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Ethan stared out the car window as the dense New Hampshire forest gradually gave way to the sprawling campus of Whateley Academy. The tall brick buildings with their ivy-covered walls looked like something out of a college brochure—normal, prestigious, safe. Nothing about the place screamed "school for mutants," which was probably the point.
"We're almost there," Jordan said from beside him, practically bouncing in his seat with excitement. "Can you believe it? An actual school for people like us."
Ethan shot him a sidelong glance. People like us. As if their situations were remotely comparable. Jordan had merely discovered he could build impossible devices. Ethan had been transformed into... this. He glanced down at his—no, her—body with familiar revulsion, the feminine curves hidden beneath the loose hoodie she'd insisted on wearing.
"Yeah. Great," she muttered, tugging the hood further over her vermillion hair.
The private driver—from a service that specialized in transporting students to places like Whateley—cleared his throat as they approached the main administrative building. "Schuster Hall," he announced, pulling up to the curb. "Someone will meet you here for orientation. Your luggage will be delivered to your assigned cottages."
As they exited the vehicle, Ethan couldn't help but notice the wide variety of students crossing the campus. Some looked completely normal, while others had obvious mutations—scales, unusual coloration, even extra limbs. She supposed she should be grateful. At least her transformation left her looking like a regular human female, even if it was the most humiliating experience of her life.
The agent handed them each a folder with their basic information before driving away, leaving them standing awkwardly on the steps of Schuster Hall.
Jordan was already flipping through his folder with enthusiasm. "Look at these class options! Advanced Technologies, Devisor Lab, Theoretical Engineering... this is going to be amazing!"
Ethan was about to respond when a soft voice spoke from behind them.
"Hello. You must be our new arrivals. I'm Emiko Mori, your student guide for today."
They turned to find a petite Japanese girl with short black hair and serene features. She wore the school uniform—a modest dark skirt, white blouse, and blazer—with a quiet confidence.
"I'm Jordan Williams," Jordan thrust out his hand eagerly. "And this is Eth—uh, I mean—"
"Ethan Anderson," Ethan finished, reluctantly taking Emiko's outstretched hand. She'd considered using a different name, something more feminine, but had ultimately decided against it. Changing her name felt too much like accepting this transformation was permanent.
If Emiko found anything strange about a girl named Ethan, she didn't show it. Her midnight blue eyes, speckled with silver, showed only gentle understanding.
"Welcome to Whateley," she said with a slight bow. "You've both been assigned to Melville Cottage, which is where we'll head after a brief orientation. If you'll follow me, I'll show you the main campus areas first."
As Emiko led them away from Schuster Hall, Ethan took in the surroundings. Students of all descriptions moved between buildings, some walking, others flying, and one girl seemed to be teleporting in short hops. Nobody looked twice at anyone else, no matter how strange their appearance or abilities.
"Whateley was founded in 1878 as a normal private school," Emiko explained as they walked, "but was repurposed in the 1960s as a safe haven for mutants and others with special abilities. The campus is protected by both technological and mystical security systems."
"Mystical?" Jordan perked up. "Like, actual magic?"
Emiko smiled. "We have an entire Mystic Arts department. Not all powers are mutant-based."
"What about you?" Jordan asked. "What can you do?"
"I'm an ESP-type with medium abilities," she answered. "I can see and communicate with spirits, and I have a degree of danger sense. I also have some minor magical capability focused on Buddhist prayers and exorcisms."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Exorcisms? Are there actually demons here?"
"More than you might think," Emiko replied with complete seriousness. "But most are relatively harmless if you know how to handle them."
Great. Not only was Ethan stuck in a female body, but now she had to worry about demons too.
Emiko continued the tour, pointing out various buildings: Dunn Hall for science classes, Kirby Hall for mystical and psychic studies, the impressive Crystal Hall cafeteria dome, and finally, the cottages where students lived.
"And this," Emiko said as they approached a large, luxurious-looking building, "is Melville Cottage. It's the newest and most well-appointed of the dorms."
Melville looked more like a high-end hotel than a dormitory, with its elegant architecture and manicured grounds. Inside, the lobby featured polished wood, comfortable seating areas, and even a small coffee shop.
"This is where both of you will be staying," Emiko explained. "Melville typically houses students who appear mostly normal—no GSD."
"GSD?" Ethan asked.
"Gross Structural Dystrophy," Emiko clarified. "It refers to major physical mutations. Students with more visible mutations often stay in Whitman or Twain Cottages."
A middle-aged man in a tweed jacket approached them with a welcoming smile. "You must be our new arrivals. I'm Mr. Forrest, one of the house parents for Melville Cottage."
After introductions, Mr. Forrest took them through the basic rules: curfews, quiet hours, restricted areas, and the emergency protocols. Most of it seemed straightforward enough, but Ethan's attention drifted until she heard her name.
"—and Ms. Anderson will be in Room 312. It's a single room, which we felt would be best given your particular abilities."
Ethan blinked. "Single room? I thought most freshmen had roommates."
Mr. Forrest's expression turned sympathetic. "Your file indicates that your teleportation abilities are currently unpredictable and can be triggered by stress or strong emotions. We thought it prudent to give you your own space until you gain better control."
Heat rushed to Ethan's face. Great, she was being treated like a hazard on her first day.
"Jordan will be two doors down in Room 316, sharing with another new student," Mr. Forrest continued, either not noticing or politely ignoring Ethan's discomfort.
As they continued the tour of the common areas, Ethan felt increasingly self-conscious. Most of the students they passed looked so normal—or at least, comfortably abnormal. They belonged here. Ethan didn't belong anywhere anymore.
The tour eventually led them to the residential floors, where Mr. Forrest handed them their key cards. "I'll leave you to get settled. Dinner is served in Crystal Hall starting at 5:30. Ms. Mori, if you wouldn't mind showing them to their rooms?"
As Mr. Forrest departed, Emiko led them down a hallway of the third floor. "Jordan's room is just past the lounge area," she explained. "And Ethan, yours is this way."
They were passing a group of students in the hallway when someone's phone suddenly blared with a loud, jarring ringtone. The unexpected noise made Ethan jump, and she felt it happen—the familiar tingling sensation spreading through her body.
"Oh no," she whispered, just as the world around her blurred.
There was a disorienting moment of darkness, and then Ethan found herself somewhere else entirely. Somewhere that definitely wasn't the hallway.
The first thing she noticed was that she was completely naked, her clothes having been left behind during the teleportation—again. The second thing she noticed was that she was in someone's bedroom. The third, and most alarming, was that the bedroom was occupied.
A girl with striking blonde hair streaked with pink looked up from her desk in shock, her amber eyes widening as they took in the sight of Ethan standing nude in the middle of her room.
For one terrible moment, neither of them moved or spoke. Then the girl's features began to change—her ears elongating into fox-like points and sweeping up to the top of her head, patches of bright pastel pink fur appearing on her arms, and what appeared to be a bushy tail with the same vibrant pink coloration materializing behind her. Even her blonde hair took on streaks of the same pastel pink hue.
"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL?!" the girl shouted, jumping to her feet. "Who the fuck are you? How did you—? Are you NAKED in my ROOM?"
"I'm sorry!" Ethan cried, desperately trying to cover herself with her hands, bright sapphire blue eyes wide with mortification. "I didn't mean to—it was an accident—my powers just—"
The girl's expression shifted from shock to outrage, but there was something else there too—a flicker of something in her eyes as she looked at Ethan that wasn't just anger.
"You teleported into my room? COMPLETELY NAKED?" Her voice rose with each word, but her cheeks had flushed a deep red that didn't seem entirely due to anger. "What kind of perverted power is that?"
"I can't control it!" Ethan pleaded, mortified beyond belief. "Please, I need something to cover up with—"
The girl seemed frozen in place, her eyes darting away from Ethan but continuously being drawn back. Her bright pastel pink fox ears twitched visibly atop her head, and the matching pink fur on her arms seemed to spread slightly.
"Just—just stay there," she finally managed, her voice strangely strained. She yanked a blanket from her bed and threw it at Ethan. "Cover yourself before I claw your eyes out!"
Ethan gratefully wrapped the blanket around herself. "Thank you. I'm so sorry about this. I'm new, and my powers are... unpredictable."
"No shit," the girl muttered, now refusing to look directly at Ethan. Her fox-like ears were still fully visible, their bright pastel pink fur twitching with agitation as she seemed to be struggling to make them disappear. "So you just randomly teleport into people's rooms without your clothes? That's your power? Being a naked home invader?"
"Not intentionally," Ethan said miserably. "I just got startled, and—"
A knock at the door interrupted her explanation.
"Ethan? Are you in there?" It was Emiko's voice.
"Yes!" Ethan called out, relief washing through her.
The door opened, and Emiko entered, followed by Jordan. His eyes immediately widened at the sight of Ethan wrapped only in a blanket, and he quickly averted his gaze—though not before stealing a quick glance. His face reddened as he made a visible effort to look at the floor, the ceiling, the window—anywhere but at Ethan—though his eyes kept betraying him with brief, furtive glances in her direction.
Emiko took in the scene with remarkable composure.
"I sensed you were here," she explained to Ethan before turning to the room's rightful occupant. "Kira, I apologize for the intrusion. Ethan is a new student with uncontrolled warping abilities."
"Warping? Is that what you call appearing naked in someone's bedroom? How about 'criminal trespassing'?" Kira snapped, her arms crossed tightly. Her pastel pink fox features were still clearly visible, which seemed to add to her agitation. "Maybe invest in a leash for your new student before someone calls security."
"It's a teleportation mishap," Emiko explained calmly. "Organic matter travels, but non-organic matter like clothing sometimes doesn't."
"It wasn't on purpose," Ethan added desperately. "I would never—"
"Save it," Kira cut her off harshly. "I don't care about your excuses or your freaky powers. Just get out of my room and stay the hell away from me." Despite her caustic words, her voice had an undertone that didn't quite match her apparent fury. She seemed to be having a difficult time controlling her own transformation, which was clearly embarrassing her.
Jordan stepped forward with a bundle of clothing—the same clothes Ethan had been wearing moments before. "I grabbed these from where you, um, disappeared," he told Ethan quietly, still struggling not to look directly at her. "They were just floating in the air for a second before they fell."
Ethan clutched the blanket more tightly around herself. "Could you all... turn around? Please?"
Everyone obliged, though Ethan thought she saw Kira hesitate for just a moment before turning away. Jordan's head started to turn slightly before he caught himself and faced the wall resolutely, shoulders tense. Quickly, Ethan pulled on the clothes Jordan had brought—her sweatpants and t-shirt.
"Okay, I'm decent," she announced.
When they turned back, Ethan noticed that Kira was making a visible effort to control her shapeshifting. The bright pastel pink fox ears were receding, and the matching fur was fading from her skin, but it seemed to be taking considerable concentration.
"I truly am sorry," Ethan said to her. "I'm still learning to control this."
Kira's expression was complex—annoyance predominant, but with something else underneath, something she seemed to be fighting against.
"Just... stay out of my room, teleport freak," she said, but the words lacked the full venom her tone suggested.
"We should go," Emiko suggested gently. "Kira, thank you for your understanding."
As they filed out, Ethan glanced back one more time. Kira was watching her with a mixture of irritation and something that looked almost like reluctant curiosity. Their eyes met briefly—sapphire blue connecting with amber—before Kira scowled and turned away, her ears momentarily reappearing with their distinctive pastel pink coloration before she got them under control again.
In the hallway, Emiko led them toward Ethan's assigned room. "That was Kira Devereux," she explained quietly. "She's a shifter with fennec fox characteristics. She can sometimes lose control of her shifting when she experiences strong emotions."
"She seemed pretty angry," Ethan muttered.
"I think it was more than just anger," Jordan commented with a slight smirk, finally meeting Ethan's eyes now that she was clothed. When Ethan glared at him, he quickly added, "I just mean, you know, she was probably embarrassed about her shifting."
"We're here," Emiko announced, stopping in front of Room 312. "This is your room, Ethan. Jordan, yours is just down there, Room 316."
Ethan's room was simple but comfortable—a bed, desk, dresser, and private bathroom. It was spacious for a single, with a large window overlooking the campus. Her luggage had already been delivered.
"I'll let you get settled," Emiko said. "Dinner starts in an hour, and I can meet you both in the lobby to show you to Crystal Hall if you'd like."
After Emiko left, Jordan lingered in the doorway.
"So... that was quite an entrance," he said, trying and failing to suppress a grin.
"It's not funny, Jordan," Ethan snapped, sitting heavily on the bed. "I teleported into some girl's room naked. On my first day. How am I supposed to show my face around here now?"
Jordan's amusement faded. "Hey, it'll be okay. This is a school for people with weird powers. I bet stuff like this happens all the time."
"Did you see how she looked at me?" Ethan buried her face in her hands. "Like I was some kind of pervert who did it on purpose."
"I don't think that's what—" Jordan began.
"Just go to your room, okay? I need some time alone."
Jordan hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. I'll knock when it's time for dinner."
After he left, Ethan lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. One day. She couldn't even make it through one day without a humiliating incident. And now she'd made an enemy of what appeared to be a temperamental shapeshifter with anger issues.
Except... had Kira really been just angry? Something about her reaction nagged at Ethan. The way her eyes had lingered, the blush that spread across her cheeks, the difficulty controlling her shifting. Emiko had said strong emotions could trigger her transformations, but who said it had to be anger?
The realization made Ethan groan and pull a pillow over her face. Was it possible that Kira had been... attracted to her? To her female form? The thought was both embarrassing and confusing. Before the transformation, Ethan had never considered how it might feel to be the object of someone else's desire—especially not another girl's.
She pushed the thought away. It was too much to deal with right now, on top of everything else. All she wanted was to figure out how to control these powers, find a way to reverse the transformation, and get back to her normal life.
If that was even possible anymore.
A knock on her door pulled Ethan from her thoughts. It was Jordan, announcing it was time for dinner. Reluctantly, Ethan got up, straightened her clothes, and prepared to face the rest of the campus—and possibly Kira again—with as much dignity as she could muster after such an inauspicious beginning.
Whatever else happened at Whateley Academy, one thing was clear: it definitely wasn't going to be boring.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In her own room, Kira Devereux stared at her reflection in the mirror, willing her fox features to fully recede. What was wrong with her? She usually had better control than this.
"It's just because she startled me," she muttered to herself, watching as her bright pastel pink fox ears slowly shrank back to human proportions. "Anyone would react that way to a naked girl suddenly appearing in their room."
But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't just shock that had triggered her transformation. There had been something about that girl—Ethan, what kind of name was that for a girl anyway?—something that had triggered a response she hadn't expected.
"Get it together," she told her reflection sternly. "She's just another student. A clumsy, inconsiderate one who can't control her powers."
Yet the image of Ethan standing there, vulnerable and embarrassed, kept returning to her mind. The striking vermillion hair, those piercing sapphire blue eyes, the surprisingly athletic build...
Kira growled in frustration as she felt her ears beginning to point again, the familiar pastel pink fur starting to emerge along with them.
"This is ridiculous," she hissed, focusing intensely until her features were fully human once more. "I am not attracted to some random teleporter who invaded my privacy."
Satisfied that she looked normal, Kira grabbed her jacket. Dinner in Crystal Hall would be a good distraction. She'd find her usual group, sit far away from the new students, and forget this whole embarrassing incident.
But as she opened her door, she couldn't help glancing down the hall toward Room 312, where she knew Ethan had been assigned. Just to make sure the girl wasn't about to materialize in her path again, she told herself. That was all.
It definitely wasn't because she wanted another glimpse of those piercing sapphire blue eyes or that striking red hair.
Definitely not.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 01
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
The September sun beat down on Ethan's back as he lounged in Jordan's backyard, a half-empty can of soda warming beside him. It was one of those lazy weekend afternoons where time seemed to stretch endlessly, a welcome break from the first few weeks of their senior year that had already proven to be more demanding than expected.
"So I've been thinking about our D&D campaign," Ethan said, flipping through a dog-eared Player's Handbook. "Maybe we should restart with new characters instead of picking up where we left off last time. That dungeon was a total party killer."
Jordan didn't respond. He was checking his watch for the third time in as many minutes, clearly distracted.
"Dude, are you even listening?" Ethan tossed a bottle cap at his friend.
"Sorry," Jordan said, looking up. "I've been working on something. Actually, I wanted to show you." He hesitated, then added with poorly concealed excitement, "It's pretty cool. In the shed."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. Jordan had always been into building things—custom computer rigs, modified Nerf guns, elaborate Halloween props—but lately, he'd been weirdly secretive about his projects.
"In the shed? That tiny thing can barely fit a lawnmower."
"Just come on," Jordan said, already standing up.
