One hour later, Liam finished his reading. As expected, he returned the book to its original place.
A chill ran down his spine.
He let out a breath. Only then did he realize that he had been reading while standing for an entire hour, completely unaware, absorbed in the tension of the information before him.
Liam took the pocket watch from his coat. His eyes widened as he said, "Huh? It's already half past nine? That was fast… damn it."
He slipped the watch back into his coat pocket. After that, he hurried out of the library and quickly headed toward the house of his younger sister's friend.
Yesterday afternoon, when he had just awakened inside Zavi's body, Isabelle approached him while he was sitting in the living room and asked for help carrying her belongings on Sunday.
At that time, Liam had only just realized that he was speaking to someone unfamiliar. But through his memories, he knew that the young woman was the younger sister of the body he inhabited.
To hide his confusion, he agreed to Isabelle's request and asked for a clearer explanation.
... Now, Liam hurried toward the house of Isabelle's friend, whose address he had been given earlier that day. The house was located in District Chapena, number five.
The walk took about ten minutes. At a four way intersection, Liam turned left, jogging as he glanced at the house numbers from one to twenty.
"Five more," he muttered quietly while running, his breathing uneven.
Not long after, he arrived. He bent slightly, exhaling deeply. Then Liam looked at the number plate twenty five attached beside the door.
"Is this really the house? But where is she now?" he murmured in confusion as he looked around.
Liam closed his eyes. He had no choice but to try. Gathering his resolve, he climbed the small steps, stood directly in front of the door, and pulled the bell hanging to his right.
Ting… Ting… Ting…
The sound of the bell echoed through the house. Since it was Sunday, a day off from work and school, the occupants panicked, and two people hurried downstairs to check. Liam could faintly hear footsteps approaching, growing clearer with each second.
Reflexively, he swallowed.
The door opened. Standing before him was a woman with long black hair draped over her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and a hat that gave her an elegant charm as she looked at Liam.
"Excuse me… I'm looking for Isabelle. Is she here?" he asked, holding his breath.
The woman narrowed her eyes slightly, causing Liam to panic internally.
"Could it be that you're Isabelle's older brother, Mr. Zavi?" she asked with a small smile.
Liam nodded while smiling awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
Suddenly, the woman tried to insist that Liam come inside, telling him not to hesitate. However, feeling uncomfortable, Liam refused and chose to wait outside for his sister to come out.
Waiting.
Sitting on a chair, his cheek resting against his hand, he watched the people passing by in front of him. About five minutes later, Isabelle came out of the house, standing at the doorway with two fairly large boxes beside her.
Liam quickly glanced to the side. Just by looking at them, he could already conclude that he would be carrying those two boxes all the way home, a distance of about one hundred meters.
Even so, he would still try his best to keep his sister happy. Meanwhile, Isabelle said goodbye to her friend and her friend's parents.
"I'm heading home now. See you again," Isabelle said softly, pleased with the gifts from her friend.
"All right, take care on the way," they replied while glancing and smiling at Liam, who looked gloomy as he carried the two boxes.
"Uh. It feels like I'm being messed with," Liam complained inwardly.
Isabelle walked down the small steps and patted her brother's shoulder, urging him to move. Liam gave a wry smile after witnessing this cruelty.
The black coat he had been wearing earlier was now folded and tucked between the two boxes he carried, revealing his white shirt and the black belt on his trousers.
10:45 a.m.
After taking several breaks along the way, the two of them finally arrived home, even though Liam's waist felt as if it were about to break. The two boxes, whose contents he still did not know, were placed beside the table near the front door.
His gaze shifted to the right. He wanted nothing more than to quickly enter his room and lie down on his bed.
He staggered weakly forward, but just as his hand reached for the doorknob, Isabelle told him to stop.
Liam's hand froze on the knob, along with his entire body. A faint gust of wind slipped through the ventilation, brushing against him and creating a dramatic atmosphere.
"Take this," Isabelle said as she pulled several bills from her wallet.
Liam's eyes widened. Looking at the two or five bills in front of him, he smiled faintly and accepted the money without hesitation as compensation for his hard work carrying the boxes home.
Click. The bedroom door opened, and he immediately went inside. Isabelle turned away while shaking her head. But after taking two steps, a weak voice called out from behind her.
"Thank you for giving your older brother this money," Liam said, though Isabelle only heard it faintly.
"Yeah," Isabelle replied briefly with a smile.
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Liam lay flat on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He sat up, took the pocket watch from his trouser pocket, listened to its faint ticking, and watched the hands move.
"It's almost eleven already, huh?" he murmured softly as he stretched both arms out.
At exactly two o'clock, Liam planned to move toward the meeting point Leo had told him about in District Tezny.
"There's still time. I'd better sleep," he said, his eyes unwilling to open again.
A gentle breeze entered through the open window, making his entire body feel comfortable. One minute later, he fell into a deep sleep, his black coat still resting on his shoulders.
...
1:35 p.m. Liam suddenly woke up, influenced by the recurring nightmare he often experienced while sleeping. He could see it clearly, the horror lingering even after waking.
"Damn it. That dream again," Liam muttered as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
His breathing was irregular.
He took a deep breath, stood up to stretch, and then left the room, heading straight to the bathroom to wash his face.
The dream he had just experienced was far beyond human logic. Yesterday morning, Zavi had been alone at home. Ren's whereabouts were unknown as usual, mysterious. His mother had gone to the market to sell daily necessities such as wheat, vegetables, beans, and others.
Meanwhile, his younger sister, Isabelle, had gone to school with her friend who had visited their house at the time.
After his sister and mother left early in the morning, at exactly eight o'clock, Zavi was in his room. He had just woken up and was about to go to the kitchen for breakfast. He ate the sandwich his mother had prepared that morning, his face gloomy and pale, like someone who no longer wished to live.
After forcing the sandwich down, tears slowly fell and soaked his cheeks. At that moment, Zavi could no longer hold it back. For some reason, he suddenly stood up, causing the chair to fall backward. With heavy steps, he took a knife from the table and stabbed his chest dozens of times.
The repeated stabs into the same wound made blood pour endlessly from his body. At its peak, Zavi stabbed his heart. At that moment, he died instantly, his body collapsing onto the floor, surrounded by a pool of fresh blood.
Liam stood in front of the mirror, turned on the tap, cupped water in his hands, and splashed it over his head.
The cold water calmed his thoughts more than before. Liam narrowed his eyes, staring sharply at his reflection.
"Suicide? Madness? Or some supernatural force?" he asked himself in confusion.
When he awakened in this body, Liam had seen no blood in the kitchen or on himself, and there were no stab wounds on his chest, as if none of it had ever happened.
"But from my observation, it seems he suffered a sudden breakdown. I don't know what happened, but he couldn't fully control his thoughts and ended his own life."
"I can't determine the cause. Perhaps during Monday to Friday last week, Zavi's memories and activities were partially erased. I can only remember fragments of the whole."
Liam punched the wall a few inches from the mirror several times. His hand reddened slightly, but he ignored it.
After that, he left the bathroom and returned to his room to take the two bills his sister had given him earlier.
"Hey, Isabelle. I'm heading out. Are you okay staying home alone?" Liam asked while standing in the living room, tilting his head toward the stairs.
"I'm fine," Isabelle shouted back from her room.
Hearing that, Liam felt at ease leaving the house. He took the coat hanging on a pole near the front door.
He left without taking a horse carriage, choosing to walk toward the meeting point Leo had mentioned earlier, even though he knew it would take time and strain his tired body.