Bully Lord

Part-8

James found himself jolting awake, the sheets tangled around him. Sweat clung to his skin, a cold clammy sensation despite the warm night air. He sat up, chest heaving, his gaze falling on his trembling hands. The events of the alleyway played out in his mind – the brutal beating, the chilling indifference of Lemon and his gang, the rain washing over him. It felt so real, so immediate. But was it?

He snatched his phone from the nightstand, squinting at the date displayed on the screen. It was the same date as the attack – a date forever etched in his memory.  Confusion washed over him. Was it all just a horrific nightmare? Yet, the memory of returning home, of getting into bed – that was a complete blank.

The thought of his mother, of seeking comfort in her arms, flickered in his mind. But a wave of apprehension stopped him. How could he explain his injuries? How could he explain the lost night, the gaping hole in his memory? He needed to understand what happened first, to piece together the missing fragments of his night.

A strange sensation prickled at James' fingertips as he touched his head, no lingering ache or tenderness from the beating. It was as if his body had somehow repaired itself overnight, the memory of the attack the only evidence of its reality. Confused and disoriented, he glanced around his room, the familiar surroundings offering little solace. The worn wallpaper with its faded superhero posters, the overflowing bookshelf crammed with fantasy novels – these were the comforting constants of his life, yet they felt strangely distant now.

His gaze then landed on something even more baffling – a faint, glowing screen hovering in the air a few feet in front of him. It resembled a heads-up display from a video game, its translucent blue light casting an otherworldly glow on his worn desk and rumpled bedsheets.

Blinking rapidly, James rubbed his eyes, unsure if he was still hallucinating from the shock. When he opened them again, the screen remained, displaying a message in crisp, blue letters: "Mission 1: Complete 10 Push-Ups. Your STR will increase by 0.1."

A jolt of adrenaline shot through him. Was this some elaborate prank? A technological glitch from a new VR game he hadn't gotten around to installing? Or something more? Hesitantly, he reached out a finger, the blue light shimmering slightly as it passed through his hand. It felt real, not a holographic projection. With a mix of apprehension and a strange sense of exhilaration, James decided to play along. He lowered himself into a push-up position, his heart pounding in his chest. As he began the exercise, a warmth spread through his muscles, a subtle tingle that felt unlike anything he'd experienced before. Was this the system enhancing his strength in real time?

Dropping down slowly, he completed ten controlled push-ups, focusing on the burn in his muscles. As he finished the last one, a wave of satisfaction washed over him, a subtle sense of improvement in his physical form. Then, with a satisfying chime, the screen updated: "Congratulations! Mission Complete. Your STR increased by +0.1."

James stared at the message, his mind reeling. STR – that stood for Strength, a stat commonly found in video games. Could this be some kind of augmented reality system? Was he in a simulation? A million questions flooded his mind, but one thing was certain – his life had taken an extraordinary turn.