Lahat ng Kabanata ng Stolen Fatigue: I Die in His Place: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 7

"Looks like somebody wants to play hero for the squad. Fine. Whoever runs in everyone's place is doing 30 miles!"Lindsey Quinn, the orientation leader, gave the order without even a shift in expression. In her eyes, this was just another case of dumb teenage loyalty between a bunch of guys. She clearly didn't think anyone would actually go through with it.However, in my previous life, Fletcher Stone actually ran the entire distance for the class without breaking a sweat. After that, everyone practically worshipped him.Meanwhile, I collapsed on the spot and got branded as the weak link with terrible stamina. In the end, it even cost me my life.Fletcher grabbed my arm, his voice heavy with concern. "Don't be stupid, Dorian. Your health's already bad enough. Running for the whole class means doing 30 miles alone. Let me do it instead."His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for the people around us to hear."The heck is Dorian doing? I thought he had hypoglycemia! Is he trying

Immediately, I dug out my high school yearbook, found Simon's contact information, and dialed his number with trembling hands. The phone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up.A hoarse, tired voice came from the other end. "Hello? Who's this?""Hey, is this Simon Holt? I'm Dorian Newman. We went to the same high school," I said as calmly as I could."Dorian?" He paused for a moment, then continued, "Oh… Yeah, I vaguely remember you. What do you need?"I took a deep breath and got straight to the point."I want to ask you something. Did something happen to your body over the summer? Like, suddenly feeling exhausted all the time for no reason and… experiencing major changes in your appearance?"The line instantly fell into dead silence. A full 30 seconds passed before Simon finally spoke again. This time, his voice carried a faint tremor. "H-How did you know that?"My heart sank. It was just as I thought."Because I'm going through the exact thing right now."I t

Under the watchful eyes of the entire faculty and student body, Fletcher finally gave out less than half a mile from the finish line. His legs buckled, and he collapsed onto the ground in a pathetic heap, unable to get back up.Meanwhile, I crossed the finish line with ease. Slowly, I walked back to him and towered over him. "You lost.""No, I didn't!"He suddenly lifted his head, rage twisting his face as he pointed at me and screamed hysterically, "It's you! You cheated! You used some kind of dark magic! You stole my stamina! Give me back to me, damn it!"His crazed outburst made everyone around us frown. The concept of stealing one's stamina was… bizarre.Back in my previous life, they all wore the same dubious looks when I spoke about the fatigue transfer, too. Now, the tables had turned.Lindsey strode over, her expression stern as she fixed Fletcher with a hard stare. "Cadet Stone, explain yourself. Why has your physical condition changed so drastically overnight?"Under n

"This kind of sorcery allows the user, through specific ceremonies and mediums, to transfer their own negative conditions onto a chosen target, with things like fatigue, illness, mediocrity, and even unattractiveness."At the same time, they steal the target's positive qualities—their energy, health, vitality, and appearance, all for their own use."I pointed at Fletcher, who was still sprawled on the ground. "Simon Holt, one of his high school classmates, was his first test subject! He stole Simon's looks and health to complete his first transformation!"Then, I pointed at myself. "And I was his second target. He used the same method to dump the entire burden of orientation fatigue onto me, leaving me barely alive while he enjoyed everyone's admiration and worship."My words hit like an atomic bomb."Oh my goodness. Is this actually real? I'm having goosebumps!""Keeping a familiar? How could he involve others in such witchcraft?""No wonder he changed so much over the summer.