Curious despite his skepticism, Ethan followed his friend across the yard to the weathered garden shed. Jordan unlocked the padlock and pushed open the door. Inside was exactly what Ethan expected: garden tools hanging on the walls, a lawnmower in the corner, bags of fertilizer stacked against one wall.
But then Jordan pushed aside a false panel in the floor, revealing a steep staircase descending into darkness.
"What the hell, man? When did you build an underground lair?"
Jordan grinned. "My dad's always working late, and I needed more space. Started digging last spring. Pretty cool, right?"
"Pretty illegal, probably," Ethan muttered, but he followed Jordan down the stairs anyway.
The underground workshop was surprisingly large—maybe fifteen feet square with a low ceiling reinforced with wooden beams. The space was cluttered with half-assembled electronics, tools scattered across workbenches, and what looked like computer servers humming in one corner. The air smelled of solder and ozone.
"Dude, this is insane," Ethan said, genuinely impressed despite his concerns. "You built all this yourself?"
"Yeah. I've been getting these... ideas. Like, I can just see how things should fit together." Jordan's eyes lit up as he talked. "It's like the schematics appear in my head fully formed. I just have to build them."
Ethan nodded slowly, taking it all in. This wasn't just Jordan's usual tinkering. The complexity of the equipment, the detailed diagrams pinned to the walls—this was beyond high school hobbyist level.
"So what did you want to show me?" Ethan asked.
Jordan's excitement visibly increased. "That," he said, pointing to the far wall.
Ethan turned and noticed for the first time the massive contraption that dominated the back of the room. It looked like some kind of sci-fi movie prop—a jumble of computer parts, strange crystalline structures that glowed faintly, and at its center, what appeared to be a transparent cylinder large enough for a person to stand in.
"What is it supposed to be?" Ethan asked, approaching cautiously.
Jordan followed, practically bouncing with excitement. "I'm calling it the Quantum Image Replicator. QIR for short."
"That doesn't tell me what it does."
"It creates things," Jordan said, his voice dropping to a reverent near-whisper. "Real things. From images. Watch."
He moved to one of several small pedestals connected to the main apparatus by colorful cables. On each pedestal sat what looked like action figures or small statues. Ethan realized with mild embarrassment that they were anime figurines—including several characters he recognized from shows they'd binged during previous summer breaks.
"You've got to be kidding me," Ethan said as the realization dawned. "You're trying to build a girlfriend?"
Jordan had the decency to look slightly chagrined. "Not just any girlfriend. The perfect girlfriend."
"Based on... anime characters?" Ethan couldn't keep the incredulity from his voice.
"They're just reference models," Jordan said defensively. "The machine scans them to create a three-dimensional template, then combines attributes to generate the ideal form."
Ethan stared at his friend. "You can't just... build a girlfriend, Jordan. That's not how anything works."
"I can if I have the right equipment," Jordan insisted. "And look, I know it sounds crazy, but I've tested it on smaller stuff." He gestured to a nearby shelf where several objects sat—a perfectly formed glass orb, what looked like a miniature tree complete with tiny leaves, and something that appeared to be a small moving clockwork mechanism.
Ethan had to admit, the craftsmanship was impressive. But there was a world of difference between making small objects and creating a living person.
"Even if this thing works—which I seriously doubt—it would be wrong, man. You can't just create a person."
Jordan waved away the concern. "I'm not creating consciousness or anything. Just... you know, a form. The rest is just biochemistry."
"Just biochemistry," Ethan repeated flatly. "You're talking about building a sex doll with extra steps."
"It's not like that!" Jordan protested, though his reddening face suggested Ethan had hit uncomfortably close to the mark. "Look, I just need help calibrating the final sequence. Then you'll see."
Against his better judgment, Ethan found himself curious. Part of him wanted to see if the machine would do anything at all, while another part wanted to be there when it inevitably failed so he could talk Jordan out of this bizarre obsession.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked reluctantly.
Jordan's face brightened. "Just hold these two components together while I initiate the sequence," he said, pointing to two metal rods protruding from the side of the device. "They need to be perfectly aligned, and I can't reach them while I'm at the controls."
It seemed simple enough. Ethan positioned himself by the metal rods while Jordan moved to a keyboard and monitor setup on the adjacent workbench.
"Ready?" Jordan asked, fingers poised over the keyboard.
"I guess," Ethan replied, still not convinced this was anything more than an elaborate science project destined for failure.
Jordan began typing, and the machine hummed to life. Lights flickered across its surface, and the crystals embedded throughout began to glow more intensely. The anime figurines on their pedestals were bathed in scanning light, rotating slowly as data was collected.
"Everything's nominal," Jordan called out. "Keep those conductors aligned!"
Ethan held the metal rods steady, feeling a slight vibration through them. The machine's hum deepened to a low throb that he could feel in his chest.
"Is it supposed to be this loud?" he asked, raising his voice to be heard.
Jordan didn't answer, too focused on the readouts flashing across his monitor. His expression shifted from excitement to confusion.
"That's weird," he muttered. "The energy readings are spiking. The pattern recognition algorithm is—"
A sharp crack interrupted him as one of the crystals in the machine fractured. Sparks erupted from a nearby junction box.
"Something's wrong," Jordan said, his earlier confidence evaporating. "The feedback loop is—"
"Should I let go?" Ethan called out, but it was too late.
The machine's vibration intensified, and the metal rods in Ethan's hands suddenly grew hot—not enough to burn, but uncomfortable enough that he instinctively tried to pull away. To his horror, he found he couldn't. His hands were locked in place as if magnetized to the rods.
"Jordan!" he shouted in alarm.
Jordan was frantically typing commands, but the machine wasn't responding. "I can't shut it down!" he called back, panic edging into his voice. "The failsafes aren't—"
Before he could finish, the central cylinder lit up with blinding intensity. Ethan felt a sudden powerful pull, and in a disorienting moment, he was no longer standing next to the machine but inside the transparent cylinder.
Everything happened at once. The air around him seemed to liquefy, filled with swirling patterns of light. His skin tingled painfully as if every cell in his body was being systematically unraveled and rewoven. He tried to scream, but no sound emerged.
Through the transparent walls, he could see Jordan shouting something, frantically working at the controls, but the sound was muffled to nothing. The workshop around him began to blur as the pain intensified.
And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The light faded, and Ethan collapsed to his knees inside the cylinder, disoriented and nauseous. The door slid open automatically, and cool air rushed in, carrying the acrid smell of burned electronics.
"Ethan! Are you okay?" Jordan's voice seemed to come from far away.
Ethan tried to respond, but his voice felt strange in his throat. Higher, softer. He coughed and tried again. "What... happened?"
Even those two words told him something was terribly wrong. That wasn't his voice.
He looked down at his hands, and a wave of disbelief washed over him. They were smaller, more delicate, with longer fingers and smooth skin. And beyond them...
Ethan scrambled to his feet, a wave of dizziness almost sending him back down. His body felt wrong—the balance was off, the proportions altered. And there were unmistakable new contours beneath his now-loose t-shirt.
"What did you do to me?" he demanded, the unfamiliar voice rising in panic.
Jordan stood frozen, staring at him with an expression of shock that gradually morphed into something else—fascination? Awe? His mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to speak.
"The reference models," he said weakly, gesturing toward the anime figurines. "The machine must have... I didn't think it would actually..."
A particularly prominent figurine caught Ethan's eye—a red-haired female character from an anime they'd watched together last summer. The recognition hit him like a physical blow.
"Ranma?" he asked incredulously, voice shaking. "Your perfect girlfriend template was RANMA? The character who switches between male and female forms? Are you kidding me?"
"I didn't... I mean, she wasn't the only reference model," Jordan stammered. "The machine was supposed to sample multiple attributes and create an ideal composite, not just copy one character. I don't understand what went wrong."
Ethan stumbled to a small mirror hanging on the workshop wall and found himself staring at a stranger. The face looking back at him was undeniably feminine—delicate features, big blue eyes, and long red hair flowing past his shoulders. Her shoulders.
"Change me back," Ethan said, turning to face Jordan, voice dangerously quiet. "Now."
Jordan's expression shifted from shock to distress. "I... I don't know how. The machine wasn't supposed to do this. It wasn't designed for... transforming people."
"You built this thing!" Ethan shouted, the strange new voice cracking with emotion. "If you can build it, you can reverse it!"
"I'll try," Jordan promised, his own voice shaking. "I'll figure it out. I just need time to understand what happened."
"Time?" Ethan repeated incredulously. "What am I supposed to do in the meantime? Go home like this? What about school? Tell my parents their son is now their daughter because my best friend was trying to build himself an anime girlfriend?"
As he spoke, his anger and panic built. The air around him seemed to shimmer faintly, though neither boy noticed.
"Look, you can stay here," Jordan offered desperately. "My dad's on a business trip for the next three days. I'll work non-stop to fix this, I swear."
Ethan ran his hands—these unfamiliar, smaller hands—through his new long hair, trying to think clearly through the panic.
"This is so messed up," he muttered. "You're a freaking pervert, you know that? Building girlfriends in your basement. And now you've turned me into one."
"I didn't mean to—"
"I don't care what you meant!" Ethan shouted, slamming his hand down on a nearby table.
The beaker sitting on the edge of the table vanished with a soft 'pop' sound, reappearing instantly in mid-air across the room before crashing to the floor.
Both boys froze, staring at the shattered glass.
"Did you..." Jordan began.
"No," Ethan said, looking at his hand in confusion. "I didn't touch it. It just..."
They looked at each other, the implication dawning simultaneously.
"The transformation," Jordan said slowly. "It must have done more than change your appearance. It gave you... powers."
Ethan closed his eyes, struggling to process this new development on top of everything else. "Fix this, Jordan," he said finally, his voice quiet but firm. "Find a way to change me back. Because if you don't..." He left the threat unfinished, too overwhelmed to even articulate what he might do.
Jordan nodded rapidly. "I will. I promise. Whatever it takes."
As Ethan turned away, he caught his reflection again in the mirror—a stranger's face looking back at him with his own eyes, holding his own fear and anger. Whatever Jordan had done, whatever this machine had changed, Ethan knew with grim certainty that nothing would ever be the same.
What neither of them realized then was that in less than two weeks, they would both be enrolled at Whateley Academy, a school they'd never heard of, leaving behind the shambles of their normal lives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 01.5
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy(link is external)
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous(link is external)
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
Ethan stared at the female school uniform spread across her bed, each piece mocking her with its inherent femininity. The Melville Cottage uniform consisted of a black pleated skirt, black feminine dress jacket, white blouse, and a dark purple necktie with three gold stripes. Black mary jane shoes completed the ensemble, arranged neatly beside the bed by someone with far more enthusiasm for this nightmare than Ethan possessed.
"This can't be happening," she muttered, picking up the skirt with two fingers as if it might bite. The fabric was surprisingly soft, high-quality. Of course it would be, at a place like Whateley.
She glanced at the plain white bra that had been included with the uniform and immediately shoved it into a drawer. "Not happening," she muttered firmly. The panties were barely tolerable—a necessary evil given the skirt—but she drew the line at strapping herself into a bra.
After delaying the inevitable for another ten minutes, Ethan began the awkward process of dressing. The mechanics of the uniform proved more complex than anticipated—the skirt had an inner button and a side zipper, the blouse required precise tucking, and the necktie was a complete mystery. The white thigh-high socks felt particularly foreign as she pulled them over her smooth legs. Each garment required adjustments to accommodate her unfamiliar curves.
A knock at the door froze her mid-struggle with the necktie.
"Ethan? You decent?" Jordan's voice called from the hallway.
"Define 'decent,'" Ethan replied, swinging the door open to reveal Jordan impeccably dressed in the boys' uniform—black slacks, white shirt, black jacket, and the same purple and gold necktie. The contrast between them made Ethan want to slam the door in his face.
"Wow, you look—" Jordan started, his eyes immediately dropping to the white socks highlighting Ethan's legs before jerking back up to her face. His cheeks flushed as he made a visible effort to maintain eye contact.
"Don't," Ethan cut him off. "Just... don't say anything."
Jordan moved past her into the room, his eyes darting briefly to her chest before he focused intently on the wall behind her. "You're going to be late. Here, let me help with that tie." Before Ethan could protest, he stepped forward and began fixing the tangled fabric at her neck, studiously avoiding looking anywhere else even as his peripheral vision betrayed him with quick glimpses.
"I don't know how girls do this every day," Ethan grumbled, staring at the ceiling to avoid eye contact. "The shoes pinch, the skirt feels like I'm wearing nothing, and this blouse makes me feel like I'm on display."
"If it helps, everybody else is in uniform too. You won't stand out." Jordan finished with the tie and stepped back.
"Right. I'll just blend in with all the other girls who used to be boys until their best friends turned them into anime characters."
Jordan winced. "I said I was sorry."
"Sorry doesn't fix this." Ethan gestured at her body.
"No, but Whateley might. That's why we're here." Jordan glanced at his watch. "We should go. Powers Theory starts in fifteen minutes."
Ethan sighed, grabbed her messenger bag—the one item she'd insisted on keeping from her old life—and followed Jordan into the hallway, pausing only to lock her door.
"At least we have our first class together," Jordan offered as they walked. "Introduction to Superpowers. It's supposed to cover the basics for all freshmen."
"Great. Learning to be a better freak," Ethan muttered, tugging at her skirt hem.
As they navigated the campus pathways toward Dunn Hall, Ethan observed other students in their uniforms. The standardization provided some comfort—at least until she noticed subtle customizations. A girl with metallic skin had added matching silver cufflinks. A boy whose hair constantly changed colors wore socks that did the same. These small expressions of individuality only emphasized how trapped Ethan felt in her new form.
The Introduction to Superpowers classroom resembled a small lecture hall, with gently sloping rows of seats facing a central demonstration area. Ethan and Jordan found spots in the middle row, neither wanting to appear too eager nor too disinterested.
Their instructor entered with purposeful strides. She had a professional yet approachable presence, dressed in tailored slacks and a stylish blazer in muted blues. Her dark hair was cut in a sophisticated bob with subtle silver streaks, and she wore a vintage-looking pin with the Whateley crest on her lapel. Her intelligent eyes carried warmth behind their analytical gaze as she scanned the classroom, taking measure of each student. Once the classroom filled, she began without preamble.
"Welcome to Introduction to Superpowers, the foundation of your education at Whateley Academy. I am Dr. Amanda Hewley, and I'll be guiding you through the classification and understanding of preternatural abilities." Her voice carried effortlessly through the room. "Before we begin cataloging power types, I want to emphasize one crucial point: powers are extensions of the self, not separate entities."
Ethan shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Her powers felt precisely like separate entities—unwelcome intruders that had hijacked her life.
Dr. Hewley continued, "Today, we'll overview the major power classifications. In future sessions, you'll undergo detailed assessment to determine your specific category and sub-types."
For the next hour, she outlined a complex taxonomy of mutant abilities: Energizers, Exemplars, Warpers, Wizards, Psychics, Manifestors, Shifters, and more. Ethan tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting to her own situation. According to Dr. Hewley's descriptions, she was primarily a Warper with spatial manipulation abilities—teleportation specifically—but the added martial arts skills suggested something more complex.
When Dr. Hewley began discussing "power integration" and "alignment with self-concept," Ethan's attention snapped back to the lecture.
"—which is why resistance to one's abilities often creates increased instability. The mind and body seek harmony. When we reject aspects of ourselves, particularly powerset manifestations, we create conditions for unpredictable outcomes."
Ethan felt as if Dr. Hewley was speaking directly to her. Was her resistance making her powers worse? The thought was disturbing—it suggested accepting this new form as a prerequisite for control.
After class, as students filed out, Dr. Hewley called out, "Ms. Anderson, a moment please."
Ethan froze, then turned back. Jordan gave her a questioning look, but she waved him ahead. "I'll catch up."
When the room had emptied, Dr. Hewley approached. "Your file indicates spatial warping with control issues. I noticed you seemed particularly interested in the section on integration conflicts."
"I—I was just paying attention," Ethan said defensively.
Dr. Hewley smiled slightly. "You're far from the first student to struggle with reconciling identity and abilities, Ms. Anderson. Especially given your... unique circumstances."
"You know about that?" Ethan felt her face heat up.
"I review all incoming student files, particularly those with unusual manifestation patterns. Your case is certainly distinctive, but not entirely unprecedented."
"There are others like me?" Hope flickered briefly.
"Not exactly like you, no. But transformation-related manifestations occur with some regularity. I've scheduled you for comprehensive powers testing this afternoon." She handed Ethan a slip with room information. "The results will help tailor your education plan."
Ethan took the paper, uncertain whether to feel reassured or more anxious. "Thank you."
