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2024-10-29 19:42:56Flashback ~ SOME YEARS AGO ~
"An interface?" Elizabeth (Eren’s mom) hesitantly asked the evening Silas described the program he planned to develop to her. "Yes," He said, immediately defensive of his idea. "But inside the mind." With Elizabeth, Silas was rarely ever as meticulous as he was with others when it came to masking his thoughts. This was owed mainly to the fact that she did not often entertain doubt, as other people were likely to. This meant that he never nursed the fear that a spontaneous idea would make her think he was insane. If anything she was far greater an ardent believer than him. Science was her religion. “Oh Silas…” Elizabeth muttered and then she burst out laughing. "Don't mind me, Silas." She had said, eyes twinkling brightly. "I am just old and tired." He chuckled… Present Day ~ So long ago it was. Then, laughter was not such an alien notion to him. For months he developed the program; for months without end, she assisted him. Now, as he stared at her son, to whom she had passed her chiseled jawline and her hair — perpetually tousled, perpetually wild even when patted down with a comb, heavy with half-ringlets that seemed too weary to properly curl into themselves — Silas realized he had not lost all of Elizabeth the day they came for her. He explained the mechanics of the interface to Eren: essentially, it was made to assist Awakened harness their abilities far more quickly. What would ordinarily take years to achieve would take a matter of months — if the program ran as expected. It was still a work in progress by the time Elizabeth passed. It attached itself to the mind like a second consciousness and helped the particular Awakened to whom it was tailored to help. Eren listened to him with rapt attention. The boy, he mused, would have made an impressive student. "Tell me, what did you see?" He finally asked Eren when he was finished explaining. "A message. It says: Do you wish to resume your dream state? What exactly does this mean? I can go back into a coma if I please?" Silas did not look the boy in the eye. He did not know how well to tell him without leaving out a chunk of the truth. The Dream State was far more complicated than a coma. It was more similar to hibernation than a coma. It was an incubation period. The Awakened woke stronger, with more abilities than prior to their slumber, sometimes with their personalities mildly altered. "You are awake, Eren, but you are not fully conscious." "What does that even mean?" Eren asked, sounding alarmed. "It means that the two concepts, for the Awakened, are mutually exclusive. Your mind is still going through the incubation process even though you are up. It is like having one foot in the real world, here, with me; and the other foot in the Dream State." Eren squinted at his arms. "It makes sense, I guess." Since he woke, living things around him had taken on a curious, blue glow, and they shone in the distinct and dull manner with which glow-in-the-dark stars give off light. He had chalked it to the concussion. After being hit so hard, it was to be expected that he would have minor difficulties. He described the glow to Silas and the man nodded, affirming his suspicion. It was another symptom of the Dream State. 'I am one of the Awakened now,' Eren marveled at himself, staring at his hands. To Silas, he asked, "I can help you, you know?" Silas was not impressed. "How so?" He asked. "I am Awakened." He answered by way of explanation. "Now I have the ability to help you in your investigation. This way, you have more hands on deck and I get to find my mother's killers. We both win." "Eren, I have told you before, and I will say it again, hopefully for the final time—you are not strong enough to take them on—" "Yet," Eren told him pointedly. Not missing a beat, Silas carried on. "You have no traction. No powerful friends. No combat skills that we know of. Your abilities will not save you. The other Awakened, they have been preparing for years, even before their awakening. They know what to expect. They know how to wield their gifts better than you. You get into trouble with people like the Winchesters and they will tear you apart, bit by bit. They will savor it, too." "So I will prepare too. I will make myself ready. I will do anything but let this one go. No more cowering. No more hiding, Silas. I know now what I have to do." Grimly, the professor considered this. After a long moment had passed, he said. "You are hell bent on this, aren't you?" "I am." Eren