Jared Alonzo walked home in silence.
Not slow.
Not fast.
Measured.
His mind replayed everything.
"You're not getting smarter… you're removing limits."
"…limits," he murmured.
If true…
Then his ability wasn't growth.
It was release.
That night—
Jared sat in darkness.
No laptop.
No books.
Just thinking.
Hypothesis:
Blood donation triggers removal of cognitive restrictions.
Question:
What restrictions?
Memory?
Processing speed?
Emotional regulation?
Or—
Something deeper?
"…test required."
Jared closed his eyes.
Focused inward.
If limits are being removed…
Then something should feel different.
At first—
Nothing.
Then—
A faint sensation.
Not physical.
Mental.
Like…
A door.
Jared's eyes snapped open.
"…there."
He stood up immediately.
Heart rate stable.
Breathing controlled.
Target identified.
He sat back down.
Closed his eyes again.
Focused.
The "door" was still there.
Faint.
But real.
"…push."
His mind pressed against it.
Resistance.
Pressure built—
Inside his head.
"…tch—"
Pain.
Sharper than before.
But Jared didn't stop.
More pressure.
The sensation intensified—
Then—
Crack.
Silence.
Jared's eyes opened slowly.
Everything—
Changed.
The room felt different.
Clearer.
Not just visually—
But conceptually.
Information flowed faster.
Cleaner.
"…this is…"
His thoughts moved at terrifying speed.
Processing increased.
Clarity enhanced.
Noise reduced.
"…so this is what he meant."
Not growth.
Unsealing.
But then—
Something else.
His chest tightened.
His breathing became shallow.
"…side effect."
His body—
Couldn't keep up.
Jared gripped the edge of the table.
Too much.
He forced himself to slow down.
Control.
Stabilize.
After a few seconds—
It passed.
But the change remained.
Jared leaned back slowly.
"…confirmed."
Limits exist.
And they can be broken.
A slow smile formed.
"…then I break all of them."
The next day—
Jared arrived at school.
Different.
Not visibly.
But—
Noticeably.
Iris saw it immediately.
"…what did you do?"
Jared paused.
"…progress."
"That's not an answer."
He looked at her.
"…I improved."
Iris stared at him.
"…you're scaring me."
Silence.
Jared didn't respond.
Because—
He understood why.
His presence had changed.
Sharper.
Colder.
More… distant.
"…noted," he said.
But his tone—
Didn't change.
Later—
At the gym—
Coach Ramon threw another punch.
Jared moved.
This time—
Faster.
Cleaner.
He dodged completely.
Ramon paused.
"…again."
Another punch.
Jared reacted instantly.
Blocked.
Countered.
Tap.
Ramon stepped back.
Silence.
"…what did you do?" Ramon asked.
"…adaptation."
Ramon narrowed his eyes.
"…no."
A pause.
"…that's not normal adaptation."
Jared didn't answer.
Because—
It wasn't.
That night—
Jared opened his laptop.
Balance:
₱12,740
But now—
He saw more.
Patterns within patterns.
Hidden movements.
Delayed reactions.
"…inefficient market."
He moved.
Faster than ever.
Trades executed in seconds.
Perfect timing.
No hesitation.
₱12,740 → ₱18,900
₱18,900 → ₱27,500
₱27,500 → ₱41,200
Within hours—
Balance:
₱58,600
Jared leaned back.
No excitement.
Just—
Expectation.
"…this is just the beginning."
His phone buzzed.
Iris.
Iris: You're not telling me everything.
Jared stared at the message.
Then typed:
Jared: Correct.
A pause.
Then—
Iris: …just don't disappear on me.
Jared looked at the screen.
For a moment—
He didn't reply.
Because—
He wasn't sure.
Then—
Jared: I won't.
But deep inside—
He already knew.
He was changing too fast.
And eventually—
He might leave everything behind.
Even her.