"One more thing," Dr. Hewley added as Ethan turned to leave. "Given your teleportation incidents, you might consider requesting a medical exemption for physical education classes until you gain better control."
"I'll think about it," Ethan replied, though the suggestion of hiding away made her bristle slightly. She'd spent enough time feeling trapped already.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Powers Testing Laboratory occupied a secure section of Kane Hall, accessible only through biometric scanners and reinforced doors. Ethan arrived five minutes early, clutching Dr. Hewley's referral note and fighting escalating nervousness.
The waiting area contained several other new students, each eyeing the others with varying degrees of curiosity or wariness. Ethan recognized a few faces from her morning class but didn't attempt conversation. She was too preoccupied with what might happen if her powers acted up during testing.
A young woman with slate-gray hair and a tablet approached. "Ethan Anderson?"
"That's me," Ethan replied, standing.
"I'm Paige Donner, testing assistant. This way, please."
Paige led her through another set of security doors into a large chamber filled with various equipment stations. Several white-coated technicians moved between monitoring devices, while in the center stood a circular platform surrounded by what appeared to be sensors or scanners.
"We'll begin with baseline readings," Paige explained. "Please stand on the central platform and remain still during the scan."
Ethan stepped onto the indicated spot, trying to ignore the fluttering anxiety in her stomach. The platform hummed beneath her feet, and she felt a tingling sensation as unseen energies passed through her body.
"Excellent. Now for the interactive assessment," Paige continued after a minute. "We've assembled various objects for you to attempt manipulating with your abilities. We understand you've experienced incidents of teleportation?"
"That's one way to put it," Ethan muttered.
A technician wheeled over a cart containing items of varying sizes: a pencil, a rubber ball, a book, and what appeared to be a small potted plant.
"We'll start with the pencil," Paige instructed. "Try to focus on moving it from the cart to that table across the room."
Ethan stared at the pencil, unsure how to consciously trigger an ability that had thus far only manifested accidentally. "I don't actually know how to do this on purpose."
"That's perfectly normal," Paige assured her. "Many new students haven't developed conscious control. Just focus on the pencil, visualize it moving to the table, and reach toward it with your mind."
Feeling slightly ridiculous, Ethan concentrated on the pencil. Nothing happened.
"Try closing your eyes," suggested an older technician who had wandered over. "Sometimes visual distractions interfere with initial control attempts."
Ethan closed her eyes, picturing the pencil clearly in her mind, then imagining it appearing on the distant table. Still nothing.
After several more failed attempts with different approaches, Paige made notes on her tablet. "Let's try something else. Sometimes emotional states trigger manifestations. Can you recall what you were feeling during previous teleportation incidents?"
Ethan thought back to the hallway incident with Kira, and the cafeteria moment with Rex. "Mostly embarrassment. Or surprise. Maybe stress?"
"Interesting. Let's try—"
A loud bang from across the lab made Ethan jump. One of the monitors had sparked and shut down, and a technician was hastily unplugging it.
The startled reaction triggered something in Ethan. She felt the familiar tingling sensation spread through her body, but this time it concentrated in her hand rather than enveloping her entirely. Before she could process what was happening, the rubber ball from the cart vanished with a soft pop sound, immediately reappearing ten feet away on a desk.
"There!" Paige exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "Excellent work!"
"I didn't do that on purpose," Ethan protested.
"But you did do it," the older technician pointed out. "Your subconscious recognized the pattern from previous manifestations and directed the energy more specifically this time. That's progress."
Over the next hour, they continued experiments with mixed results. Ethan managed to teleport the pencil intentionally after several attempts, but larger objects proved more challenging. The potted plant stubbornly refused to move, while a coffee mug unexpectedly vanished and rematerialized upside-down, spilling its contents.
Toward the end of the session, another student was brought in to observe—a girl with distinctive blonde hair streaked with pink. Ethan froze when she recognized Kira, whose expression shifted from boredom to alarm upon seeing Ethan.
"Why is she here?" Ethan demanded, feeling her anxiety spike.
"Ms. Devereux assists with shifter assessments," Paige explained. "She's here for the next student, but since you've demonstrated spatial manipulation, we thought her observational input might be valuable."
"I'd rather she didn't—" Ethan began, but she felt the tingling sensation returning, stronger this time. "Oh no."
"What's happening?" Paige asked, moving forward.
"I think I'm going to—" Ethan didn't finish the sentence. The table in front of her, complete with testing apparatus, vanished with a much louder pop than before. It reappeared moments later, floating briefly near the ceiling before crashing to the floor.
The noise and commotion brought additional staff running. Amid the chaos, Ethan caught Kira's eye. The shapeshifter wasn't smirking as expected, but watching with an oddly contemplative expression. When she noticed Ethan looking, Kira quickly averted her gaze.
"I think that's enough for today," the lead technician announced, helping a shaken assistant pick up scattered equipment. "Ms. Anderson, we'll continue assessment another time. You should rest—power manifestations can be physically draining."
As Ethan gathered her things to leave, Paige handed her a white wristband with "PACIFIST" printed in bold red letters. "Standard procedure for students with uncontrolled abilities that could affect others. It lets security and staff know to approach with appropriate caution."
Ethan stared at the band. "Great. A warning label."
"It's for your protection as much as others'," Paige explained. "And it's temporary—once you demonstrate consistent control, you'll be reclassified."
Ethan slipped the band onto her wrist, feeling branded. As she headed for the exit, Kira stepped into her path.
"Nice job with the table," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Is there anything else you'd like to send flying around the room? Maybe the ceiling next time?"
"Didn't mean to do it," Ethan replied stiffly.
"That's kind of the problem, isn't it?" Kira's ears twitched slightly—not fully shifting to fox form, but betraying some emotional response she was trying to suppress. "You're a walking disaster zone. Do you have any idea how dangerous uncontrolled warping is? Or is property damage just your hobby?"
"Thanks for the lecture," Ethan said, stepping around her. "I'll add it to the pile of things I didn't ask for."
Kira's amber eyes narrowed. "Just stay away from me, teleport freak. I don't want to end up as your next accident." Despite the harshness of her words, something flashed behind her eyes that didn't quite match her tone. She moved aside with a huff, ears still twitching faintly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The final assessment of the day was with Sensei Ito in Laird Hall's martial arts complex. After the teleportation incident in the testing lab, Ethan approached this evaluation with even more trepidation. The last thing she needed was to accidentally teleport equipment—or worse, people—during combat practice.
Sensei Ito was a compact, stern-faced Japanese man with a penetrating gaze that seemed to strip away pretenses. He greeted Ethan with a formal bow, which she awkwardly returned.
"Anderson-san. I see you have been designated Pacifist." He nodded toward her wristband.
"It wasn't my choice," Ethan said.
"Few things in life are." He gestured to the training mat. "Show me your stance."
"I don't really have one. I've never trained in martial arts."
Sensei Ito's expression remained neutral. "Assume a defensive position as best you can."
Feeling foolish, Ethan adopted what she thought might be a fighting stance. To her surprise, her body moved with unexpected fluidity, settling into a balanced posture she didn't consciously recognize.
Sensei Ito circled her slowly. "Interesting. Your stance suggests training, despite your claim."
"I'm just trying to copy what I've seen in movies," Ethan explained.
"Is that so?" Sensei Ito said, his face revealing nothing. "Let us test your reflexes then."
Without warning, he made a swift strike toward her face, stopping just short of contact.
Ethan's body reacted before her mind registered the movement. She deflected his hand with her forearm and pivoted away, assuming a new stance that she had no conscious knowledge of.
Shock registered on her face. "How did I do that?"
"As I suspected." Sensei Ito nodded. "Your transformation appears more comprehensive than even you realized. Your file mentions you were changed through a device based on an anime character. It seems certain skills transferred along with the physical form."
"That's impossible," Ethan protested, staring at her hands in disbelief. "Skills are learned, not... downloaded."
"And yet," Sensei Ito gestured to her perfect defensive posture, "your body knows movements your mind does not."
For the next thirty minutes, he put Ethan through a series of exercises designed to test the limits of these inexplicable abilities. To her growing amazement, her body responded with techniques she couldn't name but executed with practiced precision. Complex movements, blocks, kicks, and evasions came naturally, though she couldn't explain how she knew them.
"Your situation is unusual but not without precedent," Sensei Ito explained as they concluded. "Some Warpers manifest abilities that draw from parallel realities or conceptual spaces. Your transformation appears to have created a connection to the skill set of the character that inspired your new form."
"So I didn't just get turned into a girl," Ethan said bitterly. "I'm turning into someone else completely."
"Not necessarily. The skills are there, but how you use them remains your choice." Sensei Ito made a note on his tablet. "I'm recommending you for Basic Combat class despite your advanced physical abilities. Without mental training to complement your instinctual knowledge, you risk developing erratic patterns."
"Does that mean I can skip the Pacifist restriction?" Ethan asked hopefully.
"No. That designation concerns your warping abilities, not your combat skills." Sensei Ito handed her a class schedule. "Basic Combat meets three times weekly. I expect punctuality and dedication, regardless of your unusual circumstances."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Ethan sat alone in a quiet corner of the Crystal Hall cafeteria, picking at her dinner while reviewing the day's events. The testing had confirmed she was primarily a Warper with uncontrolled spatial manipulation, but the martial arts revelation had thrown her completely. She'd never studied fighting techniques in her life, yet her body had responded to Sensei Ito's tests with practiced precision. What else might be lurking beneath the surface, waiting to emerge? The thought that Jordan's machine had altered more than just her appearance was deeply unsettling. Was she slowly becoming someone—or something—else entirely?
The white "Pacifist" band with its glaring red letters felt like a brand on her wrist, marking her as dangerous and unstable. At least she'd managed to teleport smaller objects intentionally. Small victories, she supposed, though it hardly balanced out the table-launching incident.
She was jarred from her thoughts when she noticed a student from her Powers Theory class approaching with a tray. He was athletic and energetic-looking, with short, styled black hair and an easy confidence in his movements. He wore the standard uniform, but there was something distinctly casual about how he carried himself despite the formal attire.
"Mind if I join you?" he asked, gesturing to the empty chairs at her table, a friendly smile lighting up his face.
Ethan hesitated, then nodded. She'd been avoiding social interaction all day, but isolation wasn't helping her mental state.
"I'm Jasper Chen," he said, setting down his tray with a fluid motion that spoke of athletic training. "But most people call me Jace. You're Ethan, right? I saw what happened in testing today."
"Great. Is everyone talking about it?" Ethan stabbed at her pasta.
"Not everyone. Just those of us who were there." Jace seemed unfazed by her curtness, his outgoing nature apparently immune to social awkwardness. "For what it's worth, I think it's cool you can teleport things. My power is way less impressive—I just absorb kinetic energy from impacts."
"That sounds useful," Ethan said. "Better than randomly sending stuff flying around the room."
"Maybe. But I had to break three ribs and my collarbone before I figured out how it worked," Jace replied, rolling his shoulder at the memory. "Powers are weird that way. They never seem to come with an instruction manual."
Despite herself, Ethan smiled slightly. "No kidding."
Another student approached—a girl with dark curly hair and piercing green eyes. "Is this the new student corner?" she asked, her voice carrying a faint accent Ethan couldn't place.
"Apparently," Jace replied, gesturing welcomingly. "I'm Jace, this is Ethan."
"Elara," the girl introduced herself, sitting down. "I'm in your Powers Theory class too."
As they ate, the conversation flowed more easily than Ethan expected. Neither Jace nor Elara pressed her about her powers or background, instead sharing their own experiences as new students. Jace described growing up in the foster system and discovering his abilities during a street fight. Elara spoke of her family's history with secret societies and her chronometry powers—the ability to manipulate time on a small scale.
"So you can see the future?" Ethan asked, intrigued despite herself.
"Not exactly," Elara explained. "I can accelerate or slow time in localized areas, but only for seconds. And I get these... time glitches when I'm stressed. Sometimes I see brief flashes of potential outcomes, but they're unreliable."
By the time they finished eating, Ethan felt marginally better about her situation. At least she wasn't alone in navigating unfamiliar abilities. As imperfect as Whateley might be, it offered something her previous life couldn't: context for what was happening to her.
Walking back to Melville, Ethan spotted a familiar figure in the courtyard—Jordan, deep in conversation with another student Ethan didn't recognize. The student was gesturing enthusiastically while Jordan nodded, looking more animated than Ethan had seen him since they arrived.
Ethan changed direction, approaching them. "Hey."
Jordan looked up, startled. "Ethan! I was going to come find you after dinner. This is Zephyr Dubois—he's in the art program."
The lanky student with unruly brown hair nodded at Ethan, his sweater bearing faint paint splatters despite the uniform requirements. "Call me Zeph. Jordan was just telling me about his inventions. Sounds fascinating."
"I'm still settling in," Ethan replied cautiously.
"How was testing?" Jordan asked.
"Fine," Ethan replied flatly. "I got labeled a Pacifist. Apparently teleporting tables is frowned upon."
"You can teleport things?" Zeph asked, his tired eyes lighting up with creative interest. "That's amazing! I just manipulate air currents. Mostly for artistic effects—patterns, swirls, that kind of thing."
"We should probably head back to the dorm," Jordan suggested, noticing Ethan's exhaustion. "It's getting late."
"Sure," Zeph said easily. "See you around. Maybe at the next study group?"
As he walked away, Ethan raised an eyebrow at Jordan. "Making friends already?"
"He overheard me talking about devisor theory in the library," Jordan explained. "He's pretty cool. Has these air manipulation powers he uses for art."
"Fascinating," Ethan said dryly. "Meanwhile, I spent my day being poked, prodded, and labeled dangerous."
Jordan's expression sobered. "I heard about the testing incident. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just tired." Ethan sighed. "And confused. Apparently, this transformation goes deeper than we thought. I've somehow inherited martial arts skills from the character your machine based me on."
"That's... wow." Jordan looked genuinely surprised. "I didn't program anything like that into the QIR."
"Well, something happened," Ethan said. "Sensei Ito says my body remembers skills my mind never learned. He called it a 'quantum personality overlay'—whatever that means."
Jordan's expression shifted to one of intense concentration—his inventor face, as Ethan had come to call it. "That could explain a lot. Maybe the transformation isn't just physical but extends to certain mental patterns or muscle memory. If the QIR somehow accessed information about the character beyond just appearance—"
"I don't want to talk about this right now," Ethan interrupted. "I'm exhausted, and tomorrow isn't going to be any easier."
"Right, sorry." Jordan stepped back. "Get some rest. We can figure this out, Ethan. I promise."
As Jordan walked away, Ethan stood alone in the gathering dusk, feeling the weight of the white band on her wrist, its red letters seeming to glow accusingly in the fading light. Her first day at Whateley had confirmed what she feared most: her transformation went beyond skin deep. Whatever Jordan's machine had done to her, it was rewriting her from the inside out.
The question now was whether anything of her original self would remain when the process was complete—and whether she'd even notice when it was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 02
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
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Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
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Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
The bedroom door slammed with such force that the framed diploma on the wall tilted sideways. Ethan didn't bother to fix it. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling she'd gazed at for the past seventeen years of her life. The same ceiling, the same room, but everything else had changed.
More than a day had passed since Jordan's machine had transformed her. She had spent it hiding in Jordan's basement, watching his increasingly desperate attempts to reverse the transformation. Ethan had needed to get away, to be surrounded by something familiar, something that still felt like her old self. So when Jordan had suggested they take a break and reconvene tomorrow, Ethan had seized the opportunity to return home.
"You sure you'll be okay?" Jordan had asked as they stood at the corner of Ethan's street. "My dad won't be back until tomorrow evening, but you could still stay with me."
"I just need some time alone," Ethan had replied. "In my own space."
She'd managed to get into the house while her parents were at their weekly church meeting. The plan was simple: hide in her room, pretend to be sick if they knocked, and figure out next steps after some time to think.
The sound of the front door opening downstairs sent a jolt through her. Voices drifted up—her parents returning earlier than expected. Ethan froze, listening to their movements. The refrigerator door opening and closing. Footsteps on the stairs.
A knock at her bedroom door. "Ethan? Are you home?" Her mother's voice.
"Yeah, Mom," she called back, trying to deepen her voice and failing miserably. "Not feeling well. Think I'm coming down with something."
A pause. "You sound strange. Let me in."
"It's just a sore throat. I'm really tired—"
"Ethan Ryan Anderson, open this door right now."
Panic rising, Ethan scrambled for options. There were none. With trembling hands, she opened the door.
Her mother's expression shifted from concern to confusion to shock in the span of three seconds. "Who are you?" she demanded, stepping back. "Where's my son?"