replied. Silas spun the chair away from Eren and began to wheel himself away, forcing the young lad to go after him. He was forced to walk at a brisk pace to keep up and it surprised him to no end, considering that the man was supposed to be the handicapped one between them both. "I may have a solution to your problem." He told Eren. "I am listening." "The Dream State. I explained to you that it was just like an incubation period, right?" Eren nodded, bobbing his head. "Right." "And you know it is while in the Dream State that most of the Awakened powers come to its inhabitant, right?" "What is your point, professor?" Silas screeched to a halt abruptly, then stared intently at Eren. "The longer a person stays in the Dream State, the stronger they are bound to be when they wake. Or at least, that is the theory. There is no scientific proof of its veracity; but there is no evidence disproving it." Eren contemplated it. As much as he could not fault this new position in which he had found himself, he did not wish to return back to a comatose state. The last time it had happened, it had happened against his will. He was not sure he could allow it to recur, even if it would be by his volition this time. Being insensate to the world was a lot like being helpless, and the latter was a place he never wished to revisit. "Do I have any say in the matter?" Silas pressed his lips into a hard, sharp line. "Not if you want to survive the coming venture, no." Eren looked heavenward, as though he was searching for answers not to be found below. Letting out a heavy sigh, he dragged his gaze back to the crippled elder before him. “If I wholly agree, will you show me how?" He asked.
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System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Monsters & Not Monsters
‘If I wholly agree, will you show me how?’Silas looked at the young lad before him, and held back a smirk. He was so eager. So, so eager. "Your Dream State could buy us some sentiment to cushion our tracks in the investigation." Silas spoke, completely ignoring Eren’s question.He blinked twice. “What?”“I just thought of that now."Thought of what?… Eren was preparing to ask in the most censored way, if the elder would even answer."Your attack is news already. I informed the press what happened. They're on it. Somebody's going to take responsibility."Now, Eren was getting confused, but he asked more questions still. “Will that help in any way?""I think it will," Silas replied. His wheels made a low whining sound and the overhead fluorescents created a repetitive dark-and-light effect on them as they glided through space. "People live by sentiment.” The older man spoke. “A little publicity where due is only fair, is not so bad.”Well it was also a little pathetic, Eren caught h
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Explaining The Dream State
"Eren! ...Eren!"He opened his eyes to stare at a soulless white ceiling. There was a call at the door... Where was this place?... Oh.. crap.Silas slid in without invitation and he held the door open for a moment and watched the moving wheelchair."How many scars do you have left?""What?”"You have a meeting tomorrow. Or rather, we have a meeting tomorrow about you."Eren thought furiously for a second, then almost choked in his reply. "What meeting?"Silas ignored the question. "You still have a bunch of scars.”Eren fumbled with a sleeve. There were some red bruises and marks in the area where Drake had hit him. Hard.“Well yes, I do.” "Good. We'll need them as evidence. The Winchesters have planned an empathetic visit, if you may.""Visit?""Em-pa-thy," Silas said, cutting him short with the vehement pronunciation. Like he didn't know what that meant. "Come," he ordered, wheeling himself out with just as much ease as he spoke.What did the Winchesters want with him? They hear
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Silas’s Private Chamber
Eren blinked, and watched as Silas wheeled through the stairway.For a moment he thought the old man would topple with the chair and fall all the way. He saw it play out in his head and brushed it away apprehensively. Fortunately the chair, and Silas, and himself went safely into the chamber, lights blaring to life as their entry alerted the motion sensors inside.The late expanse of engineered space held many different things that were not built to be in the same space.There was a comb under sealed glass and fluorescent light.Some hair on a petri dish.A bunch of outdated radios and tape recorders that could have been used by Hitler himself. Some complicated machinery that was beginning to gather some weeks-old dust. And then a large surface wall covered entirely with papers and photographs.The last bit caught Eren’s attention and he wandered off toward the pile of valuable garbage apparently assembled over years of underground digging. Behind him Silas explained - “Wincheste
