Chapter 32: The Morning After
A sharp knocking echoed through the small bunker room, jolting Bright awake. He groaned, rubbing his face against the pillow, willing the sound to go away.
No luck.
The knocking came again, louder this time.
"Bright, open the door."
Emily. Of course.
Bright sighed and sat up, ruffling his hair. He had barely gotten any sleep, his mind still restless from everything that had happened the night before. The overwhelming sense of unease had settled in the back of his mind like a dull headache.
Still, he wasn't in the mood for another serious conversation. Not yet.
He dragged himself to the door and cracked it open, only to be met with Emily's unimpressed stare.
"You're acting weird." She stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, shutting the door behind her.
Bright blinked. "Good morning to you too."
Emily folded her arms. "Don't try to deflect. You've been off since last night. Spacing out, looking like a kicked puppy. What's going on with you?"
Bright sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Nothing."
Emily narrowed her eyes. "Try again."
He looked away. He didn't want to admit it—how standing there, watching her with her family, had made him feel like an outsider. How it reminded him of everything he didn't have.
How it made him question whether he even belonged here.
Emily's gaze softened slightly. "Is this about my mom ignoring you?"
Bright scoffed. "What? No. I don't care about that."
She raised an eyebrow.
"…Okay, maybe a little."
Emily clicked her tongue. "Bright, you're an idiot."
"Gee, thanks."
She sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed and patting the spot next to her. "Look, my mom's an overprotective mess, and my dad's… well, you've seen him. They don't do new people. Doesn't mean they hate you."
Bright hesitated before sitting down beside her. "It's not just that. It's… everything. You and Elijah have a family. A place. I just—" He exhaled sharply. "I don't know."
Emily smacked his arm lightly. "You're part of this too, dumbass. You're with me."
Bright glanced at her, and for once, she wasn't smirking. She was serious.
"Besides," she continued, "Elijah likes you."
At that exact moment, the door swung open.
"Who likes him?"
Elijah stepped inside, looking suspicious.
Emily smirked. "Oh good, you're here. Bright was just being dramatic about his tragic backstory."
Bright shot her a glare. "I was not."
Elijah raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like you were."
"Don't you have something else to do?" Bright muttered.
Elijah leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Not really. Mom and Dad are busy upstairs, and I'd rather be here than listen to Michael calling my father 'darling' every five seconds."
Emily snorted.
Bright just groaned, rubbing his temples.
Despite himself, he felt… lighter.
Annoyed, but lighter.
The three of them ended up sitting around, talking about nothing in particular. Emily and Elijah took turns making fun of Bright, which was entirely unfair, but at least it felt normal.
For a little while, at least.
—
Upstairs, things weren't as relaxed.
Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, Franklin, Brolly, and Michael were gathered in the main bunker room, watching the security feed.
The mansion's exterior cameras showed the chaos outside in grim detail.
The creatures weren't human.
They were humanoid, yes, but twisted. Limbs too long, bodies moving unnaturally fast, their skin ranging from sickly pale to dark, stone-like textures. Some had sharp, jagged teeth, others had glowing eyes with no pupils.
And there were a lot of them.
The security personnel who had stayed behind didn't last long.
A few fought back, but regular guns barely slowed the creatures down. Some of the guards managed to take down a few monsters, only to be overwhelmed seconds later.
Even the maids who had stayed behind, oblivious to the full danger, hadn't been spared. The cameras caught glimpses of their terrified attempts to run before they, too, were caught.
Mrs. Carter looked away, her jaw tight. Elijah didn't need to see this. Neither did Emily.
Mr. Carter, however, watched with a sharp, unreadable gaze.
Then he shifted his attention to another feed.
The training room.
It, too, had been infested.
But unlike the others, Mr. Carter was prepared for this one.
He tapped a few buttons on the hidden console in the wall, activating the hidden turrets.
With a low hum, the weapons emerged from the walls, their sleek barrels locking onto the nearest targets.
The creatures barely had time to react before the room erupted in gunfire.
The turrets tore through them with ruthless efficiency, rounds punching through flesh and bone, reducing them to unrecognizable heaps in seconds.
Mrs. Carter exhaled, tension leaving her shoulders.
Michael clapped lightly, looking pleased. "Darling, you always think ahead."
Mr. Carter ignored him.
Then, something unexpected happened.
A soft glow enveloped Mr. Carter's body.
The system notification appeared in front of his eyes.
[System Notice]
Congratulations. You have slain multiple enemies. Your actions have been recognized.
Ability Gained: Shadow Manipulation.
Mr. Carter raised an eyebrow.
He clenched his hand, feeling the faint shift in his body. A shadowy mist flickered around his fingers before vanishing.
Interesting.
It seemed he had awakened.
He turned to Franklin, who had been watching silently.
"Prepare for the next step," Mr. Carter said calmly.
Franklin nodded, his expression unreadable.
Above them, the sound of creatures tearing through the mansion walls continued.
The world had officially changed.