"Mom, it's me," Ethan said, hating how high her voice sounded. "I can explain."
Her mother's face drained of color. "John!" she called downstairs. "John, come up here right now!"
What followed was twenty minutes of chaos. Her father's stunned disbelief. Her mother's accusations that this was some kind of trick. Ethan's fumbling attempts to explain about Jordan's machine, about the transformation, about the small objects that occasionally disappeared and reappeared when she got upset.
"Demons," her father finally said, his voice cold and certain. "This is demonic."
"It's not demons, Dad. It's technology. Or mutation. I think I might be—"
"A mutant," her mother cut in, her voice barely above a whisper. "One of those... things they warn about at church."
"What do you mean?"
"The government has been experimenting with this... with these abominations for years," her father said. "We've heard the sermons. Read the pamphlets."
Ethan stared at them in disbelief. "You can't seriously believe that."
"I believe my son has been corrupted," her father replied, his expression hardening. "By what, I'm not entirely sure. But whatever you are, you're not staying in this house."
"Dad, it's still me. I'm still your kid."
"My son wouldn't allow himself to be turned into..." he gestured vaguely at Ethan's body, unable to even articulate what he was seeing. "This is unnatural. Against God's will."
Ethan felt something crack inside her chest. Not a dramatic shattering, but a small, painful fissure. "So that's it? You're kicking me out?"
"You have one hour to pack your things," her father said, not meeting her eyes. "Only because I believe somewhere inside that... form... is my son. Otherwise, I would be calling the authorities."
"John," her mother began, uncertainty crossing her face.
"No, Margaret. We've discussed this. We know what to do if something like this happened."
"You've discussed what to do if I got turned into a girl?" Ethan asked incredulously.
"If you became one of them," her father corrected. "A mutant. Or whatever this is."
The small crack widened. Ethan had always known her parents were religious, conservative even, but this level of preparedness for rejecting their own child had never crossed her mind.
"Fine," she said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I'll go."
Her mother stepped forward hesitantly. "Where will you go?"
"Jordan's, I guess. His father works for the Department of Paranormal Affairs. He might know what to do."
Her father's face darkened further. "Williams. I should have known. Working for that government agency that handles all those mutant freaks. No wonder his son is mixed up in this."
Ethan began grabbing clothes from her dresser, though most wouldn't fit her new form properly. She stuffed them into a duffel bag along with her laptop, phone charger, and the few mementos she couldn't bear to leave behind.
Neither parent offered to help. They stood in the doorway watching, as if afraid to enter the same space she occupied. When Ethan finished packing, she faced them one last time.
"I didn't ask for this," she said quietly. "I didn't want it. But I'm still me."
Her father's expression didn't soften. "The son I raised would have fought against this corruption, not embraced it."
"Embraced it?" Ethan's voice rose despite her efforts to stay calm. "You think I wanted this? That I chose this?"
"Everyone has choices," her father replied. "And you've made yours."
The words hung in the air between them, a final judgment. Ethan shouldered her bag and walked past them, down the stairs that had once felt like home, and out the front door. She didn't look back.
Night was falling as she walked the eight blocks to Jordan's house, the weight of the bag nothing compared to the heaviness in her chest. The crack had spread, but instead of collapse, Ethan felt a strange numbness setting in. It was almost a relief.
Jordan's father arrived home the following evening, a tall man with a serious expression and the same dark skin as his son. Ethan had spent the intervening twenty-four hours alternating between hiding in Jordan's basement room and helping him attempt to recreate aspects of the machine that had transformed her. Jordan had been uncharacteristically quiet, guilt evident in his every interaction.
William Williams—a name that had always struck Ethan as redundant—sat across from them at the kitchen table, his government ID badge still clipped to his suit jacket pocket. His face remained impassive as they explained what had happened, though his eyes widened slightly at the mention of the teleportation incidents.
"Let me get this straight," he said when they finished. "Jordan built a machine to create a girlfriend—"
"Not exactly—" Jordan began.
"—which instead transformed Ethan into a female form with some sort of teleporting abilities."
"That's the short version," Ethan confirmed.
Mr. Williams pinched the bridge of his nose. "And your parents kicked you out?"
Ethan nodded, the wound still fresh enough that she didn't trust herself to speak about it.
"I see." He was quiet for a moment. "Jordan, what you did was incredibly reckless. The implications alone... do you have any idea what kind of attention this could bring?"
Jordan stared at the table. "I'm sorry, Dad. I didn't think it would work like this."
"That's the problem, isn't it? You didn't think." He sighed heavily. "But what's done is done."
He glanced at his DPA badge and purposefully removed it, placing it face-down on the table. His voice lowered. "The first thing we need to do is make sure this stays quiet. The DPA would classify both of you as persons of interest immediately. Jordan for creating the device, you for the transformation and these teleportation manifestations."
"Is that bad?" Ethan asked.
"It could be," Mr. Williams said grimly. "The political climate around mutants has been deteriorating. Registration would be mandatory, and there would likely be testing, monitoring. They might even separate you for what they'd call 'specialized assessment.' The DPA isn't what it used to be."
Jordan looked up in alarm. "But you work for them—"
"Which is exactly why I know what they're capable of," his father cut in. "There are good people there, but the organization as a whole views new manifestations as potential threats first, people second."
"So what do we do now?" Ethan asked, hope cautiously rising. "Can you help change me back?"
Mr. Williams studied her carefully. "The DPA has resources, but nothing that could safely reverse this kind of transformation without understanding exactly how it happened. And since Jordan's machine was damaged in the process..."
"So I'm stuck like this?" The numbness that had protected Ethan began to crack, panic seeping through.
"For now," Mr. Williams said. "But I know people who might be able to help. Specialists in these matters, outside the government."
"What kind of specialists?"
"There's a school," he explained. "Whateley Academy. It's designed for young people with... unusual abilities. Like yours."
Ethan exchanged a glance with Jordan. "A school for freaks, you mean."
"A school for mutants and others with paranormal traits," Mr. Williams corrected. "They have the world's leading experts in powers research, including transformation cases."
"And they might be able to change me back?"
"It's possible. At the very least, they can help you understand and control these new abilities." He leaned forward. "Ethan, I know this isn't what you wanted. But Whateley is your best option right now."
"What about Jordan?" Ethan asked, suddenly realizing the implications. "He made the machine. He has abilities too."
Mr. Williams looked at his son. "Yes, I suspected as much. I think Jordan should go as well."
"To the same school?" Jordan asked, perking up slightly.
"Yes. I'll need to make some calls tonight. I have a few contacts who might be able to help expedite admissions, off the books." He rubbed his temples. "It won't be easy, but it's better than the alternative. The DPA would never let either of you attend—they'd want to study you themselves."
"How soon could we go?" Ethan asked.
"As soon as I can arrange it. A week, maybe two. The sooner the better. These things tend to... escalate without proper guidance." Mr. Williams stood, straightening his tie. "I'll need to make some calls now. In the meantime, Ethan, you're welcome to stay here until we figure things out."
As he left the room, Ethan and Jordan sat in stunned silence.
"Whateley Academy," Jordan finally said. "I've never heard of it."
"Me neither." Ethan's mind raced with questions and fears. "What if they can't change me back?"
Jordan hesitated. "Would it be so terrible? I mean, if you had to stay like this?"
Ethan shot him a sharp look. "Yes, it would. This isn't me, Jordan. This isn't who I am."
"I know, I'm sorry." Jordan looked genuinely contrite. "I just... I want you to be prepared for all possibilities."
Ethan leaned back in her chair, exhaustion washing over her. She'd lost her home, her parents, and potentially her identity in the span of a few days. Now she was being shipped off to some mysterious school for "people like her"—a category she'd never imagined belonging to.
"One week," she said, more to herself than to Jordan. "One week, and then everything changes again."
But everything had already changed. Ethan could feel it in the way her body moved, in the occasional tingling sensation that preceded objects vanishing, in the reflection that still startled her every time she passed a mirror. The question wasn't whether things would change, but whether she could ever get back what she'd lost.
If there were answers to be found, they waited at Whateley Academy. It wasn't much to hold onto, but for now, it would have to be enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 02.5
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
Ethan sat alone at a corner table in Crystal Hall, pushing her food around her plate without much enthusiasm. The massive geodesic dome cafeteria buzzed with lunchtime activity, students of all descriptions moving between the various food stations and tables. Sunlight streamed through the transparent panels, illuminating the central fountain and tropical arboretum that gave the space its distinctive character.
She tugged self-consciously at the sleeve of her black dress jacket, still uncomfortable with how the uniform fit her new form. The black pleated skirt felt particularly alien, constantly reminding her of her transformed state. The white "Pacifist" band with its bold red lettering encircling her wrist stood out starkly against her pale skin, marking her as someone who should avoid conflict.
"Mind if we join you?"
Ethan looked up to see Jasper and a girl she didn't recognize standing beside her table, each carrying a tray of food. Jasper looked as athletic and energetic as ever, his athletic build and confident posture unmistakable even in the standard uniform. The girl beside him had a striking, disciplined demeanor—pale skin, short dark hair, and intense blue eyes that seemed to assess everything with military precision. Her uniform was worn with perfect regulation correctness, not a wrinkle or fold out of place.
"I guess," Ethan replied with a shrug.
Jasper slid into the seat across from her. "Ethan, this is Anya Volkov. She was in our Powers Theory class yesterday."
Anya nodded curtly as she sat down, her movements efficient and controlled. "You're the warper, correct? The one who teleported the testing apparatus."
"That would be me," Ethan confirmed, her voice flat. "The walking disaster zone."
"Abilities are only a disaster when poorly understood," Anya replied matter-of-factly. "I have osteokinesis—bone manipulation. When my powers first manifested, I shattered my left wrist and forearm trying to extend bone spikes."
Jasper grinned. "See? Everyone starts somewhere. My kinetic absorption took forever to control."
Ethan found an unexpected appreciation for her tablemates' matter-of-fact attitudes toward their powers. Unlike the counselors and teachers who approached everything with clinical interest, Jasper and Anya simply accepted powers as part of life—difficult, sometimes dangerous, but ultimately manageable.
Before they could delve deeper into their conversation, a shadow fell across their table.
A tall, imposing student had approached, carrying himself with the easy confidence of someone accustomed to deference. His uniform, though identical to every other male student's, somehow looked more expensive on his athletic frame. His dark hair was expertly styled, and his features had the chiseled quality of a classic statue—handsome in a way that suggested he knew it all too well.
"Well, well," he said, his voice carrying a hint of practiced charm. "You must be the new girl everyone's talking about." His eyes moved over Ethan with an appraising gaze that made her skin crawl.
"Not interested in talking," Ethan muttered, looking away.
The boy either didn't hear or chose to ignore her response. He leaned closer, resting his hands on the table. "I'm Rex Harding. I thought I'd come over and personally welcome you to Whateley." His smile was practiced, revealing perfect teeth. "Maybe I could show you around campus sometime? There are some... private spots worth knowing about."
Jasper shifted in his seat. "She's got a white band, Rex. Probably not the best person to harass."
Rex's eyes flickered to the "Pacifist" band on Ethan's wrist, but his smile didn't waver. "Oh, a submissive one? Even better. I like girls who know how to follow directions." His tone turned even more condescending. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle with you."
A wave of discomfort washed over Ethan, followed by the now-familiar tingling sensation that preceded her teleportation incidents. She tried to employ the breathing techniques Professor Reynard had taught her, but Rex's continued presence made it difficult to focus.
"Please leave," Ethan said, her voice strained with the effort of maintaining control.
"Come on, don't be like that," Rex persisted, reaching toward Ethan's arm. "I'm just being friendly."
The tingling intensified, spreading throughout Ethan's body. She could feel her power building, responding to her discomfort and anxiety.
"Rex, seriously, back off," Jasper warned, his expression growing concerned as he noticed Ethan's distress.
It was too late. Just as Rex's fingers brushed against Ethan's sleeve, there was a soft but distinct pop sound, and Rex vanished completely. Only his shirt remained, floating momentarily in the air before drifting to the floor where he had stood.
The cafeteria fell silent as students turned to stare at the floating shirt and then back at Ethan, whose face had gone pale with shock.
"I didn't mean to—" Ethan started, panic rising in her voice.
Anya placed a calming hand on Ethan's arm. "Breathe. Focus on stabilizing your energy now."
After a moment of stunned silence, worried murmurs began to spread through the cafeteria. Where had Rex gone? Was he hurt? A staff member from the cafeteria was already moving toward their table, his expression concerned.
"I could be confined to my room for this," Ethan muttered. "Or worse, expelled."
"I doubt it," Jasper said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "He was being a jerk. Maybe a little teleportation will teach him some manners."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kira Devereux watched the entire scene unfold with a mixture of fascination and alarm from her position at the far side of the cafeteria. She had been keeping one eye on the new warper girl since their first uncomfortable encounter, though she would never admit to anyone that she found Ethan intriguing.
When Rex Harding had approached Ethan's table, Kira had initially rolled her eyes—Rex's predatory attention toward new female students was well-known. But when the boy had suddenly vanished with that distinctive pop sound, leaving only his shirt behind, Kira felt a jolt of both concern and something else she didn't want to acknowledge.
She rose from her seat almost without thinking, drawn toward Ethan's table as the cafeteria staff moved in the same direction. The cafeteria was buzzing with shocked whispers and speculation, but Kira tuned it all out, focused entirely on the red-haired girl who looked pale with shock.
As she approached, Kira felt the familiar, unwelcome sensation of her shapeshifting beginning to manifest. It started as it always did—a slight prickling at the tips of her ears, then along the backs of her forearms. She concentrated on maintaining control, but her agitation made it difficult.
Before Ethan could respond to Jasper, the cafeteria staff member reached their table. "Ms. Anderson, you need to come with me to the administration building. The incident needs to be reported."
Ethan gathered her things with a sigh of resignation. As she stood to follow the staff member, Jasper gave her an encouraging nod. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
"Try not to teleport the security chief," Kira called after her, though her tone lacked its usual edge.
Ethan glanced back, surprised to see Kira standing nearby, arms crossed tightly to hide the fur threatening to appear. Their eyes met briefly before Ethan turned away to follow the staff member out of the cafeteria.
"So, you just randomly teleported another student?" Kira asked, intercepting Ethan before she could leave, her arms crossed tightly to hide the fur threatening to appear. "That's not exactly normal, even for this place."
"It wasn't on purpose," Ethan replied defensively, those striking sapphire blue eyes flashing with frustration. "I can't control these powers yet."
"Wow, that's comforting," Kira said sarcastically, struggling to maintain her typical aloof demeanor even as she felt her ears beginning to shift. "A walking, teleporting liability who can randomly send people flying who knows where."
Her eyes flicked involuntarily to Ethan's chest, and she noticed something that gave her an opportunity to deflect from her own discomfort. "And by the way, if you're going to walk around without wearing a bra, don't act surprised when guys like Rex come sniffing around. You're practically flaunting yourself."
She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth—especially when Ethan's face flushed crimson and her arms crossed protectively over her chest. Kira knew better than most how difficult it was to adjust to body changes you didn't ask for. But lashing out was easier than admitting any kind of understanding or, worse, attraction.
"I'm not flaunting anything," Ethan hissed, obvious humiliation burning through her voice. "I'm just trying to get through the day."
Despite her harsh words, Kira found herself studying Ethan more carefully than she intended. There was something about the way Ethan carried herself—a mixture of vulnerability and defiance that Kira found oddly compelling. She caught herself staring and quickly reinforced her dismissive expression.
"I told you, I can't control it yet," Ethan emphasized. "What part of 'uncontrolled warper powers' is confusing to you?"
"The part where you're allowed to wander around campus like a teleportation time bomb," Kira retorted, but even she could hear the reduced bite in her own voice. She was making a conscious effort to control her shapeshifting, tension visible in her shoulders and jaw as she fought to keep her ears from fully transforming.
Jasper looked between them with undisguised interest. "You two know each other?"
"Unfortunately," Kira muttered, at the same moment Ethan said, "We've met."
Anya observed Kira with clinical detachment. "Your shapeshifting is manifesting," she noted, nodding toward Kira's slightly twitching ears.
Kira shot her an irritated glance. "Mind your own business." The last thing she needed was more attention drawn to her involuntary transformations. She'd spent years learning to suppress them, and this new girl had somehow managed to trigger them multiple times in two days.
As they argued, Kira felt her control slipping further—a patch of pastel pink fur had appeared on her forearm, and her ears were definitely more pointed now. The more agitated she became, the harder it was to maintain her human appearance.
"You mean to tell me you just accidentally sent someone to who-knows-where?" she demanded, returning her attention to Ethan, determined to keep the focus off her own shifting form.