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Meeting Vatican Sol
“Eren!” His eyes opened with a start again. This time the professor's voice was less intrusive, but persistent nonetheless. It took a bit of effort to lift his face off the mattress and sit up. He pushed the hair away from his face to see a mix of fluorescent and natural light streaming in from the open door. There was a humanoid silhouette in a chair before him, that grew more defined as his vision sharpened. It was Silas. He must have let himself into the room. "Good Morning Eren." Eren steadied himself. "What time is it? Good Morning." "I will wait for you outside," said Silas. "Get ready quick, we have to begin early " It took ten minutes for him to wash in a sink, pick a shirt, look at a mirror in passing, then rejoin the old man. He wore socks over his feet this time, and they retraced their steps back to the underground vault that housed Silas private chamber. "I should have returned this yesterday," Eren held the trinket out before him while walk
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student The Winchester’s Arrival
A mile away from the mansion, an entourage of eight identical, imposing black wagons approached the building in a long, gleaming and resilient line of steel. The sixth of these cars carried a man whose deep blue eyes gazed through his window with silent power and an air of dignity, much like a creator looking upon his universe. This man and his entourage were headed for the same location where Silas, Vatican Sol, and Eren now resided. At least in the moment, the three of them were still alone. Eren was seated in a gray colored, relatively small, swivel chair, a few meters away from both Sol and the professor. He was looking at what resembled a map — a flat, broad tablet that displayed a simple, process-low diagram. The other two were looking at the same map on their own portable screens. "This is a rough outline to give us an idea of our position and progress. It can be refined as things get progressively clearer," Vatican Sol said. "The black dot on the far left is you, an
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Meeting The Clan Head
'Go,' Eren thought to himself as he pushed the psycho physical button on the screen. He waited with stiff patience. Nothing. "Silas?" He heard himself call. "Keep your eyes closed," came the professor's voice. His chair made its usual whining sound as he re-entered the room. "Just stay calm, as calm and focused as you can be." "Should I... select it again?" Now Eren could see that even that was impossible as the button had been replaced by a circular, loading icon. "Yes." He clicked the button with his mind's hand, again. Crap, nothing was happening! "Bad news," said a voice suddenly. "What?" both of them asked at the same time. "I can't believe the boy is still awake," Sol blurted, reverting to the more obvious issue. "What is wrong, Sol?" the professor pressed. "The clan head, he came by himself." It was clear that Vatican Sol was deliberately staying calm. For a moment Silas was speechless. Then he finally spoke. "That is... amazing. I half expected it, but stil
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student Back To The Land Of The Living
NINE MONTHS LATER ‘I told you. They are too sleek to be pushed into admission.’ That was the response he had received from Vatican Sol, when he let him know what had become of the testimony he had filed, on Eren's attack. The Khans, like every other allegation, had rushed it aside as though it were a pesky fly. Well, in some ways it was. Those people... They seemed to have over them and their image, a bulletproof of sorts. And for every witness they could create ten alibis, right there on the spot. At least, Silas thought, the publicity had been useful in some way. But the outcome told him, as it did tell Sol, that their years of investigation would be worthless without some vice-like, undeniable grip on the perpetrators. That way it would be acknowledged, just as it was already long-known, that they deserved what was hopefully coming. And again, Vatican Sol had thought the same exact way. ‘I think the kid is the key,’ The professor could recall him saying.
