Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 123

Layla sat quietly, watching Jane’s troubled face. The tension in the room hung heavy, but her curiosity was eating at her. She turned to Karl, intending to lighten the mood, when her hand reached for her glass of water.

Without warning, the glass shattered in her grip. Shards of glass scattered across the table as water splashed over her lap.

"Layla!" Jane gasped, jumping to her feet. "Are you okay?"

Layla stared at her trembling hand, her eyes wide. "I didn’t mean to... I barely touched it." Her voice wavered, teetering between confusion and fear.

Karl moved quickly, grabbing a towel to mop up the mess. "Did you cut yourself?" he asked, inspecting her hand.

"No," Layla replied, her voice barely a whisper. "It didn’t even hurt. I didn’t squeeze that hard, Karl. I swear."

Karl’s eyes narrowed slightly as he took a step back, piecing together what he’d just witnessed. His mind raced, connecting dots he’d hoped wouldn’t align. Was this another awakening?

Layla met his gaze, her voice trembling. "Karl... what’s happening to me?"

He hesitated, glancing at Jane, who was now holding a dustpan and broom but staring at him with equal concern. His mind flashed back to a moment he’d nearly forgotten—when he’d given Layla something, something he shouldn’t have.

Was it the explosion that triggered this? Or was it...?

Karl shook the thought away. There wasn’t time to dwell on the cause. What mattered now was how to manage it.

"Layla," he said carefully, crouching down to her level, "I think you’re awakening, like Jane."

Her face twisted with disbelief. "Awakening? Like superpowers? That’s impossible!"

Karl gestured toward the shattered glass. "Does that look normal to you? You just crushed a glass without trying. Your strength is way above what it should be."

Layla’s lips parted, but no words came out. She looked at her hands again, flexing her fingers as though they belonged to someone else. "But I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t... want this."

Jane stepped closer, her voice soothing. "Neither did I, Layla. But it’s happening, and we have to figure out what it means."

Karl nodded. "You both need to be extremely careful. If the neighbors find out about this, they’ll panic. They’ll think you’re dangerous."

"But I’m not dangerous!" Layla snapped, her voice rising with frustration. "I didn’t ask to be some freak experiment!"

"You’re not a freak," Karl said firmly, cutting her off. "And you’re not an experiment. But you are different now, and we have to deal with that."

Layla stood abruptly, pacing the small kitchen. "This is insane. First Jane, now me? What’s next, Karl? Are you going to tell me you’re secretly Superman?"

He smirked faintly but didn’t answer. His mind was already working overtime, calculating the risks. Two awakenings in the same apartment. The odds were astronomical—or deliberate.

Jane stepped forward, putting a hand on Layla’s shoulder. "I know it’s scary, but you’re not alone in this. We’ll figure it out together."

Layla stopped pacing, her shoulders sagging. "What if I hurt someone? What if I can’t control it?"

"You can," Karl said firmly. "We’ll practice. Slowly, safely. But only when no one’s around."

Layla gave him a skeptical look. "Practice? So now I’m supposed to train like I’m in some superhero boot camp?"

"No," Karl said, his tone dead serious. "You’re supposed to learn how to survive. That’s all this is about."

The room fell silent again, the storm outside punctuating the tension with every howl of the wind. Layla sank back into her chair, her hands trembling slightly.

"So... what do we do now?" she asked, her voice small. freēnovelkiss.com

Karl straightened, crossing his arms. "For now, we stick to the plan. Stay quiet, stay inside, and don’t draw attention. No one outside this apartment can know what’s happening to either of you."

Layla nodded reluctantly, and Jane gave Karl a small, grateful smile. But the weight of their shared secret was palpable, pressing down on all three of them.

Karl glanced at the shattered glass on the table. Two awakenings, he thought grimly. And in this storm, with paranoia and desperation running high, their chances of staying hidden were getting slimmer by the minute.

Karl’s phone buzzed again, drawing his attention back to the screen. It was another message from Valencia. He opened it and read quickly.

[Valencia]: Your family is safe. Don’t worry.

Relief coursed through him, but it was short-lived as another message followed almost immediately.

[Valencia]: But something strange is happening. The Obscura are starting to turn into normal humans.

Karl frowned deeply, staring at the message. "Turning into normal humans?" he muttered to himself. How could that be possible? The Obscura were far from ordinary—creatures fundamentally different from humans in every way. What could cause such a drastic change?

Before he could think further, the system’s familiar, detached voice interrupted his thoughts.

[System Notification]: Analysis suggests the supersonic explosion has altered the genetic data of the Obscura, effectively transforming them into baseline Homo sapiens.

Karl’s breath caught for a moment. "The explosion... altered their genetic data?" The explanation sounded both incredible and impossible. Yet, it fit with everything that had been unraveling since the world turned upside down.

He leaned back, rubbing his temples, trying to make sense of it all. "If the explosion could change them, what else could it affect?" he thought grimly. The questions were piling up, and answers seemed further away than ever.

Layla broke the silence, her voice hesitant but urgent. "Karl, there’s something else."

Karl glanced up at her, his expression still clouded with the weight of Valencia’s message. "What is it?" he asked, his tone sharper than he intended.

Layla hesitated, then spoke quickly. "Amber and Chloe... they contacted me. They need help."

Karl froze. The mention of Amber and Chloe immediately put him on edge. He kept his expression neutral, but his mind raced. Amber and Chloe weren’t just former co-workers from the convenience store—they were Homo Obscura. And as far as Layla knew, they were just normal people.

"What kind of help?" Karl asked, forcing his tone to remain calm.

Layla shrugged, looking confused. "I’m not sure. They sounded... desperate. They just kept saying they needed to talk to someone they could trust. I didn’t know what to tell them, so I said I’d ask you."

Karl leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. Amber and Chloe, asking for help now of all times? He couldn’t ignore the timing—it lined up too perfectly with what Valencia had just said. Were they experiencing the same changes as the other Obscura?

Layla continued, misreading Karl’s silence as skepticism. "Look, I know we haven’t seen them in a while, but they were always good to us, right? If they need help, shouldn’t we at least hear them out?"

Karl took a slow breath, trying to mask the unease gnawing at him. "Did they say where they were?"

"They said they’re staying somewhere near the old store," Layla said. "But they didn’t give an exact location. Just that it’s urgent."

Karl nodded slowly, his mind calculating. If Amber and Chloe had truly been affected by the explosion, they might be reaching out because they didn’t understand what was happening to them. Or worse, because they were in danger.

"Alright," he said finally, meeting Layla’s eyes. "I’ll handle it. But for now, don’t mention this to anyone else, okay?"

Layla frowned. "Why not? They’re in trouble—shouldn’t we—"

"I said I’ll handle it," Karl interrupted, his tone firm but not unkind. "It’s better if fewer people get involved. Trust me."

Layla hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But don’t take too long. They sounded... scared."

Karl gave her a tight smile, though his thoughts were anything but reassuring. Amber and Chloe were out there, possibly struggling with a transformation they couldn’t explain. And now, for better or worse, they were his responsibility.

Karl stood up, his mind still spinning from the revelations. He glanced at Layla, who was watching him with a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Stay here," he said firmly. "Keep the doors locked, and don’t let anyone in unless it’s me."

Layla frowned. "Wait, you’re going to meet them? Alone? Are you sure that’s a good idea?"

"I don’t have a choice," Karl replied, grabbing his jacket. "If Amber and Chloe really need help, I need to find out why. And if... they’ve changed, it’s better I handle it myself."