"That's exactly what happened," Ethan replied. "You of all people should understand what it's like when your body doesn't do what you want it to."
That comment struck a nerve so precisely that Kira almost gasped. Her ears twitched more visibly, and she quickly pulled her sleeve down to hide the fur patch on her arm. How dare this girl—this newcomer—turn Kira's own issues back on her?
"Not the same thing," she said tersely, fighting to keep her voice steady. "At least my... issues... don't endanger other people."
The cafeteria staff member cleared his throat impatiently. "Ms. Anderson, we really need to go now."
Kira stepped back, her face flushed with a mixture of emotions she couldn't quite name. She watched as Ethan followed the staff member out of the cafeteria, feeling strangely conflicted about their interaction.
"Try not to teleport the security chief," she called after Ethan, surprised by the lack of real hostility in her own voice.
Realizing her ears were still partially transformed, Kira headed for the nearest restroom to compose herself, wondering why this particular girl had such a strong effect on her control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That afternoon, Ethan sat in Introduction to Advanced Technologies, grateful that the reporting of the Rex incident had been relatively straightforward. The administration had taken her statement, recorded the details of what happened, and informed her they would be in touch once they determined next steps. No immediate punishment had been handed down, which was a relief, though she suspected this wouldn't be the end of it.
Professor Marcus Chen, a compact man with an enthusiastic demeanor and a tendency to speak with his hands, paced energetically at the front of the classroom. Unlike many of the other faculty, he wore an outfit that seemed deliberately casual—dark jeans and a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbows, revealing forearms covered in intricate circuit-board-like tattoos that occasionally seemed to pulse with faint light.
"Advanced Technologies isn't just about understanding existing tech," Professor Chen explained, "it's about recognizing how mutant abilities push the boundaries of what's scientifically possible. The most revolutionary inventions of the past thirty years have come from collaborations between traditional scientists and those with paranormal capabilities."
Ethan found herself surprisingly engaged as Professor Chen discussed various case studies—mutants whose powers had led to technological breakthroughs, devisors whose creations defied conventional science, and gadgeteers who enhanced existing technologies in unexpected ways.
"The relationship between our minds, bodies, and the technology we create isn't as clear-cut as we once believed," Professor Chen explained, projecting a holographic model of what appeared to be neural pathways intertwined with circuit designs. "For some of you, your powers represent a bridge between human potential and technological possibility."
The class worked in small groups to analyze components of a decommissioned deviser device, theorizing about its function and design principles. The technical focus provided Ethan with a welcome distraction from the morning's events, allowing her to engage with concepts rather than emotions.
As the class ended, Professor Chen approached Ethan. "Ms. Anderson, I heard about the incident in the cafeteria. Warper abilities can be particularly challenging to calibrate. If you're interested, I have some technical papers on spatial manipulation theory that might give you a different perspective on your powers."
"Thank you," Ethan replied, surprised by the offer. "I'd appreciate that."
"Of course. Your next appointment is with Dr. Aguilar in Doyle Medical Complex, correct?" At Ethan's nod, Professor Chen smiled reassuringly. "Don't let today's events discourage you. Every student here has had moments where their powers got away from them. It's part of the learning process."
By the time Ethan reached Doyle Medical Complex for her mandatory counseling session, she felt marginally better than she had after the cafeteria incident. The academic environment of Professor Chen's class had reminded her that Whateley was, first and foremost, a school—designed to teach and support students like her, not just restrict and monitor them.
Dr. Raquel Aguilar's office was unlike anything Ethan had expected. Warm lighting, comfortable furniture, and plants created a space that felt more like a living room than an institutional office. Dr. Aguilar herself, a woman with warm brown skin and a gentle smile, greeted Ethan with a calm demeanor that immediately put her more at ease.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," Dr. Aguilar said, gesturing to several seating options—traditional chairs, a small couch, even a couple of large floor cushions. "This is your space while you're here."
Ethan chose one of the chairs, sitting somewhat stiffly. "I'm guessing you've heard about what happened in the cafeteria."
"I have," Dr. Aguilar confirmed. "But I'd like to hear your perspective on it."
Ethan recounted the incident with Rex, but this time Dr. Aguilar asked questions that went beyond the mere facts—focusing on how Ethan felt before, during, and after the teleportation occurred.
"You mentioned a tingling sensation that spreads through your body," Dr. Aguilar noted. "Is that always present before a teleportation incident?"
Ethan thought about it. "Yes, I think so. It starts small and then builds until it feels like my whole body is vibrating at a different frequency."
"That's very useful information," Dr. Aguilar said, making a note. "Physical sensations often provide the first warning signs of power activation. If you can learn to recognize that tingling at its earliest stage, you might have more time to implement grounding techniques."
They discussed various strategies for managing emotional responses and recognizing power activation cues. Dr. Aguilar seemed particularly interested in the martial arts abilities Ethan had displayed during testing.
"Sensei Ito mentioned a 'quantum personality overlay,'" Ethan said. "Do you know what that means?"
Dr. Aguilar nodded thoughtfully. "It's a theory that applies to certain transformation cases, particularly those involving external templates or models. Essentially, when your physical form was changed, some associated skills and abilities from the template were transferred as well. In your case, the martial arts proficiency of the anime character."
"So I'm turning into someone else?" Ethan asked, unable to keep the worry from her voice.
"No, not at all," Dr. Aguilar assured her. "Think of it more like acquiring a skill set. The core of who you are—your memories, values, personality—remains your own. But you now have access to abilities you didn't consciously learn."
Ethan wasn't entirely convinced, but the explanation was at least somewhat reassuring.
"I'd like you to keep a journal," Dr. Aguilar said, handing Ethan a leather-bound notebook. "Record any incidents of power manifestation, the circumstances surrounding them, and your emotional state before, during, and after. This can help us identify patterns and triggers."
They spent the rest of the session discussing coping mechanisms for gender dysphoria and strategies for navigating the social complexities of Whateley. By the time they finished, Ethan felt more centered than she had all day.
"Remember," Dr. Aguilar said as their session concluded, "your goal right now isn't to completely suppress your abilities, but to understand them. Sometimes the path to control begins with acceptance."
As Ethan returned to the Melville Cottage, she encountered Kira in the dormitory lobby. Both girls froze momentarily, surprised to see each other.
"Hey," Kira said, her tone lacking its usual edge. "How did the... security thing go?"
"Could have been worse," Ethan replied cautiously, wary of another confrontation. "They just took my statement. No punishment yet, anyway."
Kira nodded, seeming unsure how to proceed. "Look, about what I said earlier, about the..." she gestured vaguely toward Ethan's chest, clearly uncomfortable with the topic, "...that was out of line."
Ethan blinked, stunned by what almost sounded like an apology. "It's fine. I'm still figuring things out."
"Yeah, well..." Kira's attempt at reconciliation was already faltering. "Just try not to teleport anyone else, okay? It makes things complicated for everyone."
"I'm doing my best," Ethan said, a hint of defensiveness returning to her voice.
"Your 'best' is terrifying," Kira replied, but there was less bite in her tone than usual.
A student passing by glanced at them and smirked. "Lover's quarrel?" he called out teasingly.
Kira's ears instantly began to shift, points emerging as her temper flared. "Mind your own business!" she snapped at the student, who hurried away, still grinning.
"We are NOT—" Ethan began, equally flustered.
"Don't even finish that sentence," Kira cut her off, her face flushed. "This is ridiculous."
"Why does that bother you so much?" Ethan found herself asking. "The idea that someone might think we're... you know."
Kira's ears twitched more prominently. "Because it's absurd," she said, but something in her tone lacked conviction. "I barely know you. And you're... well, you're..."
"Not really a girl?" Ethan finished for her.
"That's not—" Kira stopped, clearly uncomfortable. "I mean, you look like a girl now, even if you weren't before. That's not the point."
"Then what is the point?" Ethan pressed, surprised by her own boldness.
Kira seemed to struggle with her answer. "The point is that I don't do relationships. With anyone. It's complicated enough just dealing with my own issues without adding someone else's to the mix." She glanced down at the patches of pink fur now clearly visible on her arms. "Especially someone with even less control than I have."
There was a vulnerability in that admission that caught Ethan off guard. For a brief moment, the hostility between them seemed to dissolve, replaced by a strange sense of shared understanding.
"I get that," Ethan said quietly. "Believe me, a relationship is the last thing on my mind right now."
Kira nodded, an awkward silence falling between them. "I should go. I have... homework."
"Yeah, me too," Ethan replied, though they both knew it was an excuse.
As Kira turned to leave, she hesitated, then looked back over her shoulder. "For what it's worth, I hope they find that jerk Rex soon. Whatever he is, he had it coming."
Before Ethan could respond, Kira walked away, her fox ears still visible above her blonde hair. Ethan watched her go, more confused than ever about their strange relationship. It wasn't friendship, certainly wasn't romance, but it wasn't quite the antagonism it had initially seemed either.
As she continued toward her room, Ethan mulled over the day's events. The teleportation incident with Rex. Professor Chen's class. Dr. Aguilar's counseling session. And now this bizarre almost-moment with Kira.
Each interaction, each new piece of information about her powers, added another layer to the puzzle of her new existence. The martial arts skills. The quantum personality overlay. The strange relationship developing with Kira. None of it fit neatly into the simple narrative of "find a way to change back as soon as possible" that she'd been clinging to.
Opening the journal Dr. Aguilar had given her, Ethan began to write about her day, documenting not just the teleportation incident but also her conflicted feelings about the emerging abilities and relationships that came with her new form. As she wrote, she wondered how much of herself would remain recognizable by the time she found a way to reverse the transformation—if such a way even existed.
The question that haunted her as she finally closed the journal and prepared for bed was whether anything of her original self would remain when all was said and done—and whether she'd even notice when it was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 03
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
The world was crumbling around Ethan, piece by piece.
Three days had passed since Jordan's machine had transformed her, and the aftermath was unfolding in ways she couldn't have imagined. What had started as a desperate attempt to hide from her parents while Jordan tried to fix his mistake had evolved into something far worse.
She sat on Jordan's bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror across the room. The vermillion-haired girl staring back was still a stranger—still an intruder in her life—but now she was an intruder with nowhere else to go.
"You're sure they meant it?" Jordan asked for the third time, sitting beside her with an awkward distance between them. "Maybe if you went back and—"
"They meant it," Ethan cut him off, her voice flat.
The memory was still raw, like an open wound. She had tried to hide what happened from her parents, sneaking into the house when they were at church. But she hadn't even been in her room for more than a couple hours when her parents arrived home early. The look on her mother's face when she first saw Ethan—shock morphing into confusion, then horror—would be burned into Ethan's memory forever.
What followed was worse. Her father's cold condemnation. Both parents treating her like something alien, dangerous—the very word "mutant" whispered like a curse. The ultimatum: leave or they would call the authorities. Their certainty that their son was gone, replaced by this... abomination.
"Only because you were my son am I not contacting the DPA," her father had said, his voice chillingly final as he watched her gather her belongings.
"But your dad works for the DPA," Ethan said now, looking at Jordan. "What if my parents change their minds? What if they call them?"
Jordan ran a hand through his hair, clearly uncomfortable. "He's just in administration. He's not... I don't think he'd..." He trailed off, then squared his shoulders. "Look, I've been working on another prototype. This one might work better. I've been analyzing the quantum field fluctuations from the first device, and if I can reverse the polarity—"
"You've been saying that for days," Ethan interrupted again, too exhausted for false hope. Each attempt had resulted in different, sometimes alarming devices that bore no resemblance to the original machine. "Nothing works the same way twice. Have you figured out why yet?"
Jordan's expression fell. "No. It's like... I can see how to build things, but only once. After that, my brain just moves on to the next idea." He hesitated. "I think I might be a Devisor. Like, a real one. The kind they talk about on the news sometimes."
Ethan didn't respond. The label made sense—the one-shot inventions, the brilliant but unrepeatable designs, the increasingly strange creations filling Jordan's basement workshop. Under different circumstances, it might have been exciting. Now it just meant another complication.
She stood abruptly and paced to the window, looking out at the dusk settling over Jordan's neighborhood. A news report played quietly on Jordan's tablet, the announcer's voice grave as she described increasing tensions at a mutant rights rally downtown. The footage showed signs with harsh slogans: "KEEP AMERICA HUMAN" and "REGISTER ALL MUTANTS."
"Turn that off," Ethan said, hugging herself.
Jordan complied, but the damage was done. The reality of their situation hung in the air between them. Two teenagers with emerging powers in a world increasingly hostile to their kind.
"At least the teleporting thing hasn't happened again," Jordan offered, trying to sound positive.
As if on cue, the pencil on his desk vanished with a soft pop and reappeared on the floor in front of Ethan.
"You had to say something," she muttered, bending to pick it up. Another manifestation of powers she didn't understand and couldn't control.
Their heads turned simultaneously at the sound of the front door opening. Jordan's father was home from work.
"We should tell him," Jordan said quietly. "He might know what to do."
Ethan's first instinct was to refuse—to hide, to deny, to pretend this wasn't happening. But the weight of the past few days pressed down on her. She had no home to return to. No way to explain her sudden transformation to anyone else. And Jordan's increasingly erratic inventions weren't producing any solutions.
"Fine," she said finally. "But if he reaches for a phone to call anyone—"
"He won't," Jordan assured her, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
________________________________________
William Williams was an imposing figure, his tall frame and serious demeanor enhanced by the crisp government ID badge still clipped to his suit jacket. He sat behind his home office desk, fingers steepled in front of him as he listened to their halting explanation. His expression remained carefully neutral throughout, though his eyes widened slightly at the mention of the teleportation incidents.
When they finished, he was silent for a long moment. Then he reached up and deliberately unpinned his DPA badge from his jacket, placing it face-down on the desk.
"Let me be absolutely clear," he said, his voice measured. "This conversation is not happening in any official capacity."
Ethan tensed, ready to bolt, but Jordan placed a reassuring hand on her arm.
"Dad, we need help," he said simply.
Mr. Williams sighed, suddenly looking very tired. "I suspected something was wrong when I noticed the power surges in the basement. And the... unusual components you've been ordering online." He fixed Jordan with a stern look. "But this? This goes beyond tinkering, son."
"I know. I didn't mean to—"
"Intent doesn't matter here. Results do." Mr. Williams turned his attention to Ethan. "And your parents have disowned you? Because of this?"
Ethan nodded, not trusting her voice.
"Typical," he muttered. "The last thing we need is more kids on the streets." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "The DPA would classify both of you as persons of interest immediately. Jordan for creating the device, you for the transformation and these teleportation manifestations."
"Is that bad?" Ethan asked, anxiety rising.
"It could be," Mr. Williams said grimly. "The political climate around mutants has been deteriorating. Registration would be mandatory, and there would likely be testing, monitoring. They might even separate you for what they'd call 'specialized assessment.' The DPA isn't what it used to be."
"But you work for them—" Jordan began.
"Which is exactly why I know what they're capable of," his father cut in. "There are good people there, but the organization as a whole views new manifestations as potential threats first, people second."
Ethan felt sick. "So what do we do now? I can't go home. Jordan can't fix this. And I keep having these teleportation incidents. I can't control it."
Mr. Williams was quiet for a moment, clearly weighing options. "There's a school," he said finally. "Whateley Academy. It's designed for young people with... unusual abilities. Like yours."
"A school for freaks, you mean," Ethan said bitterly.
"A school for mutants and others with paranormal traits," Mr. Williams corrected firmly. "They have the world's leading experts in powers research, including transformation cases."
Hope flickered faintly in Ethan's chest. "And they might be able to change me back?"
"It's possible. At the very least, they can help you understand and control these new abilities." He looked between them. "I think you both should go."
"Both of us?" Jordan asked, surprise evident in his voice.
"Yes." Mr. Williams nodded slowly. "Your Devisor abilities are clearly manifesting. And after what's happened..." He sighed again. "I need to make some calls tonight. I have contacts who might be able to help expedite admissions, off the books."
"How soon could we go?" Ethan asked, desperate for any solution.
"As soon as I can arrange it. A week, maybe two. The sooner the better." His expression grew serious. "These things tend to... escalate without proper guidance."
The conversation continued for another hour, discussing logistics and contingencies. Mr. Williams explained that he would arrange for a cover story, something that would satisfy Jordan's school without raising suspicions. As for Ethan, with her parents effectively washing their hands of her, there were fewer complications, though the thought brought a fresh wave of pain.
Eventually, Mr. Williams excused himself to make calls, leaving Ethan and Jordan alone in the living room.
"Whateley Academy," Jordan said, testing the name. "I've never heard of it."
"Me neither." Ethan stared blankly at the wall, mind racing with questions and fears. "What if they can't change me back?"