System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student The Offer
"Eren, it is a joy to have you back." Vatican Sol's gray hair was growing wild on his temples, so that they stood out like bristles before his ears. Then the same hair crept to the crown of his head in a well-tended, running buzz cut. He was holding the electronic tablet in which they had viewed the 'map' of their plan several months before. He was the only one viewing it now, or whatever was on that screen. "Silas told me when you awoke yesterday. Unfortunately I could not come down at once.” Beside them, a weak sun was casting its gentle rays through the window. The three of them were seated in the professor's study, and Sol's shiny shoes made a scraping sound as they mistakenly grazed the floor. "I have to brief you on your mission," he continued, then,cast a glance in Silas's direction before adding, "But I think there's some other information you will be needing first.” Eren turned to Silas, who had coughed lightly. He had a small pile of about four clean sheets of
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- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
THE END
“Samantha Dennin." A female security officer poked her head into the gymnasium of the Academy, looking around for her. “Lord William had requested your audience. Immediately."Samantha stood up abruptly, looked at the officer, and offered her a curt nod of affirmation before removing her gym towel from her neck and following the Security officer out of the gymnasium.The air outside the gym was crispy and cold. Samantha could hear winter’s whisper from the wind and the cold.She smiled as she breathed in the fresh air. She looked forward, and in the distance, she could see the towering building, The Titan, where William Winchester's office was. She was not at a loss about what was going to happen. The new academic session of Winchester Academy started a few days before, and she had hoped that she would be able to participate in it, but William Winchester hadn't said anything yet. For her, whatever William Winchester said would determine the course of her life.“Come in." She hear
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Letting Bygones Be Bygones
It had been three days since the battle, and the Academy was still buzzed with the news of the Great Fight as the students tagged it. Construction started immediately after the fight, and students joined in to make it faster and more effective. The sun shone brighter, and the people were happier. As William had briefed the media, the enemy was incapacitated and wouldn't be coming back. While it shined sunshine and rainbows, doom spelled darkness in the deepest parts of the Academy prison yards. In a state-of-the-art prison, Silas sat, locked up by order of the Awakened judiciary, until his judgment. Vatican Sol was also locked with him. The only problem that the Academy had was the runaway father and son. Edward Dennin and his son, Trevor Dennin. Finding them was becoming a problem because of Edward Dennin's expertise in hiding. However, William made sure that the security team wouldn't rest until they found them both. This became their motivation to look harder and find
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
The Fall Of Silas Homer
Zachary raised his head and was face to face with Silas. He desperately struggled to keep his breath going. He had held on for more than five minutes, waiting for nothing. He just wanted to keep Silas Homer busy so he would not pursue Eren. Eren stood around thirty steps away, transfixed. Zachary understood that he needed more time and was willing to help him obtain it. Zachary had two things that made him determined. The first one was that nothing would happen to his son for as long as he was conscious on the battlefield, and the second was that he wouldn't die until he explained the actual situation to his son.“You think you're all it?" Zachary asked, a disgusted look on his face. Silas's eyes widened like a madman's, obviously not accepting of what Zachary said. “I'm better than a weakling like you!" He shouted. “The world does not need weaklings. You all do nothing more than infest the world with your weakness. It's sickening.”Zachary rasped and chuckled, his face amused.
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Father & Son, Face To Face
Night was fast approaching, but the fire of war still burned bright on the summit. Fights continued in different places and spots as MANNA burst forth in various ways and diverse strengths. Despite the bloody battlefield, the colors in the sky splashed out in equipoise. The blues and green and orange, the sky prided itself in its contrast to the mortality of men. The sky looked upon the men of the ground with pity as they stole life from one another and sent their souls to nowhere.Eren Trost ran into the battlefield with a roar of rage and snatched the Helm of Tyrants from Silas Homer, yanking it from his head. The older man didn't notice that a few of his hair was torn along with it. His pride and trust in the Helm of Tyrant were going to be his doom, and he didn't know it yet. Slowly, the great level of MANNA, which was running through his veins and synced with blood, left him. Realizing that he had been rid of the power he depended on, Silas Homer looked around in haste, des
