The Diagnosis

A sharp cracking sound filled Arthur's throat, the result of a scream of pure anguish. His fists clenched so tightly that the thin bones cracked.

Professor Synapsis stirred in her seat at his outburst, observing her student with a mixture of disbelief and shock, as if she had forgotten he was there. She quickly regained her composure, adjusting her lab coat.

"Hmm... I suggest you return to your chair, Mr. Adams. I think that would be best," she said, her tone calm, though it sounded more like an order.

He obeyed, realizing he had just yelled at a professor, something he had never done before. This whole situation had truly driven him to the brink, but that was no excuse to lash out at someone he respected.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell," he said, letting out a deep breath to release some of his fear.

“Don’t worry, emotional reactions are common in young people your age, so I’ll let them slide to a certain extent.”

Then Synapsis’s face became much more serious than usual. Arthur noticed a shadow of concern cross her features. She glanced at her drone for a few seconds before looking back at it. The young man felt her scanning him once more, only this time with greater intensity.

“I’ll be frank, young Adams, the E-24 has detected an anomaly in your genetic code. In other words, I mean that you have the Omega Gene active in your body.”

The direct and blunt explanation was a wrecking ball to the last shred of hope that her theory was simply paranoia. But a good part of him had expected this diagnosis; however incredible, the signs were there for all to see.

“Damn… I knew it.” Arthur slumped in his chair, staring at the floor. “And what else do the tests say? I mean, I need to know what this power is.”

“Apparently, your body is constantly emitting an unknown, low-frequency energy wave. The tests suggest it’s passive in nature, posing no danger to the surroundings… but from what you’ve said, it seems there’s more to it.”

A blush began to spread across Arthur’s face as he avoided the professor’s gaze.

“Yeah… when I’m near a girl, something… something happens to her… they get weird.” The young man’s words trailed off, lost in a mix of fear and guilt, becoming a weak groan.

“Young Adams, I’ve never seen a case like yours, so it’s imperative that we know everything about these abilities. You must tell me everything about this anomaly, without withholding any details,” she spoke authoritatively, but also emphasizing the importance of the matter.

She was right; drowning in worry was useless. It was vital to gather as much information as possible to learn more. In moments like these, knowledge is paramount.

“Okay, Professor, I’ll tell you. I started noticing this yesterday morning. The girls started to…..”

He recounted the strange events of the previous day, struggling to keep his voice low. For the first time since his misadventures began, Arthur was able to talk about them with someone else, something that felt incredibly liberating.

Synapsis listened to his story in silence, asking no questions, simply crossing her arms and letting the young man vent completely. The boy deduced that her prodigious mind was storing away every word, perhaps for deeper analysis in the future.

While Arthur managed to recount Voltblast and Millenyom's strange insinuations, as well as his conversation with Talon and Fang, without much trouble, the same couldn't be said for his night with Nora. He instantly lost his tongue, and a thick layer of sweat covered his face.

"Umm... you see, when... when Nora arrived... she looked... uh... I... she ended up taking me outside," he said, his face flushed red, his breathing **** against the floor.

Adjusting her glasses, Professor Synapsis let out a soft sigh, more to calm him than to herself.

“I took a deep breath, young Adams, but I didn't stop. What happened when you and Miss Antonella left the premises?” Her eyes narrowed, a gesture indicating she was getting to something important.

He paused briefly to take a deep breath, though it did little to dispel the paralysis in his tongue.

“She… well, she… took me… took me to her house… and then… mmm… then… then… then… we… we… shit… we…” In the end, embarrassment got the better of him, cutting off any sound from his voice.

His interruption was no obstacle for Professor Synapsis's sharp intellect. She detected the obvious signs of shame typical of a child who had done something extremely embarrassing. It didn't take her long to figure out what her student was unable to tell her.

“They engaged in reproductive activity, didn’t they?” she said coldly, with unwavering certainty.

Still speechless, the flushed Arthur simply nodded with a barely perceptible movement.

“I understand your initial concern,” Synapsis said, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as if replaying the conversation in her mind. “This is far more delicate than I previously assumed.”

She stood up, maintaining her posture, and walked across the laboratory with steps so firm they resembled a military march. She didn’t look at Arthur once, but he felt that every neuron in her mind was focused on him. The young man had become a Rubik’s Cube that could explode if not solved correctly.

“Emotional relationships aren’t my strong suit, but I do recall, Mr. Adams, that Miss Antonella was one of the negative elements around you, or am I mistaken?”

After biting his lip in an anguished gesture to awaken it, Arthur spoke again.

“Yes… she hated me with everyone… but now she seems so different… affectionate… gentle, accommodating.” His eyes gazed at the ground, recalling Nora’s loving gestures with a touch of guilty pleasure.

“That’s the most worrying thing.” Synapsis stopped walking behind the young man. “Everything indicates that the energy waves produced by your body generated that abrupt change in that young woman… and not only her, you also had similar interactions with other girls.”

Arthur’s hands moved to his chest, searching for the questions he’d wanted to ask for quite some time.

“Do you… have any idea how this power affects them?”

“For now, only theories. There are far more things we don’t know. I need to conduct further tests to understand the true workings of your powers and their scope.”

She took a few steps, standing in front of her student. He raised his head slightly, noticing her expression was rigid, as if she were holding back some emotion.

“Young Adams, the best course of action would be to…”

Boom!

Suddenly, the laboratory door behind Arthur burst open as if a hurricane had entered. Startled, they both turned to see who it was.