CHAPTER 28: LANDON'S CHOICE
POV: Alen
The werewolf transition cell felt like interrogation chamber designed by people who understood that supernatural imprisonment required more than steel bars and concrete walls. Silver-lined restraints, vervain-soaked atmosphere, magical dampening fields that suppressed enhanced abilities while leaving occupants conscious enough for questioning.
Landon sat in reinforced chair with expression that cycled between confusion and dawning horror, test results scattered across monitoring table like evidence in cosmic trial. Blood work confirmed supernatural physiology, cellular analysis revealed artificial construction, genetic sequencing showed patterns that belonged in laboratory rather than natural conception.
"He's taking this better than canonical timeline. No complete breakdown, no desperate denial. Maybe because he's had weeks to suspect something was wrong, months of feeling different without understanding why."
Alaric conducted questioning with professional distance that didn't quite mask paternal concern, treating Landon like potential threat while remembering he was still teenage student whose world had shattered through no fault of his own.
"What do you remember about your birth?" Alaric asked, reviewing documentation that painted picture of systematic obscurity.
"Foster system," Landon replied with practiced efficiency of someone who'd answered these questions countless times. "No records before age five. Social workers always said my original family died in accident, but paperwork was lost in fire."
"Memory wipes. Magical adoption." Alaric's expression grew grim. "Someone invested significant resources in hiding your origin story."
"Malivore. Dimensional prison that creates golems to retrieve supernatural artifacts. Landon was shaped from primordial clay and given false memories, artificial childhood, fake identity designed to pass human scrutiny until activation triggered his true purpose."
Alen tried to explain what cosmic restrictions prevented him from revealing directly. "He's connected to the pit—"
The words scrambled before reaching his lips, Entity's curse transforming coherent warning into meaningless gibberish.
"He's connected to the interpretive dance apocalypse!"
Alaric shot him sharp look mixing irritation with concern. "Alen, enough. If you can't contribute constructively, wait outside."
Frustration broke through enhanced control, months of accumulated helplessness crystallizing into physical violence that provided temporary release. Alen punched reinforced wall with supernatural strength, siphoning residual magic violently while golden veins pulsed beneath marked skin.
The concrete cracked. His knuckles bled. The cosmic curse remained absolute.
POV: Landon
Landon watched Alen's breakdown with recognition that transcended their limited interaction, understanding born from shared experience of being trapped by circumstances beyond personal control. The older boy's frustration felt familiar—desire to help constrained by forces that made honest communication impossible.
"You're trying to help but can't," Landon said quietly, addressing Alen while Alaric compiled test results. "Some kind of curse?"
Alen nodded, throat working silently while blood dripped from damaged knuckles. The cosmic restriction was visible torture, knowledge trapped behind supernatural barriers that inflicted punishment for attempted revelation.
"Am I dangerous?" The question carried weight beyond simple curiosity—Landon needed to understand whether his existence threatened people who'd shown him kindness.
Alen chose words carefully, navigating cosmic restrictions through indirect honesty. "You're important. More important than you know. But danger isn't determined by nature—it's determined by choices."
The sincerity cut through months of accumulated suspicion, hostile looks transformed into recognition that Alen's behavior stemmed from protective instinct rather than personal animosity. Someone who knew terrible truths but couldn't share them, watching disasters unfold while cosmic forces prevented intervention.
Hope entered the containment area with expression mixing determination and emotional vulnerability, tribrid nature responding to proximity despite rational understanding of supernatural complications. "I don't care what you are. You're my friend."
Rafael followed with loyalty that transcended species boundaries, werewolf pack instincts translated into family protection that made biology irrelevant. "My brother. Whatever you are, that doesn't change."
Belonging flooded through Landon's consciousness for the first time in artificial existence—acceptance despite revealed nature, friendship that survived impossible revelations, family bonds that prioritized choice over circumstance.
"They know what I am and they're staying. Not running, not calling me monster, not demanding I leave. For the first time since false memories began, I feel like I belong somewhere."
"I stay," he decided aloud, words carrying weight of commitment that would reshape everyone's future. "Whatever's coming, whatever I'm supposed to do—I choose to help fight instead."
POV: Alen
Training began the next morning in gymnasium converted into supernatural combat arena, protective wards reinforced to contain abilities that might manifest unpredictably. Alen volunteered to work with Landon despite months of tension, cosmic knowledge demanding he help the phoenix-golem understand capabilities that could save or doom them all.
"If you're part of this war, you need to survive it," Alen announced, activating practice dummies designed for supernatural combat. "Your phoenix abilities are emerging whether you understand them or not. Better to learn control here than discover limitations during real battle."
They sparred with increasing intensity while Landon's nature asserted itself through enhanced healing, fire immunity, rapid regeneration that made normal human limitations irrelevant. Each exchange revealed new capabilities—strength that matched vampire power, speed that rivaled werewolf reflexes, resilience that shrugged off damage that would incapacitate normal students.
Alen taught through demonstration rather than explanation, showing Landon how to harness rather than fear emerging abilities. Channel fire immunity into offensive capability. Use rapid healing for tactical endurance. Transform supernatural speed into combat advantage rather than uncontrolled enhancement.
Rafael joined training sessions with protective enthusiasm, werewolf genetics providing natural compatibility with supernatural combat instruction. The three formed unexpected bond—Alen respecting Landon's resilience, Landon grateful for acceptance, Rafael proud of foster brother's hidden strength.
Hope watched from gymnasium balcony with expression that mixed approval and complex emotions, seeing her boyfriend and friend finding peace through shared purpose. The Hollow remained dormant in Alen's proximity while tribrid nature responded favorably to Landon's supernatural signature.
"Character development," Lizzie commented, appearing beside Hope with theatrical timing. "How refreshing. Usually interpersonal drama requires at least three episodes of misunderstandings and dramatic revelations."
"This is working. Landon's integrating successfully, abilities manifesting under controlled conditions, relationships stabilizing despite cosmic complications. Maybe I can guide him away from canonical disasters through indirect mentorship."
"But I can't explain his ultimate purpose without triggering the Entity's curse. Can't warn him that Malivore will eventually call him home, that his golem nature includes compulsions I can't override through friendship. Some truths remain locked behind supernatural barriers no amount of training can circumvent."
"Still, this is progress. School defended, Hope's trust restored, Landon accepted despite revealed nature. Three resurrection coins secured for future emergencies. For the first time since transmigration, I feel like I'm building something rather than just preventing disasters."
That night, Alen catalogued tactical progress while preparing for future challenges that cosmic knowledge revealed but couldn't prevent. Monsters defeated, students armed, relationships stabilized through shared trauma and honest communication within supernatural restrictions.
But Josie's corruption accelerated in shadows he couldn't perceive, dark artifacts amplifying natural abilities while moral flexibility expanded to accommodate convenient interpretations of right and wrong. Emma's counseling sessions missed, warning signs overlooked, sisterly concern dismissed through enhanced arrogance.
The next phase was beginning, and Alen was too focused on external threats to notice the darkness growing within his own family.