900]
[Rate of Gain: Increasing — Controlled]
John stared at the numbers while brushing his teeth.
"So this is the balance," he muttered. "Not too loud. Not too quiet."
The system offered no reassurance.
Sabrina Won't Let It Go
At school, Sabrina didn't waste time.
She caught him by the lockers before first period, eyes sharp and focused in a way he'd never seen before.
"You did something," she said.
John sighed. "We talked about this—"
"No," she interrupted. "You deflected."
People passed them, but she didn't care.
"You're always there when things get weird," she continued. "The music, the attention, that night… I'm not stupid, John."
He hesitated.
Too long.
Her expression softened.
"…You're trying to protect me, aren't you?"
He swallowed. "Yes."
She took that in quietly.
Then, surprisingly, she didn't pull away.
"Then stop deciding things alone," she said. "If I'm part of this, I want to know."
He met her eyes.
"…Soon," he promised. "I just need time."
She nodded slowly. "I'm holding you to that."
The Watcher Acts
That night, the city lost power.
Not everywhere.
Just one neighborhood.
John felt it instantly.
Observation Haki screamed.
The air thickened.
The Watcher didn't appear.
Instead—
The street twisted.
Sound bent.
A ripple passed through reality like someone pressing a finger against glass.
John stepped outside.
The streetlights flickered, then stabilized.
A voice echoed from nowhere.
"You chose," it said.
John clenched his fists. "Yeah. I did."
"Redirecting attention," the Watcher continued. "Protecting secondary node."
A pause.
"This confirms prioritization."
John's heart pounded. "What do you want?"
"To test consequence."
Suddenly, the system flared red.
[EMERGENCY EVENT]
[Localized Reality Distortion Detected]
[Objective: Prevent Civilian Harm]
The ground warped.
A parked car lifted slightly off the pavement, then slammed back down.
Windows shattered.
John moved without thinking.
He ran.
Holding the Line
He reached the epicenter—a small park now twisting unnaturally, gravity pulling sideways.
People were trapped.
Panicking.
John stepped forward.
"System," he said through clenched teeth. "Barrier—full output."
[Adaptive Reflex Barrier — Maximum.]
Invisible force slammed into him like a wall.
His vision blurred.
But the distortion slowed.
John planted his feet and pushed.
Every instinct screamed at him to stop.
The Watcher's voice returned.
"You strain for others," it observed. "I measure endurance."
John shouted back, "Then measure THIS!"
He held the line.
For ten seconds.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Until—
The distortion collapsed.
Silence returned.
The park was ruined.
But people were alive.
John dropped to one knee, gasping.
Consequences
Applause broke out.
Shaky.
Confused.
Grateful.
John looked up.
Phones were out.
Too many.
Too close.
The system chimed urgently.
[Exposure Risk: Rising Rapidly.]
Before panic could set in—
Black vans rolled in.
S.H.I.E.L.D.
Coulson stepped out, eyes scanning the damage, then locking onto John.
"…You didn't give me much choice," he said.
John forced himself to stand.
"People were going to get hurt."
Coulson nodded once. "I know."
He lowered his voice.
"But now you're visible."
John looked around at the destroyed park, the watching crowd, the recording phones.
He felt it.
The line he'd crossed.
The Watcher's voice echoed one last time.
"Data acquired," it said calmly. "Next test will be personal."
The system delivered its final message of the night.
[Arc Update: Open Exposure.]
[Next Phase Imminent.]
John closed his eyes.
He'd protected people.
But the world had pushed back.
And now—
There was no pretending he was just a kid with a song anymore.