Jordan hesitated. "Would it be so terrible? I mean, if you had to stay like this?"
Ethan shot him a sharp look. "Yes, it would. This isn't me, Jordan. This isn't who I am."
"I know, I'm sorry." Jordan looked genuinely contrite. "I just... I want you to be prepared for all possibilities."
Ethan didn't respond. She'd lost her home, her parents, and potentially her identity in the span of a few days. Now she was being shipped off to some mysterious school for "people like her"—a category she'd never imagined belonging to.
"One week," she said, more to herself than to Jordan. "One week, and then everything changes again."
But everything had already changed. Ethan could feel it in the way her body moved, in the occasional tingling sensation that preceded objects vanishing, in the reflection that still startled her every time she passed a mirror. The question wasn't whether things would change, but whether she could ever get back what she'd lost.
________________________________________
The next few days passed in a haze of anxiety and preparation. Jordan's father worked tirelessly, making calls and arrangements, pulling strings with contacts he only vaguely described. Jordan himself retreated frequently to his underground workshop, emerging with increasingly bizarre gadgets that he insisted might help Ethan, though none did.
Ethan spent most of her time in Jordan's room, avoiding mirrors and trying to adjust to her new body's movements and proportions. The random teleportation incidents continued, usually triggered by stress or strong emotions. A coffee mug would vanish from the table and reappear on the floor. A book would disappear from a shelf and materialize in a different room. Nothing dangerous, nothing dramatic—but each incident was a reminder of how little control she had over her new reality.
Five days after her parents had thrown her out, Ethan sat cross-legged on Jordan's bed, attempting the breathing exercises she'd found online for controlling anxiety. Through the partially open door, she could hear voices downstairs—Jordan's father and someone else, their tones formal but not unfriendly.
Jordan burst into the room, his expression a mix of excitement and nervousness. "They're here," he whispered. "Representatives from Whateley. Dad says to come down."
Ethan's heart raced. "Already? I thought we had more time."
"They want to interview us before finalizing the arrangements." Jordan hesitated. "Are you okay?"
"No," Ethan answered honestly, rising to her feet. "But what choice do I have?"
Downstairs, two individuals waited in the living room with Mr. Williams. The first was a tall, slender woman with silver-streaked hair and sharp, intelligent eyes. Beside her stood a younger man with an athletic build, his casual stance belied by the alert way he scanned the room.
"Ethan, Jordan," Mr. Williams said formally, "these are representatives from Whateley Academy. Dr. Samantha Weller, Dean of Students, and Mr. Terrance Cooper, Recruitment Liaison."
"Please, call me Sam," the woman said with a warm smile that seemed calculated to put them at ease. "And this is Terry. We're here to discuss your potential enrollment at Whateley."
Over the next two hours, they were interviewed separately and together. The questions were probing but not invasive: details about their power manifestations, their family situations, their academic backgrounds. Dr. Weller seemed particularly interested in Ethan's teleportation incidents and Jordan's one-shot invention ability.
"Whateley was designed precisely for students like you," she explained as they all reconvened in the living room. "Young people with emerging abilities who need a safe environment to learn control and understanding."
"Can they change me back?" Ethan asked directly, cutting through the diplomatic language.
Dr. Weller and Mr. Cooper exchanged a brief glance.
"Whateley has the most advanced resources for researching and addressing transformation cases," Dr. Weller answered carefully. "While I can't promise specific outcomes, you'll have access to experts in dimensional physics, reality manipulation, and quantum mechanics—all fields potentially relevant to your situation."
It wasn't the definitive "yes" Ethan had hoped for, but it was more promising than anything else they'd heard.
"And what about me?" Jordan asked. "My parents aren't kicking me out. Why should I go?"
Mr. Cooper spoke up for the first time, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Devisor abilities like yours can be challenging to manage without proper guidance. The technical knowledge at Whateley is unparalleled, and you'll have the opportunity to work with others who share similar gifts."
"Besides," Dr. Weller added, "having a familiar face can make the transition easier for both of you."
The meeting concluded with practical arrangements. Whateley would expedite their enrollment, claiming vacancies due to recent transfers. Mr. Williams would handle the paperwork and create a cover story for Jordan's sudden change of schools. For Ethan, with no parental involvement, the process was simultaneously simpler and more complicated—legal guardianship temporarily assigned to the Academy itself.
As Dr. Weller and Mr. Cooper prepared to leave, Ethan gathered her courage to ask one final question.
"Is it... are there others like me there? People who changed?"
Dr. Weller's expression softened with genuine compassion. "Whateley's student body includes individuals with every imaginable variation of power manifestation, including many who have undergone physical transformations. Some more dramatic than yours." She placed a gentle hand on Ethan's shoulder. "You won't be alone, I promise you that."
After they departed, Mr. Williams outlined the next steps. They had five days to prepare. Five days until they would leave behind everything familiar for an uncertain future at a school they'd never heard of before today.
Ethan retreated to Jordan's room, needing space to process. She sat by the window, watching darkness settle over the neighborhood, wondering what Whateley Academy would really be like. Would it be the solution she desperately needed, or just another painful adjustment to a life spiraling beyond her control?
The soft pop of another unintentional teleportation—this time a pillow from the bed to the floor—answered her with maddening ambiguity.
Five days. And then everything would change again.
But maybe, just maybe, this change would lead her back to herself.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 03.5 (And LAST flashback!!!)
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
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TTFN Everyone.
Ethan sat nervously in Professor Miranda Webb's Warper Theory classroom, fidgeting with the white "Pacifist" band around her wrist. The band had taken on a more complex meaning after the incident with Rex in the cafeteria yesterday. What had begun as a simple designation had become a constant reminder of just how dangerous her uncontrolled abilities could be.
Professor Webb was nothing like Ethan had imagined. A tall woman with silver-streaked black hair and laugh lines around her eyes, she moved with the fluid precision of someone completely confident in her body. Her casual attire—dark jeans and a comfortable turtleneck rather than the formal wear of other instructors—suggested a practicality that matched her direct teaching style.
"Before we begin our practical applications today, we need to understand the mathematical frameworks that govern dimensional theory," Professor Webb began, turning to the complex equations projected on the wall. "These formulae describe the mechanics behind dimensional manipulation and reality alteration, the theoretical foundation for all Warper abilities."
For the next twenty minutes, she walked them through the mind-bending mathematics, explaining how quantum resonance patterns could create bridges between dimensional states. Ethan took careful notes, but found herself completely lost amid the advanced mathematical concepts. The equations with their strange symbols and multi-dimensional variables seemed to blur together, making little sense to her despite her best efforts to follow along.
"Now," Professor Webb continued, "while Warper abilities are not inherently tied to emotions, many of you may find that your emotional state affects your control. States of mind can increase or decrease mastery over all abilities, but Warpers often experience this connection more acutely due to the delicate nature of reality manipulation."
The classroom contained a diverse assortment of students, most of whom Ethan didn't recognize. A boy whose skin occasionally rippled like water. A girl who seemed to fade partially out of existence when she wasn't speaking. Two students in robes that Ethan assumed were magic users, judging by the arcane symbols embroidered on their sleeves. And to her surprise, Zephyr Dubois—the lanky art student she'd briefly met through Jordan—sat a few rows ahead, his perpetually tired expression giving way to genuine interest as the lecture progressed.
"Today, we'll be dividing into practice groups based on your specific ability types," Professor Webb announced. "Each group will be joined by a senior student who will help guide your exercises. Teleporters and spatial manipulators will work on object displacement. Reality warpers will focus on stability techniques. Students with dimensional viewing abilities will practice controlled glimpses."
As the class rearranged itself into groups, Ethan found herself with three other teleporters at a table covered with various small objects—rubber balls, wooden blocks, pencils. They were joined by a senior student named Vanessa, a tall girl with metallic blue hair who introduced herself as "Shift."
"As one of the newer students, you'll want to start with the basics," Shift explained to Ethan, while a boy with translucent skin named Mirage demonstrated for the other students. "Mirage has been working with his abilities for over a year."
"The trick is to feel the connection between where the object is and where you want it to be," Mirage explained, causing a rubber ball to disappear and reappear six inches to the left. "Like there's an invisible thread you can pull on."
Ethan tried to follow his instructions, focusing intently on a small wooden cube. She felt the familiar tingling sensation building in her fingertips but fought to keep it controlled, contained, directing it toward the cube rather than letting it envelop her whole body.
To her surprise, the cube vanished with a soft pop and reappeared exactly where she'd intended, at the edge of the table. The achievement was small—barely six inches of movement—but the fact that she'd done it deliberately, with control, felt momentous.
"Well done, Ms. Anderson," Professor Webb said, appearing beside their table. "That's excellent progress for someone still learning to recognize their energy patterns."
The praise was unexpected and oddly validating. For once, Ethan's powers had done exactly what she wanted them to, without causing chaos or embarrassment.
The remainder of the class consisted of similar exercises, with increasing distances and precision requirements. By the end, Ethan had successfully teleported several objects with minimal effort, though she noticed the small failures followed a pattern—her control slipped when she became frustrated or impatient.
As the students gathered their belongings at the end of class, Professor Webb approached Ethan again.
"Ms. Anderson, a moment?" she asked, her expression thoughtful. "I've been reviewing your file. Your situation is particularly interesting from a Warper perspective."
Ethan tensed. "Interesting isn't exactly how I'd describe it."
Professor Webb's expression softened. "I understand. But your transformation and subsequent ability manifestation suggest a complex dimensional interaction that might help us better understand your powers." She paused, seeming to choose her words carefully. "Have you considered the possibility that your warping abilities aren't just a consequence of your transformation, but potentially a path to reversing it?"
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. "You think I could use teleportation to change back to my original form?"
"Not teleportation specifically," Professor Webb clarified. "But the underlying Warper energy that enables it. Dimensional manipulations and reality alterations all stem from the same fundamental source. With proper training and understanding, you might eventually gain enough control to affect your own quantum signature."
It was the first hint of real hope Ethan had received since arriving at Whateley. Not just vague reassurances that someone might eventually find a solution, but a concrete possibility that she herself might hold the key.
"How would I even begin to do that?" Ethan asked, trying not to sound too eager.
"One step at a time," Professor Webb replied with a gentle smile. "First, master the basics. Learn to control your teleportation consistently and precisely. Once that foundation is solid, we can explore more advanced applications."
As Ethan left the classroom, her mind raced with new possibilities. For the first time since her transformation, she felt something beyond resignation or despair—a sense of purpose and potential agency in her own fate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Crystal Hall cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime activity as Ethan made her way to where Jordan sat, his tray already half-empty. Her successful morning in Warper Theory had left her in a cautiously optimistic mood, though she still scanned the room carefully for any sign of Rex or other students who might cause trouble.
"How was your first Warper class?" Jordan asked, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Learn anything useful?"
Ethan nodded, sliding into a seat across from him. "Actually, yes. I managed to teleport objects on purpose, with control." She lowered her voice. "And Professor Webb hinted that my Warper abilities might eventually help me change back to my original form."
Jordan's eyes lit up. "That's exactly what I've been researching! The quantum mechanics of dimensional signatures and reality manipulation. If we could isolate the specific frequency of your original form—"
"Well, if it isn't the wonder twins," a quiet voice interrupted. They looked up to see a thin, unremarkable boy with messy hair and tired eyes standing by their table, holding a lunch tray. "Mind if I join you?"
Jordan grinned. "Alistair! Sure, have a seat." He turned to Ethan. "Ethan, this is Alistair Thorne. We met in Basic Electronics yesterday. Alistair, this is my friend Ethan."
Alistair nodded politely to Ethan as he sat down. "Nice to meet you. Jordan mentioned you were dealing with some transition issues."
Ethan tensed slightly, uncertain how much Jordan had shared about her situation.
"Power manifestation stuff," Jordan clarified quickly. "Nothing specific."
Alistair gave a small, understanding smile. "No worries. We've all got our things here." He pushed his food around his plate absently. "Mine's just a bit... unpredictable."
"What kind of power do you have?" Ethan asked, curious despite herself.
Alistair's expression grew uncomfortable. "It's complicated. I'm an Avatar, but not the usual kind. I don't really have much control over when—"
A sudden crash from a nearby table interrupted him as a student dropped a tray. The loud noise seemed to trigger something in Alistair—his eyes widened in alarm, and his body tensed.
"Not now," he whispered, a note of panic in his voice. "No, no, no..."
Before Ethan or Jordan could react, a transformation overcame Alistair. It wasn't just a physical change but a complete presence shift. His slight frame expanded, growing taller and more muscular, but in distinctly feminine proportions. His unremarkable features shifted into a face of commanding beauty, framed by flowing hair that seemed to catch light that wasn't there. Even his clothing changed, the standard Whateley uniform morphing into leather and bronze armor with Greek-inspired designs.
The entire cafeteria fell silent as this new being rose to her full, impressive height, surveying the room with regal disdain.
"Again I am called forth," the entity declared, her voice resonant and powerful, nothing like Alistair's soft tones. "Who among you has need of Callidora, Daughter of Ares and Athena?"
Ethan and Jordan stared in shock. The transformation was complete—not a trace of Alistair remained in this imposing warrior goddess.
The goddess scanned the cafeteria, her gaze eventually settling back on their table—specifically, on Ethan. Her expression changed to one of intense interest.
"You," she said, pointing at Ethan. "You have the spirit of a warrior beneath that confusion, flame-haired one."
The goddess scanned the cafeteria carefully, her gaze eventually returning to their table. Her eyes settled on Ethan with sudden intensity.
"You will join my new tribe, little flame-hair," Callidora declared, leaning across the table toward Ethan, who remained frozen in her seat. "I see your potential even if you do not."
The cafeteria was utterly silent, hundreds of eyes watching this bizarre declaration. Ethan's mind raced for a response, but before she could formulate one, the doors burst open and several security officers entered, led by a severe-looking woman in a tactical uniform.
"Stand down, Callidora," the woman called firmly, her tone suggesting this wasn't her first encounter with the goddess. "You know the rules about manifestations in public areas."
The goddess turned, a dangerous smile playing on her lips. "Ah, the guardians of this sacred training ground. I mean no harm to your charges. I merely seek to claim this one"—she gestured to Ethan—"for my new Amazon tribe."
"Ms. Anderson is not available for recruitment," the security woman replied evenly. "Please return to your containment area."
For a tense moment, it seemed Callidora might challenge the security team. But then she sighed dramatically. "Very well. But this is not finished, little flame-hair," she said, looking back at Ethan. "We shall speak again when these self-appointed guardians are not watching so closely."
With those words, the goddess allowed the security team to escort her from the cafeteria, her regal bearing undiminished as she departed. Conversations gradually resumed, though many students still cast curious glances toward Ethan's table.
"What... just happened?" Ethan finally managed, turning to Jordan.
Jordan appeared fascinated, his eyes wide with wonder. "That was incredible," he whispered.
"Avatar manifestation," said a voice from the next table. A girl with purple-streaked hair leaned over. "One of the most dramatic I've ever seen. Some Avatars channel spirits or entities, but Alistair's case is particularly powerful. The entity completely takes over."
"And she wanted to recruit me? For a tribe?"
"The Amazon thing is new," Jordan said thoughtfully. "But it makes sense that Callidora would be interested in you. Your transformation resulted in a female form with combat abilities—that fits the Amazon archetype."
Ethan slumped in her seat. "Great. Just what I needed. Another complication."
"Look at it this way," Jordan offered. "If ancient mythological entities are taking an interest in you, maybe there's something special about your transformation that we haven't figured out yet."
Before Ethan could respond, a familiar voice called her name. She looked up to see Jasper Chen approaching their table, his usual confident smile in place.
"Ethan! Combat class starts in fifteen minutes. Want to walk over together?"
With a start, Ethan realized she'd almost forgotten about Basic Combat, scheduled for after lunch. She nodded, gathering her things. "Sure, Jasper. Jordan, I'll catch up with you later?"
Jordan nodded, still distracted by thoughts of Avatars and dimensional theories. "Yeah, I'll be in the library if you need me. Good luck with combat class."
As they left the cafeteria, Jasper gave Ethan a curious look. "So... you've been claimed by an Amazon goddess. That's quite an honor on your third day."
Ethan rolled her eyes. "Not you too. It was weird and embarrassing."
"Nah, it's cool," Jasper insisted. "Callidora doesn't manifest often, and when she does, she usually just rants about honor and duty. I've never seen her try to recruit someone before."
"Lucky me," Ethan muttered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The gymnasium designated for Basic Combat class was a large space with padded floors and minimal equipment—just some training dummies, practice weapons on racks along one wall, and a series of mats for sparring. About twenty students in gym uniforms were already gathered when Ethan and Jasper arrived.
