Author speaking
Sorry I didn't post the next chapter. I want a vacation with my family so I spend some time offline.
Continuing
John didn't release a song that night.
The urge was there — the system practically hummed in the back of his mind, reminding him how easy it would be. One upload. One push. Millions of listens.
More points.
More power.
And more attention.
He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, fists clenched.
"If I keep going like this," he whispered, "that thing evolves faster."
The system responded immediately.
[Confirmed.]
[Reduced Output Will Slow External Adaptation.]
[Warning: Point Accumulation Will Decrease.]
A trade-off.
Always a trade-off.
John exhaled. "Do it. Limit spread. Regional only."
There was a pause.
Then—
[Restriction Applied.]
[Global Resonance Reduced by 63%.]
The silence afterward felt… wrong.
Like the world had stopped leaning toward him.
The Cost
The next day, the numbers told the truth.
Streams slowed.
Growth flattened.
Points trickled in instead of flooding.
The system displayed it mercilessly.
[Current Points: 112,400]
[Projected Growth: Slow]
John stared at the shop menu.
Offensive abilities stared back at him — tempting, powerful, expensive.
But his eyes stopped on something else.
[Defensive Ability — Tier 2]
[Adaptive Reflex Barrier]
Cost: 100,000 Points
He remembered the Watcher's hand passing inches from his face.
The way it learned.
The way it waited.
He didn't hesitate.
"Purchase."
Pain lanced through his spine.
Not explosive — controlled. Like invisible plates forming under his skin, syncing with his nerves. His heart skipped once, then steadied.
[Ability Acquired.]
[Passive Defense Activated.]
John flexed his fingers.
He felt… safer.
Not stronger.
Prepared.
Sabrina Pushes Back
At school, Sabrina noticed immediately.
"You didn't post anything," she said as they walked home. "No new snippet. No teaser."
John shrugged. "Taking it slow."
She stopped walking.
John turned.
She crossed her arms. "That's not like you."
He met her eyes — really met them.
"…I'm trying to protect something," he said.
Her expression softened. "Something… or someone?"
He didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
She stepped closer. "You don't have to stop being you to be careful."
He smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I have to survive long enough to find balance."
She didn't fully understand.
But she nodded anyway.
The Watcher Reacts
Elsewhere, where sound had no source—
The Watcher paused.
The resonance had weakened.
"The signal… diminished," it said.
Its form rippled slightly, like an algorithm missing data.
"Source is suppressing output."
A moment passed.
Then—
"Adjustment required."
It turned its attention not outward…
…but inward.
Toward the people closest to John.
Not to harm.
To observe reaction under pressure.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Notices Too
Coulson stared at the latest report.
"He pulled back," an analyst said. "Music activity dropped sharply."
Coulson frowned. "Smart kid."
"But sir," another agent added, "whatever was reacting to him hasn't disappeared."
Coulson sighed.
"No," he said quietly. "It's adapting."
The Calm Before
That night, John stood by his window, city lights glowing below.
The system chimed softly.
[Status: Stable — For Now.]
[Warning: Suppression Cannot Be Maintained Indefinitely.]
John closed his eyes.
He'd slowed the storm.
But storms never stopped forever.
And somewhere out there—
Something was learning how to reach him without touching him at all.