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Blood & Betrayal
The day was beginning to bleed into the evening, but the fighting field retained its activity. Jared Khan was faced by his children at the eastern end of the fighting field. Kathlyn had her hand on her hip as she faced her father, angrily questioning him about his decisions.“Dad! You don't have to do this.” She ran towards him to stop him from hurting innocent people. Jared Khan ignored them and tossed the guard he had just beaten up, who had slumped to the side. After he saw that the space around him was empty and no guard or soldier was standing that he could attack or fight with, he reluctantly faced his children.“Father, " Drake started. “Why are you doing this?” He transformed back and stood behind his sister, hoping that she could knock him back into reality.Drake had always believed Kathlyn to be their father's favorite. Growing up, she always got their father's love and attention, which was different from his experience. Drake hoped that his sister's being more loved
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Way Down We Go 2
Eren kept his gaze on Sid. Not out of caution but to seek his little bit of regret. But he got nothing. Despite his rage and anger-infused questions, Sid didn't respond; he just retained his blank, emotionless look, further enraging Eren.“Say something!" Eren shouted again, hoping Sid would respond and, at the least, tell him why he was doing what he was. Why did he choose to follow Silas despite his sinister plans to destroy the Awakened society and the world as they knew it?Despite Eren's hurt, which he deliberately ignored to focus on restoring his image, finding Silas, returning the Helm of Tyrants, and finding the truth behind his mother's death, he wanted to believe that Sid wasn't doing it voluntarily. He wanted to believe that he had a reason why he betrayed his trust and followed Silas“I have nothing to say to you, Eren," Sid said, unsheathing his daggers tucked in the leather pouch. Eren's face slowly pulled into a confused frown, and he wracked his head, trying to
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Way Down We Go
A dark cloud covered the sun and enveloped the area in the seminar hall, making it look like the evening. MANNA glowed in diverse colors in different spots and places as the Awakened society attacked one another. The Awakened who followed Silas came rushing into the arena, and William's trained soldiers attacked them with power and strength on par with Silas's Awakened. Flashes of sword fights and MANNA shots filled the seminar ground. The dark cloud that covered the sun slowly peeled off its surface, revealing the faces of each person to their opponent.The thrill of victory dried off Eren's nerves as he ran to the fighting ground, his heart beating hard as he approached the middle of the fight. He could see William's braided white hair in the distance, and he rushed to the scene, stopping about twenty steps behind him to get a clearer vision from the proximity. A smirk grew on his lips as he counted; he realized that they had more numbers than Silas's team. William and other p
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
First War, Second Victory
On the night before the summit, the Academy held its breath in dread and anxiety. Despite the preparations that had been made, the question of the uncertainty of what could happen still lingered in the air.The Helm of Tyrants was the most feared trinket in the Academy, so it was kept safe in the Academy Head’s office, the safest place on the Academy grounds, second only to the Academy vault. The uncertainty of the next day kept William in the middle of his office by 8 p.m., pacing a hole in the ground.William walked to the northern end of his office, where the transparent glass wall was, and looked out of the window; the north side of the Academy was completely open to him. Thoughts of what could happen the next day filled his mind. He thought of thousands of scenarios in which they won and a million in which they lost. His father had spoken to Zachary and him since they were teenagers about the Helm of Tyrants and its great power. In the wrong hands, the world as they know it
- System Activated: Rise Of The Bullied Student
Celestial Grove
Drake sat opposite the large window in his Academy dorm room, his hands intertwined behind his head as he rocked the wooden dorm chair. Sighing for the fourth time in a minute, he brushed one hand through his hair, the dirty blonde shining a hue of gold as the morning sun streamed into his room when the clouds cleared off it.“Ugh," He groaned, his hands sliding down his face, muffling his voice. This is sweet hell, he thought and stood up abruptly, causing the chair to tip back and almost fall. Drake swiftly held it back and positioned it to face his desk, the chair frame now facing away from the window.Drake stood up to check the window. The glass was completely transparent, giving him a clear view of what was going on on the ground floor. It was bustling with activities. Drake perceived it as preparations for Silas Homer’s suspected plan to destroy the major clan leaders and senators all at once during the nation's leaders' summit, which was a few days away.He used animal he