Sensei Ito stood at the center of the room, his compact frame and stern expression commanding immediate respect. As the last students filtered in, he surveyed the class with piercing eyes.
"Welcome back to Basic Combat," he began without preamble. "Today we will continue building on the foundational principles established in our earlier sessions. Regardless of your powers or physical abilities, the fundamentals of self-defense remain constant."
He demonstrated an advanced variant of the defensive stance they had learned previously, then directed the students to pair up for practice. Jasper immediately turned to Ethan.
"Partners?" he asked with a grin. "I'd like to see how those martial arts skills of yours have developed since our last session."
Ethan nodded, remembering their previous sparring and Sensei Ito's explanation of her "quantum personality overlay" during their evaluation. The explanation had helped make sense of her body's instinctive knowledge, though it still felt foreign when she consciously thought about it.
As the pairs spread out across the mats, Sensei Ito circulated, correcting stances and offering guidance. When he reached Ethan and Jasper, he paused, observing them closely.
"Anderson-san," he said thoughtfully. "How has your mental integration been progressing? Have you been practicing the awareness exercises I recommended?"
"I've been trying, Sensei," Ethan replied honestly. "It's still strange—knowing how to do something without knowing why."
Sensei Ito nodded. "Today, instead of relying solely on your body's automatic responses, I want you to attempt to predict and understand each movement before you execute it. Slow your responses deliberately. Chen-san will assist you with controlled attacks."
Jasper moved with impressive speed, launching a controlled but forceful punch toward Ethan's shoulder. Instinctively, Ethan's body began to react with fluid efficiency, but this time she deliberately slowed the movement, trying to mentally catalog each step—the pivot to redirect the blow, the stepping inside Jasper's guard, the counter that would normally follow.
The result was a slightly awkward but more conscious defense, less fluid than before but performed with greater awareness.
"Good," Sensei Ito said. "You are beginning to bridge the gap between your body's knowledge and your mind's understanding. Continue."
They practiced for several more rounds, with Ethan focusing on conscious awareness rather than automatic response. It was more challenging than simply letting her body react, but by the end of the session, she felt a deeper connection to the movements—less like they were happening to her and more like she was choosing them.
"Your progress is promising, Anderson-san," Sensei Ito said as the class ended. "Remember, true mastery comes not just from perfect execution, but from perfect understanding. You have inherited capabilities that usually require years of dedicated training. This is both a gift and a burden—powers without the wisdom to properly wield them."
The words struck a chord with Ethan, resonating with her broader struggle since the transformation. Everything about her new existence felt this way—powerful but uncontrolled, advanced but incomplete.
"I want to understand," she said finally. "I want to know why my body can do these things, not just how."
Sensei Ito nodded approvingly. "That is the beginning of wisdom, Anderson-san. We will continue to work together to bridge the gap between your body's knowledge and your mind's understanding."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Jordan organized an impromptu study group in one of Melville Cottage's common rooms. Ethan arrived to find him already setting up, surrounded by textbooks and notes, with Emiko sitting cross-legged on a nearby armchair.
"I invited some of the other new students," Jordan explained as Ethan took a seat. "Figured we could all benefit from comparing notes on different classes."
Within minutes, Jasper arrived, followed by Elara Reyes, the quiet girl with chronometry abilities that Ethan had briefly met during powers testing. Zephyr wandered in shortly after, his perpetual exhaustion seemingly lifted by the prospect of social interaction.
"So," Jordan began once everyone was settled, "who wants to start? Any interesting discoveries today?"
"Ethan's making serious progress with her martial arts integration," Jasper offered with a grin. "You should have seen her in combat class. More deliberate than last time, but you can see she's really starting to own those skills."
Ethan felt her cheeks warm as attention turned to her. "It's still strange. Sensei Ito has been helping me understand the 'quantum personality overlay' better—how my body inherited skills from the character my form is based on."
"That's fascinating," Elara said, speaking up for the first time. Her voice was soft but precise, with a slight accent Ethan couldn't place. "Most transformations affect physical characteristics, sometimes powers, but rarely impart skill sets. Your situation suggests a deeper dimensional interaction."
Jordan nodded eagerly. "That's what I've been researching! The quantum mechanics of dimensional signatures and how they relate to physical form and knowledge transfer."
"In simple terms," Elara continued, focusing on Ethan, "your transformation wasn't just cosmetic. It brought through aspects of the template entity—including knowledge and muscle memory that would normally take years to develop."
"So I'm turning into someone else?" Ethan asked, unable to keep the worry from her voice.
"Not necessarily," Emiko interjected gently. "Think of it more like inheriting traits. Your core—your memories, values, personality—remains your own. But you've gained access to abilities you didn't personally learn."
The conversation continued, delving into theories of dimensional physics and examples of similar cases throughout paranormal history. Despite the academic nature of the discussion, Ethan found it unsettling how casually her situation was being dissected—as if her existential crisis was just an interesting case study.
Their conversation was interrupted when a familiar figure passed through the common room—Kira Devereux, walking quickly as if trying to avoid notice. Ethan felt a strange flutter in her chest at the sight, which she attributed to lingering tension from their previous encounters.
As Kira passed their seating area, her gaze briefly met Ethan's, then quickly darted away. But not before Ethan noticed her ears twitch slightly, the first hint of her fennec fox features beginning to manifest.
"Hey, Kira," Jasper called out. "Want to join our study group?"
Kira paused, clearly surprised at being addressed. Her eyes scanned the assembled students, lingering momentarily on Ethan before she shook her head. "I've got my own work to do."
"Come on," Emiko encouraged. "We're discussing dimensional physics and transformation theory. You've got experience with physical changes that might be relevant."
Kira's posture stiffened, her ears noticeably more pointed now. "My shapeshifting is natural. It's not like—" She cut herself off, glancing uncomfortably at Ethan.
"Not like being transformed by a machine?" Ethan supplied, an edge to her voice. "Yeah, I figured there was a difference."
An awkward silence fell over the group. Jasper and Jordan exchanged concerned glances, while Elara observed the interaction with quiet intensity.
"That's not what I meant," Kira said finally, her defensiveness tinged with something that might have been regret. "It's just different, that's all."
"How about a change of subject?" Zephyr suggested, his normally sleepy demeanor giving way to a surprising social awareness. "Anyone having trouble with Professor Chen's Applied Technology homework?"
The tension eased slightly as the conversation shifted to classwork, but Ethan remained aware of Kira hovering at the edge of their group, not fully joining but not leaving either. There was something about the shapeshifter's presence that both irritated and intrigued her—a complexity that went beyond their superficial antagonism.
As the study session progressed, Ethan noticed small, telling details about Kira's behavior. The way she occasionally leaned forward when Ethan was speaking, only to catch herself and resume a disinterested posture. The subtle shift in her expressions when certain topics arose—particularly those related to control and identity. The consistent appearance of fox-like features whenever her gaze lingered on Ethan for too long.
"Hey, Ethan," Jasper said, snapping her out of these observations. "You're staring."
"What? No, I wasn't," Ethan protested, looking away from Kira too quickly to be convincing.
"Someone's distracted," Jasper teased with a knowing grin.
"I'm just worried she's going to start another argument," Ethan said defensively, aware of her cheeks warming.
Kira, who had clearly overheard, turned with a challenging expression. "Is that what you think of me? That I'm just looking for fights?"
"Well, you haven't exactly been friendly," Ethan shot back.
"I don't have to be friendly," Kira retorted, but her usual bite seemed forced. "Especially with someone who could teleport me to who-knows-where at any moment."
Emiko smoothly intervened before the exchange could escalate. "Kira, since you're here, would you like to share your notes from Professor Reynard's class? I heard your Control Theory paper was excellent."
The abrupt change of subject caught Kira off-guard. She hesitated, then reluctantly joined their circle, taking a seat as far from Ethan as possible. "Fine. But only because Reynard's exam is supposed to be brutal."
As Kira began explaining the finer points of emotional regulation techniques, Ethan found herself surprisingly engaged. Beneath the prickly exterior, Kira was insightful and articulate, especially when discussing power control—a subject clearly close to her heart.
"The key is recognizing that your powers aren't separate from you," Kira explained, her usual defensiveness giving way to genuine passion for the subject. "They're expressions of who you are. Fighting them is like fighting yourself—it only creates more internal conflict and makes control harder."
The words struck a chord with Ethan, echoing what Professor Webb had said earlier. Was she making her situation worse by resisting her new form and abilities?
Jordan seemed to read her thoughts. "That doesn't mean you have to give up on changing back," he said quietly. "Just that fighting against what is might make the present harder to manage."
The study session wrapped up as curfew approached. As the group dispersed, Jordan lingered to speak with Ethan.
"I've been thinking about your transformation," he said, his expression serious. "If the quantum personality overlay theory is correct, then your powers might be more directly connected to your new form than we realized."
"Meaning what?" Ethan asked cautiously.
"Meaning that if we find a way to reverse the transformation, your warping abilities might change or even disappear in the process." Jordan adjusted his glasses nervously. "I thought you should know that going back might mean losing whatever powers came with this form."
The possibility hadn't occurred to Ethan before. While she'd been focused on returning to her original male body, she hadn't considered that her powers might be part of the package—powers that, despite their unpredictability, represented unusual potential.
"I need to think about that," she said finally.
As Jordan nodded and left, Ethan realized with a start that Kira was still in the common room, pretending to read but clearly having overheard their conversation.
"Something to say?" Ethan asked, bracing for another confrontation.
Kira closed her book and stood. "Just... be careful what you wish for," she said, her tone uncharacteristically subdued. "Sometimes the thing you think you want most comes with costs you didn't anticipate."
Before Ethan could respond, Kira walked away, leaving her alone with that cryptic warning and the weight of the day's revelations.
Later that night, an urgent announcement echoed through Melville Cottage: all students were to return to their rooms immediately for an emergency headcount. Speculation ran wild through the corridors as students reluctantly complied, most assuming it was a drill until security personnel began methodically checking each room.
Ethan had barely settled in when a stern knock came at her door. Opening it revealed Chief Delarose himself, accompanied by two officers.
"Ms. Anderson," he said formally, "please come with us to security headquarters. There's a matter that requires your immediate attention."
Heart racing, Ethan followed them through the quiet corridors and across the darkened campus to Kane Hall. She was led to a sparse office where Dr. Aguilar was already waiting, her usual warm expression replaced by professional concern.
"Ethan," she greeted, "thank you for coming. Please, sit down."
"What's happening?" Ethan asked, taking the offered chair. "Is this about Alistair's manifestation at lunch? Or is it about Rex?"
Chief Delarose took a seat behind the desk. "It's about Rex Harding. We've finally located him."
Ethan felt a wave of relief wash over her. "That's good news, right? Where was he? Is he okay?"
"He was found in the underground tunnel system connecting Twain Cottage to the main campus," Delarose explained. "Disoriented and missing his shirt, but physically unharmed. It appears he's been wandering the tunnel system since yesterday, completely lost."
"I'm so glad he's safe," Ethan said sincerely. "I really didn't mean to teleport him. It just... happened."
Dr. Aguilar nodded understandingly. "We know, Ethan. But this incident has raised important concerns that we need to address. This is the first documented case of you teleporting another person, and the fact that only his shirt remained behind while the rest of his clothing went with him suggests your power behaves differently with living subjects."
Chief Delarose leaned forward. "Your current Pacifist designation doesn't include sufficient monitoring for this level of power manifestation. Given the potential danger, we need to implement additional safety measures."
"What kind of measures?" Ethan asked warily.
"Effective immediately, you'll attend mandatory specialized Warper control sessions with Professor Reynard, in addition to your regular classes," he replied. "Your tracking band will be upgraded to include monitoring for teleportation energy spikes. And any further incidents of this nature will result in more severe restrictions, potentially including temporary isolation during periods of heightened power instability."
The weight of these new conditions settled heavily on Ethan. "So I'm basically on probation?"
"Think of it as enhanced support," Dr. Aguilar suggested gently. "We're not punishing you for something you can't control. We're providing a framework to help you develop that control."
As Ethan was escorted back to Melville Cottage, her mind reeled with the day's events. The promising control she'd shown in Warper Theory class seemed distant now, overshadowed by the reality that her powers were potentially more dangerous—and more complex—than she'd realized.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in her room, Ethan sat at her desk and opened the journal Dr. Aguilar had given her. After documenting the day's incidents, she found herself adding more personal reflections:
I learned three major things today:
1. My teleportation powers might someday help me change back to my original form. 2. My martial arts abilities come from the "quantum personality overlay" from the anime character I now resemble. 3. Whatever this transformation did to me, it goes deeper than just my appearance.
This raises questions I can't ignore anymore: How much of me is still me? What if the martial arts knowledge is just the beginning? What if other aspects of this "template" start manifesting? Would I even notice if I started thinking or feeling differently?
And if my warping powers are connected to this form, what happens if I do find a way to change back? Would losing these abilities be a price worth paying to be myself again?
I came to Whateley looking for a way to reverse what Jordan's machine did to me. But now I'm starting to wonder—even if we found a way, would it actually restore who I was, or just change me into something else?
Ethan closed the journal and gazed at her reflection in the window. The face looking back was still a stranger's—delicate features framed by vibrant red hair, blue eyes that seemed to hold depths she didn't recognize. Yet somewhere behind those eyes was still Ethan Anderson, struggling to hold onto an identity that felt increasingly fluid.
The tracking band on her wrist seemed heavier now, a physical reminder of how much had changed in such a short time. Not just her body or her powers, but her very sense of self.
As she prepared for bed, a final thought troubled her: what if the person she was trying so desperately to become again no longer existed? What if, in fighting so hard against what she now was, she was missing the opportunity to discover who she might become?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 04
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.
Ethan arrived ten minutes early for her mandatory Warper control session with Professor Reynard, nervously tugging at the upgraded tracking band now encircling her wrist. The new device looked almost identical to the old one, except for a small blinking light and slightly increased weight—minor differences that somehow made it feel all the more intrusive.
The specialized classroom in Kirby Hall was smaller than standard rooms, with padded walls and various objects arranged on shelves—items for teleportation practice, she assumed. The space had a meditative quality, with soft lighting and an absence of harsh angles or reflective surfaces.
Professor Zoe Reynard sat cross-legged on a cushion in the center of the room. She was a middle-aged woman with streaks of silver in her dark hair, her face serene despite the sharp intelligence in her eyes. Unlike the formal attire most teachers wore, she dressed in comfortable clothing that allowed for movement—today, loose-fitting gray pants and a simple blue tunic.
"Welcome, Ethan," she said without opening her eyes. "Please, take a seat on any of the cushions."
Ethan selected a cushion a few feet away from the professor and sat down awkwardly, automatically crossing her legs as she would have in her original form.
Professor Reynard opened her eyes and smiled gently. "You might want to adjust your sitting position," she said, glancing briefly at Ethan's skirt. "Perhaps side-sitting would be more appropriate with your uniform."
Ethan's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she quickly shifted to sit with her legs tucked to one side. It was yet another reminder of how many unconscious adjustments her new form required—things that had never crossed her mind as a boy now demanded constant awareness.
"Is this a private session?" she asked, trying to move past the awkward moment. "I thought there would be other students."
Professor Reynard nodded. "The others will join us shortly. But I wanted a few minutes with you first to establish our goals." Her gaze fell briefly to the tracking band. "I understand the additional monitoring must feel restrictive after yesterday's incident."
"It's not exactly comfortable," Ethan admitted.
"Many students misunderstand the relationship between their emotions and their powers," Professor Reynard said, her voice gentle yet authoritative. "While your teleportation ability isn't directly connected to your feelings, they can trigger it—especially strong emotions like fear, anger, or embarrassment. Your body responds to those emotional states with physiological changes, which can in turn activate your powers."
The words rang true with Ethan's experiences, though they differed slightly from what others had told her. "That makes sense. Whenever I get really stressed or startled, I feel this tingling sensation that builds until something teleports—usually me."
"Control doesn't come from suppression but from understanding," Professor Reynard continued. "Your powers are expressions of yourself, not foreign invaders."
The door opened, and the other students began to filter in—a small, diverse group of four other students with similarly unstable abilities. Ethan recognized a reality warper from her Powers Theory class, and another teleporter whose control issues had been mentioned by Professor Webb.
As they settled onto cushions around the room, Professor Reynard addressed the group. "Each of you is here because your abilities present particular challenges of control. While the specific exercises we practice will vary according to your individual needs, the fundamental principles remain the same: physiological awareness, energy recognition, and controlled redirection."
The session began with breathing exercises that seemed simple at first but grew increasingly complex as Professor Reynard guided them to focus on specific sensations associated with their powers. For Ethan, this meant paying close attention to the tingling sensation that preceded her teleportation incidents.
