Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 122

Karl cleared the breakfast dishes as his phone vibrated on the counter. He glanced at the screen, expecting the usual complaints or accusations from the muted group chat. But the preview of the latest message stopped him cold.

[Tom - 2D]: Someone’s dead. Fourth floor. This isn’t a joke.

His hand froze, and the sound of running water from the sink became deafening in the silence. Jane, noticing his stiff posture, frowned. "What’s up?" she asked.

Karl hesitated, then slid the phone across the table toward her. Jane picked it up, her face slowly morphing into an expression of shock as she read the message. "Someone’s dead?" she whispered, almost to herself.

Layla, still chewing a piece of toast, looked up in alarm. "What do you mean ’dead’? Like... murdered?"

Karl didn’t answer immediately, watching as more messages flooded the chat.

[Greg - 4C]: Stop lying, Tom. No one’s dead. You’re just trying to scare people.

[Linda - 5A]: No, Greg, he’s right. I heard something last night. There was screaming... like, bad screaming.

[Tom - 2D]: I swear I’m not lying. It’s the guy from 4B. His door’s wide open. Someone should check, but I’m not going in there.

Karl grabbed the phone back and muted the chat again. He didn’t need to see any more to confirm the situation. A tight knot formed in his stomach. The storm outside was merciless, and the thin walls of the apartment complex amplified every sound. If someone had been killed, it meant desperation had finally tipped into chaos.

Jane leaned forward, her voice low but urgent. "Karl, what do we do? This is bad."

"We don’t do anything," Karl said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We stay here. We don’t leave. We don’t get involved."

"But—"

"Jane," Karl interrupted, locking eyes with her. "We’re not equipped to deal with this. If it’s really that bad, the last thing we should do is draw attention to ourselves. We have food. We’re warm. We’re safe. Let’s keep it that way."

Layla swallowed hard, her usually sarcastic demeanor replaced by genuine fear. "But what if whoever did it comes here? What if they find out we’re... you know..." Her eyes darted toward the cabinets stocked with supplies.

Karl’s jaw tightened. "That’s exactly why we stay quiet. No one needs to know what we have."

The three of them sat in tense silence, the storm outside seeming louder than ever. Layla broke it after a moment. "So... we just act like nothing happened? Pretend it’s not our problem?"

Karl nodded. "Exactly."

Jane sighed, crossing her arms. "I don’t like it, but I get it. The moment anyone knows how comfortable we are, we’ll become targets."

Karl’s phone vibrated again. Against his better judgment, he glanced at the chat, hoping it would provide more clarity.

[Linda - 5A]: I can’t stop thinking about the screaming. It sounded like... like they were begging for their life.

[Tom - 2D]: I think it’s safer if we all stay in our apartments. Lock your doors. Trust no one.

[Greg - 4C]: This is insane. If we don’t figure out who did it, anyone could be next.

Karl muttered under his breath, "Great. Now they’re forming a witch hunt."

Jane glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

"They’re panicking. Trying to figure out who did it, like they’re suddenly detectives." He gestured to the phone. "It’s only going to make things worse."

"Do you think they’ll come door-to-door?" Layla asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Maybe," Karl admitted. "But if they do, we stay calm. We don’t give them a reason to suspect us."

Jane frowned, tapping her fingers on the table. "What if they already suspect us? We’ve been too quiet. Too... self-sufficient."

Karl stared at her, his mind racing. She wasn’t wrong. In a situation like this, silence could be as incriminating as guilt.

"I’ll handle it," he said after a moment. "If anyone asks questions, I’ll make up something. But for now, we stick to the plan. We stay inside, we stay quiet, and we don’t draw attention to ourselves."

The storm outside raged on, a relentless reminder of the isolation that surrounded them. Inside the apartment, the three of them exchanged uneasy glances, each silently grappling with the same question: How long could they stay hidden before the chaos outside came knocking?

Jane stared at her hands, the memory of her rapidly healed wound still fresh in her mind. She turned her gaze toward Karl, who was calmly flipping through his phone at the table, seemingly unfazed by the howling storm outside.

"Karl," Jane began, her voice hesitant, "I think something... strange is happening to me."

Karl looked up, his expression unreadable. "What kind of strange?"

Jane sighed, setting her mug down. "You remember when I accidentally cut my finger while cooking a few days ago? It was deep—there was blood everywhere. But when I looked again, the wound was gone. Completely gone."

Karl didn’t react immediately, as if weighing her words. "And?" he prompted.

Jane hesitated. "It happened again yesterday. I burned myself on the stove. I felt the pain, saw the mark, but then it disappeared. It’s like my body’s healing itself... faster than it should."

Karl set his phone aside, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You’re saying your body’s regenerating? Instantly?"

Jane nodded, her unease growing. "Yes. I know it sounds crazy, but... it’s real."

Karl leaned back in his chair, his calm demeanor unwavering. "It’s not crazy. I told you this might happen."

Layla, who had been lounging on the couch, perked up. "Wait, you knew this could happen? Since when?"

"Since the explosion," Karl said, his tone matter-of-fact. He turned back to Jane. "Remember what I told you about the supersonic blast that triggered this winter apocalypse? It wasn’t just the atmosphere and the weather it affected. There was more to it—people started changing. Awakening, I called it."

Jane nodded slowly. "You said some people might develop... abilities. But I thought you were just theorizing."

"It wasn’t just a theory," Karl said, leaning forward. "The explosion released something—call it energy, radiation, whatever. It altered the way some people’s bodies and minds function. You’re one of them."

Layla sat up straight, her eyes wide with excitement. "So Jane’s like a superhero now? What else can she do?"

Jane shot her a look. "This isn’t a joke, Layla. It’s... unsettling."

Karl gestured for silence, his voice steady. "Jane, listen to me. If your body’s healing itself this fast, it means your regeneration ability has been triggered by necessity. Your body’s adapting to survive in these conditions."

"But why me?" Jane asked, her tone almost desperate. "I’m just... normal. There’s nothing special about me."

"It’s not about being special," Karl explained. "Awakenings don’t care about who you are—they’re about survival. Extreme stress, injury, or even the environment could trigger it. It’s your body’s way of protecting you."

Layla was still grinning. "This is so cool! Jane, you’re literally built different now. Imagine all the stuff you could do."

Karl gave her a pointed look. "This isn’t a game, Layla. If anyone else finds out about this, it could put Jane in danger."

Jane’s expression darkened. "You mean the neighbors?"

"Exactly," Karl said. "The people in this building are already desperate. They’re starving, freezing, and scared. If they find out you have an ability, they won’t just see you as Jane. They’ll see you as a resource. Or worse, a threat."

The room fell silent, Jane absorbing Karl’s words. The storm outside seemed to amplify the tension, the wind battering the windows like an ominous reminder of the world beyond their fragile sanctuary.

"So what do I do?" Jane asked finally.

Karl’s expression softened. "For now, nothing. Don’t draw attention to yourself. Don’t test your limits in front of others. Lay low and let me handle things."

Layla frowned. "That’s it? No training montage or secret missions?"

Karl shot her a glare. "This isn’t some action movie, Layla. This is survival. The only mission is staying alive."

Jane nodded slowly, her hands trembling slightly. "I just... I don’t want to hurt anyone, Karl."

"You won’t," he assured her. "This ability isn’t about hurting people. It’s about protecting yourself. Use it wisely, and it might save your life."

Jane looked down at her hands again, a mixture of fear and determination crossing her face. "Okay," she said quietly. "I’ll keep it to myself."

Karl gave her a small nod, his tone firm but reassuring. "Good. We’ll get through this. One step at a time."