Episode 11

Ethan's POV

The following week arrived, and it was already Monday morning. Like every day, I took public transportation to work, but suddenly I began to experience a strange and uncomfortable sensation. The scents around me started to seem more intense, but not just the aromas of coffee or the perfume of the lady next to me, but bodily scents, or at least that's how I could define them; they seemed to be the most intense. Everything seemed to invade my personal space in an overwhelming way.

At first, I tried to ignore this, thinking that maybe I was getting sick to my stomach and that's why I was more sensitive, but I also felt the gaze of certain people on me, as if I were prey. I focused on my phone, trying to ignore everything around me until I got to work, but it all got more annoying every second; I had never wanted to take refuge at my desk so badly.

When I finally got to the office, I felt dazed and confused, but it seemed like my discomfort had subsided a bit, what I didn't know at the time was that the reason was that most of the people who worked in the same department I did were betas.

Stone approached me, but I noticed him wrinkle his forehead slightly.

"Did you change your perfume, Ethan?" he asked curiously. I noticed that he was trying hard not to be rude.

However, my mind was still too cloudy to process the question, so I just shook my head in response, neither denying nor agreeing, which made Stone tell me to fix a few things on his schedule, changing the subject.

I tried to stay focused, but despite everything, the scents seemed to linger, but now in my memory, making me feel sick just remembering them, regretting not having gone to the pharmacy for some stomach medicine, which according to me, was what I had.

Throughout the day, I struggled with a growing feeling of unease. I didn't know what was going on, but it seemed like I was losing control of my own senses.

No longer able to go on like this, I asked Stone if I could leave early because I had an upset stomach, to which he agreed without any problem. I could see that despite looking serious and impassive, he still had a subtle expression of concern on his face. He wished me luck and told me to let him know if I wasn't coming to work the next day.

On my way home, I stopped by a nearby pharmacy and then just lay down, making my head spin, thinking over and over about the strange day, wondering what made me feel so bad. I just hoped to be well enough to go back to work the next day and not cause Stone any trouble.

Contrary to what I thought, that night I was able to sleep peacefully, the opposite of a warning of what the next day would be like. Maybe it was the placebo effect or being in a safe space alone that made me believe I had improved.