18:Grotesque Warning

Jayden took a deep breath, his pulse still racing. His body felt lighter now, the oppressive sensation of transformation slowly left, but his mind was stuck in that moment. Was any of it real? Or had Hawkbone simply played a cruel trick? It took him several minutes of staring at the bustling café to convince himself that everything was indeed back to normal—or at least, as normal as it could be. The waiter approached with a polite smile, and Jayden instinctively reached for his wallet. Standing up, he fished it out of his pocket, but the waiter raised a hand to stop him. “Your father already paid your bill,” the waiter said. Jayden froze, his hand lingering on his wallet. “Father?” He let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “He’s not my father,” he muttered, shoving the wallet back into his pocket with more force than necessary. The waiter offered a brief, confused nod and walked away, leaving Jayden to grapple with the storm brewing in his mind. While Jayden tried to piece together what had