The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling groggy and disoriented. The events of the previous day replayed in his mind, filling him with a mix of dread and curiosity. He dressed in his loosest clothes, hoping they would accommodate any further changes, and headed to school.
The hallways buzzed with the usual morning chatter, but Ethan felt the stares and whispers following him. He avoided eye contact, focusing on getting to his first class. As he sat down, the chair creaked ominously beneath his increased weight. He glanced around, noticing Luna's knowing smirk from the back of the room.
The class began, but Ethan found it hard to concentrate. His body felt strange, almost as if it was tingling. Halfway through the lesson, he felt a sudden, intense pressure building within him. Panic surged as he realized what was happening.
Before he could react, his body began to stretch and expand. The seams of his clothes strained and then burst, fabric tearing apart. His shoes split open, and his feet pushed through the remains. He tried to stay calm, but the growth was unstoppable.
The class fell silent, all eyes on Ethan as he continued to grow. His desk groaned under the strain, and with a final, sickening crack, it collapsed beneath him. Ethan stumbled to his feet, towering over his classmates. He was now at least eight inches taller than when he had walked into the room.
The teacher, Mr. Carlson, stood in stunned silence, not knowing how to respond. "Ethan, are you okay?" he finally managed to ask.
Ethan's voice was strained. "I don't know what's happening to me."
Luna rose from her seat, her expression a mix of amusement and concern. "Maybe you should go to the nurse," she suggested, her voice dripping with mock sympathy.
Ethan nodded, his face flushed with embarrassment. He squeezed out of the classroom, trying to ignore the gasps and murmurs that followed him. Each step felt awkward and cumbersome, his elongated limbs struggling to find balance.
Reaching the nurse's office, Ethan found Mrs. Harper, the school nurse, sitting behind her desk. She looked up, eyes widening at the sight of him.
"Ethan! What on earth happened to you?" she exclaimed.
"I grew... again," he said, feeling the absurdity of the statement.
Mrs. Harper guided him to an exam table, though it was clear he barely fit. She measured him, confirming his astonishing new height. "This is beyond anything I've seen," she muttered. "We need to call your parents and get you to a specialist immediately."
As Mrs. Harper made the necessary calls, Ethan sat in a daze, his mind reeling. Luna's cryptic message echoed in his thoughts. What did she mean by a gift or a curse? And how was she connected to this inexplicable phenomenon?
By lunchtime, Ethan's parents arrived, their faces etched with worry. They whisked him away to the hospital, where a team of doctors conducted a battery of tests. As the hours passed, Ethan grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers.
Finally, Dr. Morgan appeared, his expression grave. "Ethan, we've never encountered anything like this. Your rapid growth defies all known medical science. We'll continue to monitor you, but in the meantime, I suggest you stay home and rest."
Ethan returned home, his mind swirling with questions. He felt like a prisoner in his own body, his sudden growth isolating him from his friends and normal life. That evening, as he lay in bed, he received another message from Luna.
"Enjoying your new height?" it read.
Ethan's fingers trembled as he typed his response. "What do you want from me?"
Luna's reply was swift and unsettling. "You'll see soon enough."
As he stared at the screen, Ethan realized he was caught in a web far more intricate than he had imagined. The truth about Luna's intentions and his own transformation loomed ahead, promising to unravel his world even further.
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