By sunrise the next day, the internet had officially lost its collective mind.
Every platform—Twitter, WeTube, BiteByte, even the shopping apps—was overflowing with the same phrase:
"THAT REFLEX IS NOT HUMAN."
It wasn't just trending.
It was the only thing trending.
The Memes Get Out of Control
Aria Lane catching that pipe mid-air became a cultural event.
Memes flooded the world:
A slowed GIF titled "Gravity, meet your boss."
Fanart of her stepping on shadows like stepping stones.
A cartoon of her elbowing time itself.
A t-shirt design that read: "Human? Undefined."
A popular reaction sticker pack:
Aria side-eyeing physics
Aria catching invisible danger
Aria holding snacks with tactical precision
One user posted:
💬 "Please remember she's just a girl who wanted noodles."
Someone replied:
💬 "A girl who wanted noodles and casually broke military reflex records."
Scientists Join the Madness
Several professors from three different universities posted side-by-side comparisons of her reflexes vs those of trained athletes.
One video whiteboarded the angles.
Another calculated the force output.
A third went viral because of the lecturer's pained tone:
"Look… I'm not saying she's superhuman.
I'm saying physics should apologize to her."
Students in the lecture hall cheered.
Sports Analysts Chime In
A retired Olympic boxer made a video reaction:
"Her reaction time isn't 'fast.'
It's anticipatory.
That's not something you learn.
That's something you survive."
Clips of him saying this were edited with dramatic music and uploaded everywhere.
Someone Even Started a Petition
"Recognize Aria Lane as National Treasure No. 9."
Reason listed:
"Because she can catch danger with one hand and snacks with the other."
Thousands signed within an hour.
Daniel's Emotional Collapse (Again)
Daniel found Aria on the couch surrounded by snacks she absolutely did not buy.
Fans had delivered them to the lobby.
Security was powerless.
"Aria," Daniel whispered, holding up his tablet with trembling hands.
"You're trending for being… possibly non-human."
Aria munched a cracker.
"That's new."
"No, it's NOT NEW—IT'S ESCALATING."
She shrugged.
"People have imagination."
"PEOPLE ARE MAKING EVOLUTION CHARTS WITH YOU AS THE FINAL FORM."
Aria blinked.
"What do I look like?"
Daniel zoomed in.
The diagram showed a caveman → modern human → Aria glowing with cosmic power.
She nodded.
"Accurate."
Daniel screamed into a pillow.
The Press Ambushes Her Outside Her Home
When Aria tried to leave the building for groceries, a horde of reporters swarmed her instantly.
"MISS LANE, COULD YOU PLEASE REACT TO THE LEAKED FOOTAGE?"
"ARE YOU A SUPERHUMAN?"
"CAN YOU EXPLAIN YOUR SPEED?"
"ARE YOU HIDING A TRAINING BACKGROUND?"
"DO YOU HAVE MILITARY CONNECTIONS?"
Aria sighed.
"No."
Every reporter froze.
She added:
"But thank you for believing in me."
Chaos returned.
Fan Speculation Becomes Strange
On a forum thread titled "Aria Lane: Science or Sorcery?", arguments broke out:
"She's a martial arts prodigy."
"She's a cyborg."
"She trained in a monastery."
"She's reincarnated."
"She's definitely a secret agent."
"She's definitely lying about not being a secret agent."
One passionate user wrote:
💬 "Aria Lane is the reason my trust issues have trust issues."
Another replied:
💬 "And yet I would let her catch me like she caught that pipe."
The thread spiraled rapidly.
The Shadow Moves Closer
Across the city, in a cramped hostel room, the man who recognized her stared at the screen showing the same leaked footage the world obsessed over.
But he didn't see memes.
He didn't see hype.
He saw muscle memory.
He saw training.
He saw the ghost of his commander.
He whispered, voice low and hoarse:
"That's the exact reaction time from Mission Delta.
Same tension.
Same breath."
He rubbed his face with shaking hands.
"You were dead. But that's you."
Outside his window, he watched the crowds gathering around shops selling Aria-themed merch.
"Are you trying to signal us… or warn us?"
He packed his bag.
He needed to see her.
He needed to confirm with his own eyes.
Aria's Personal Reaction
Aria sat on her kitchen counter later that night, legs swinging, eating pudding directly from the cup, reading the conspiracy theories on her phone.
Daniel paced behind her like a caged tiger.
"Please deny something. Anything. For my sanity."
Aria scrolled.
One post read:
"She's too calm in danger. That's not civilian behavior."
Another:
"She senses threats before they become threats."
Another:
"She's hiding something big."
Aria took a slow spoonful, savoring it.
"…They're not wrong."
Daniel froze mid-pace.
"What? WHAT do you mean they're not wrong?!"
She set the pudding cup down, eyes flicking toward the window as if sensing a presence nobody else could.
"Someone leaked that footage on purpose.
Someone who knew me."
Daniel swallowed.
"Should I be scared?"
Aria slid off the counter.
"No."
She smiled slightly.
"They should."