Ethan found herself struggling with the exercises, her skepticism and frustration interfering with her ability to maintain the mental states Professor Reynard described. While the other students seemed to fall easily into meditative breathing patterns, Ethan's mind kept circling back to doubts and questions.
"You're fighting yourself," Professor Reynard observed quietly as she paused beside Ethan's cushion. "The resistance is visible in your posture, your breathing, even the way you hold your hands."
"I'm trying," Ethan muttered, frustrated with her lack of progress.
"Come see me after class," Professor Reynard replied, before moving on to assist another student.
When the session concluded an hour later, the other students filed out while Ethan remained behind as instructed. Professor Reynard sat across from her, studying her with a thoughtful expression.
"Your situation is unique, Ethan," she said finally. "Most students here struggle with accepting their powers, but few face the challenge of an entirely transformed physiology as well."
"I just want to go back to normal," Ethan admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Professor Reynard's expression was unexpectedly compassionate. "I understand. But consider this: your body and powers are deeply interconnected. Fighting one means fighting both." She paused, letting the words sink in. "The path to control—and possibly to any future transformation—lies not in rejection, but in understanding."
The insight struck Ethan with unexpected force. Was her resistance to her current form actually hindering her ability to control her powers? The possibility was both unsettling and oddly clarifying.
"I'll try to keep that in mind," she said as she gathered her things to leave.
Professor Reynard nodded, her expression suggesting she understood the gap between intellectual acceptance and emotional readiness. "That's all anyone can ask."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Ethan walked back across the main campus quad, her mind churned with Professor Reynard's observations. The idea that fighting her transformed body might be counterproductive to controlling her powers challenged everything she'd been telling herself since arriving at Whateley.
Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice Kira sitting alone beneath a large oak tree, apparently reading from a textbook. Ethan altered her path slightly, intending to walk past without engagement—their previous interactions had been tense enough without seeking additional conflict.
To her surprise, Kira called out as she passed. "Hey, Anderson."
Ethan paused, turning warily. "What?"
Kira looked different somehow—her usual aggressive confidence temporarily muted into something more subdued. She closed her book and gestured vaguely to the space beside her. "Heard about what happened with security."
"News travels fast," Ethan replied, cautiously settling on the grass a safe distance away.
"It's Whateley," Kira shrugged. "Nothing stays secret long." She paused, seeming to struggle with her next words. "That sucks, by the way. The tracking band upgrade."
The unexpected sympathy caught Ethan off-guard. "Yeah, well... I did accidentally teleport another student. Hard to blame them for being cautious."
Kira nodded, her gaze dropping to her own hands, which were fidgeting slightly with the edge of her book. "I get it, though. The lack of control."
"You do?" Ethan couldn't keep the skepticism from her voice.
"My shapeshifting wasn't always voluntary," Kira admitted, still not meeting Ethan's eyes. "When my abilities first manifested, I'd transform parts of my body without meaning to—usually when I was stressed or upset. Took years before I could fully control it."
The revelation created an unexpected bridge between them—a shared experience of bodily betrayal that transcended their superficial differences.
"It's not the same, but... I get what it's like when your body does things you don't want it to," Kira added reluctantly, as if the admission cost her something.
Ethan found herself nodding, surprisingly moved by this glimpse of vulnerability from someone who had presented nothing but hostility before. "That must have been hard."
They sat in a fragile, awkward silence for a few moments, both uncomfortable yet somehow reluctant to end this rare moment of connection.
"I noticed something in combat class yesterday," Kira said finally. "When Sensei Ito was talking about your martial arts abilities. You said you wanted to understand them, not just use them."
"Yeah," Ethan replied cautiously. "It's weird having skills I never learned. Makes them feel... not mine, somehow."
Kira seemed to consider this, then spoke with uncharacteristic hesitation. "I could help, maybe. With training, I mean. I've been studying martial arts since I was six. Different styles than what you have, but I know enough to help you connect the physical movements with the mental understanding."
The offer was so unexpected that Ethan could only stare at her for a moment. "Why would you want to help me?"
A flicker of defensiveness crossed Kira's face. "Forget it. It was just an idea."
"No, I didn't mean—" Ethan backtracked quickly. "I'd appreciate the help. I'm just surprised you offered."
Kira's expression softened slightly. "Like I said, I know what it's like. Having a body that feels like it's not entirely yours to control." She stood abruptly, brushing grass from her uniform. "There's a practice room in Laird Hall that's usually empty after dinner. Seven o'clock, if you're interested."
As she spoke, Ethan noticed Kira's ears beginning to twitch slightly, the first sign of her fox features starting to manifest. Kira seemed to realize it at the same moment, her hand flying up to touch the pointed tips.
"Damn it," she muttered, her composure cracking as the involuntary transformation betrayed her emotional state. She turned away quickly. "I have to go."
Ethan watched her hurry across the quad, confused by her own disappointment at Kira's sudden departure. The brief connection they'd established felt significant somehow—a fragile bridge across the antagonism that had defined their interactions until now.
The realization that she was looking forward to their potential training session was both surprising and unsettling. When had she started seeing Kira as anything other than an adversary?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That evening, Ethan met Jordan and Elara Reyes in one of Beck Library's private study rooms. Jordan had somehow managed to gain access to the room despite being a freshman, and had filled the table with stacks of books and printouts on Warper powers and transformation mutations.
"I've been researching quantum personality overlays ever since Sensei Ito mentioned the concept," Jordan explained excitedly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "It's a fascinating theoretical model for understanding certain types of transformative powers."
Elara, her dark curly hair pulled back in a neat bun, nodded in agreement. "The theoretical framework has been around for decades, but detailed case studies are rare." Her normally reserved demeanor gave way to genuine intellectual interest as she sorted through a stack of papers. "Most documented cases involve reality warpers rather than spatial manipulators like yourself."
"Can someone explain what this 'quantum personality overlay' actually means?" Ethan asked, scanning the dense academic text Jordan had highlighted.
"It's a phenomenon where a Warper's powers create an echo or imprint of another identity," Jordan explained, his excitement palpable. "The theory suggests that in certain transformation cases, more than just physical attributes are transferred. Skills, behavioral tendencies, even fragments of personality can manifest alongside the subject's original identity."
"Your situation might involve more than just physical transformation," Elara added thoughtfully. "The martial arts abilities suggest a more complex dimensional interaction."
Ethan felt a chill run through her. "Are you saying I'm... becoming someone else?" Her voice trembled slightly on the last words.
"Not exactly," Elara said, her tone measured and precise. "Think of it more like acquiring additional layers of behavioral programming without losing your core self. Your memories, values, and fundamental personality remain intact, but certain skills or tendencies from the template identity can manifest under specific circumstances."
"This could explain both your martial arts prowess and some of the other changes you've noticed," Jordan added, flipping through his notes. "According to the research, the overlay typically begins with physical abilities and gradually expands to include more subtle behavioral patterns."
Ethan's mind raced with the implications. If this theory was correct, the transformation ran deeper than she'd imagined—not just a change in her physical form but potentially an ongoing shift in her very identity.
"Is there a way to reverse it?" she asked, trying to keep the desperation from her voice.
Jordan and Elara exchanged a glance.
"There are documented cases of successful reversals," Jordan said carefully, "but they typically involve highly controlled circumstances and extensive preparation."
"The process also becomes more complex the longer the overlay persists," Elara added. "As the new patterns integrate more fully with the host identity, separating them becomes increasingly difficult."
The information landed like a weight on Ethan's chest. Time was working against her—every day in this form potentially made returning to her original self more challenging.
"I should emphasize that this is still just a theory," Elara cautioned, noticing Ethan's expression. "A compelling one, given your circumstances, but not definitively proven in your case."
"But it fits," Ethan said quietly. "The martial arts skills, the reflexes that don't feel like mine, the moments where I react in ways I never would have before..."
Jordan squeezed her shoulder supportively. "We're going to figure this out, Ethan. That's why we're researching every angle."
As they continued exploring the materials Jordan had gathered, Ethan found herself torn between fascination and horror. The academic articles described the quantum personality overlay as a rare and complex phenomenon, one that blurred the boundaries between discrete identities and challenged fundamental assumptions about the stability of the self.
One passage in particular caught her attention: "In cases where the overlay persists for extended periods, subjects often report a gradual reconciliation of disparate identity elements, resulting not in the dominance of either original or overlay personalities, but in the emergence of a new integrated identity incorporating elements of both."
The implications were both terrifying and oddly compelling. What would such an integration mean for her? Would she still be Ethan Anderson if she incorporated elements of this other identity?
As Jordan and Elara began discussing potential experimental approaches to mapping quantum signatures, Ethan found herself staring at her reflection in the study room's window, searching her unfamiliar features for traces of her former self.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The library had closed by the time they finished their research session. Jordan and Elara headed to the Crystal Hall to grab dinner before the cafeteria closed, but Ethan declined to join them, needing time alone to process everything they'd discovered.
The campus was quiet as she walked back toward Melville Cottage, most students either at dinner or already in their dorms for the evening. The path took her past the edge of the wooded area that bordered the north side of campus, dimly lit by occasional lamp posts.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Kane Morgan until he stepped directly into her path. The imposing student stood with his arms crossed, his muscular frame blocking the walkway completely.
"Well, if it isn't the teleporter freak," he said, his deep voice carrying a dangerous edge. "Been looking for you."
Ethan felt a spike of adrenaline. Kane was known for his volatile temper—and for his friendship with Rex Harding, whom Ethan had accidentally teleported in the cafeteria.
"I don't want any trouble," Ethan said, trying to keep her voice steady as she assessed potential escape routes.
Kane stepped closer, looming over her. "You think it's funny, humiliating people with your little teleport trick? Making Rex wander around half-naked in the tunnels for hours?" His face darkened with anger. "Nobody messes with my friends."
Despite her fear, Ethan felt her body responding in a way she didn't consciously control—her posture shifting subtly into a defensive stance, weight balanced to allow for quick movement. It was the martial training kicking in, reacting to the threat before her conscious mind could direct it.
"It was an accident," she said, trying to de-escalate. "I can't always control my powers. I didn't mean to—"
"I don't care what you meant," Kane interrupted, his skin taking on a reddish hue as his own powers began to manifest. Veins pulsed visibly along his arms and neck, a sign of the rage-fueled abilities that had earned him his nickname of "Wrath." "Someone needs to teach you a lesson about respect."
As Kane's anger intensified, Ethan felt strange sensations building inside her—both the familiar tingling that preceded teleportation and something else, a fighting instinct that rose unbidden from somewhere deep within. Her muscles tensed, preparing for movements she'd never consciously learned.
The standoff was broken by the sudden appearance of Emiko, who seemed to materialize from nowhere to position herself calmly between them.
"This is unwise, Kane-san," she said, her quiet voice carrying surprising authority. "Security patrols will be passing through shortly."
Before Kane could respond, another voice called from behind him. "Three against one now, Kane. Bad odds for you."
Kira stood a few yards away, her posture tense and ready. Though her expression remained controlled, there was a dangerous glint in her eyes that suggested she was prepared for confrontation.
Kane glanced between them, his rage momentarily checked by the unexpected intervention. "You're making enemies you don't need, fox-girl," he growled at Kira. "This isn't your fight."
"Looks like I'm making it mine," Kira replied evenly. "You really want to do this, Kane? three against one, with campus security one call away?" As she spoke, her fox features subtly manifested—just a slight pointing of her ears, but enough to signal her emotional investment in the confrontation.
For a tense moment, the outcome hung in balance. Then Kane's reddish coloration gradually receded, his veins becoming less prominent as he brought his power under control.
"This isn't over," he said to Ethan, his voice low and threatening. "Watch your back." He stalked away, shouldering roughly past Kira as he went.
In the sudden quiet after his departure, Ethan released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. The martial readiness that had flooded her body moments before receded, leaving her feeling oddly disconnected.
"Thank you both," she said, glancing between Emiko and Kira with genuine gratitude. "That could have gotten ugly."
Emiko nodded serenely. "Kane-san allows his emotions to control his actions. This makes him predictable, but also dangerous." She glanced at her watch. "I must meet with my meditation group. Are you alright to return to your cottage?"
"I'm fine," Ethan assured her. After Emiko departed with a small bow, an awkward silence fell between Ethan and Kira.
"We still on for training tomorrow?" Kira asked finally, her tone deliberately casual.
"Absolutely," Ethan replied, surprised by her own eagerness. "Seven o'clock."
Kira nodded, then hesitated. "Kane's not wrong about one thing—you should watch your back. He's not known for letting things go."
"I'll be careful," Ethan promised.
As they parted ways, Ethan found herself troubled not just by Kane's threat, but by her own reaction to it. The combat instincts that had surfaced during the confrontation had felt both foreign and natural simultaneously—another hint of the quantum personality overlay Jordan and Elara had described. The dichotomy was unsettling, a physical reminder of the identity fragmentation she was experiencing.
Even more confusing was the unexpected alliance with Kira. How had their relationship shifted so quickly from antagonism to tentative support? And why did the prospect of their training session generate such complex emotions?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in her dorm room, Ethan sat at her desk and opened the journal Dr. Aguilar had given her. The counselor had suggested daily entries as a way to track patterns in her powers and emotional states, but tonight Ethan found herself using the pages for deeper reflection.
She began with a clinical account of the day's events: the Warper control session with Professor Reynard, the unexpected conversation with Kira, the research findings about quantum personality overlays, and the confrontation with Kane. As she wrote, however, the entry began to shift from objective reporting to more personal introspection.
Professor Reynard said something that keeps echoing in my mind: "Your body and powers are deeply interconnected. Fighting one means fighting both." I've been so focused on rejecting this form, on seeing it as alien and temporary, that I haven't considered how that resistance might be affecting my ability to control my powers.
The research Jordan and Elara found about quantum personality overlays is equally disturbing. If they're right, this transformation goes beyond my physical appearance. I'm beginning to notice changes that can't be explained by just having a different body:
- The martial arts skills that feel instinctive but not learned - Reflexes and reactions that don't align with how I would have responded before - Brief moments when I find myself thinking or feeling in ways that seem... not entirely mine
Ethan paused, tapping her pen against the page as she struggled to articulate her next thought. Then she continued, the words flowing more hesitantly:
And then there's Kira. Our relationship keeps shifting in ways I can't predict or fully understand. The antagonism is still there, but underneath it there's something else—moments of connection that catch me off guard. Her offer to help with martial arts training, her unexpected defense against Kane today... I find myself looking forward to spending time with someone who, just days ago, I considered an adversary.
I don't understand my own reactions to her. Sometimes she infuriates me, but other times there's this strange... pull? Curiosity? I can't find the right word for it. It feels related to the "quantum attraction" thing that seems to trigger my powers around her, but it's more complicated than that.
As she wrote, Ethan found herself confronting a possibility that had been lurking in the background of her thoughts: if the transformation and the quantum personality overlay were gradually influencing her identity, how would she know? Where was the line between adaptation to circumstances and fundamental change?
The most frightening question is this: If I'm becoming someone else, piece by piece, will there be anything left of me by the time we find a way to change me back? And if we do find a way to reverse the transformation, what exactly would I be returning to? The old Ethan plus these new experiences? Or would I lose everything I've become in the process?
She closed the journal and moved to the mirror on her closet door, studying her reflection with new intensity. The face looking back was still unfamiliar—delicate features framed by vibrant red hair, blue eyes that seemed to hold depths she didn't recognize. Yet somewhere behind those eyes was still Ethan Anderson, struggling to hold onto an identity that felt increasingly fluid.
As she prepared for bed, fragments of the day's revelations continued to circle in her mind: Professor Reynard's insights about acceptance versus resistance, Jordan and Elara's theories about quantum personality overlays, Kira's unexpected vulnerability and support, and her own confused reactions to it all.
When sleep finally came, her dreams were a kaleidoscope of fragments—her old self, her new form, Kira's eyes, and martial arts movements she never learned but somehow knew perfectly—all swirling together in a confusing but strangely compelling whole.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Chapter 05
Hey All!
SO, this is 2 big things for me.
My First attempt at the wonderful Whateley Academy Universe!
AND
My First Contest Entry!
There will be 10 chapters in total for my entry plus 3 flashback chapters.
I will release them daily or so (so as not to overwhelm the front page)
Likely I will be continuing this series, and no my other series are not on pause. I did slow down on them just a little bit while I go this one pounded out. But they are not put to the side.
https://discord.gg/NYjPU3auVy
Join Me and some other people to talk shop, discuss artwork, stories, chatter, or just share fun videos or memes!
If you want future chapters ahead of my posted works support me on Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/c/alyssnancyonymous
Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions or wanna comment.
TTFN Everyone.