In the late afternoon, around 4:50 p.m., Liam was in the Chapena District, walking leisurely toward his home. In front of him stood a house that no longer felt unfamiliar.
Liam had fully accepted his new life, taking on the identity of Zavi, but he intended to live according to his own will.
The doorknob turned, and the simple wooden door opened. Liam took a short breath before stepping inside. Two steps later, he lifted his gaze and froze when he saw a blue-eyed man staring at him intensely.
Liam realized his mistake. That afternoon, Ren had already returned from his unclear journey. His brother stood on the first stair, while Isabelle stood above him, staring in disbelief.
"What happened? Why are you looking at me like that?" Liam panicked, voicing his thoughts without realizing it.
The house fell silent. No words followed. Both of them examined every part of Liam, their eyes stopping at his shirt, riddled with holes.
Isabelle slowly descended the stairs, approaching him with a gloomy expression. She looked at her brother's face, then suddenly burst into tears and hugged Liam tightly.
Liam, who had no idea what was actually happening, was confused by her action. His chest felt tight from the strong embrace and from his injuries, which had not yet fully healed.
His eyes widened. He suddenly realized that behind him, tucked between his shirt and trousers, was the silver revolver Albert had given him earlier.
"Get away from me," Liam said, trying to break free from the hug. He stepped back two steps, staring at their faces with confusion before retreating into his room.
The door opened, and once inside, Liam slammed it shut so hard that the sound echoed through his room and the living room.
Ren glanced toward Liam's room before turning away and walking to his own. Meanwhile, Isabelle changed her mind about returning to her room and decided to knock on Liam's door to ask him something.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Three knocks sounded, but Liam did not respond from inside, prompting Isabelle to force the door open without hesitation.
The door swung wide open, and on the bed, Isabelle saw her brother lying flat, fast asleep.
"Seriously? He fell asleep this fast?" Isabelle exclaimed in surprise, tapping her forehead.
She stepped three paces forward, took a blanket, and covered part of his body, leaving only Liam's head visible.
A small smile appeared on her face. Earlier, she and her mother had been worried about Liam's sudden disappearance and his failure to return home for an entire day.
But now, she could finally breathe in relief. Before leaving her brother's room, Isabelle lit two candles for night lighting, placed them on a tray, and set them on the table.
After that, she left immediately, closing the door tightly, and walked back to her room to wait for their mother to return. However, unknown to her, Liam had actually been pretending to keep his eyes closed to hide the revolver.
Suddenly, he stirred, his back stiffening as he realized he had been lying on top of the revolver. Liam got out of bed, walked to the wardrobe on the left side of the room, and opened it to look for something.
Inside the wardrobe was a small compartment that Zavi had built earlier. Liam had no idea why Zavi had made such a space.
Was there something he had been hiding all this time? Liam paused to think.
He moved the clothes hanging on the left and noticed a wooden handle the size of a corn kernel near the lower center. Liam bent down and pulled it immediately.
A neatly arranged box, about the size of a hat, sprang out and nearly hit his face. Liam gasped in shock afterward.
"What's inside this box?" he whispered softly while searching for a way to open it.
Five seconds passed, and he still could not figure it out. Liam placed the box on the table and paced back and forth in his room, trying to remember where Zavi might have kept the key.
Yes, Liam knew there was a small padlock on the box. But he had no idea where Zavi had hidden the key. Perhaps because his memories were still fragmented. That was what he thought.
Even after twenty minutes passed, he still did not know whether he should open the box by shooting it, which was possible, or smashing it with a hard object, or using some other method.
As he was about to close the wardrobe, he suddenly noticed something on the floor that made his eyes widen.
"Damn," Liam smiled. "How could I forget that I have this revolver, tch."
Bending slightly, he picked up the revolver, which still had three bullets left in its cylinder. He walked to the table and picked up the box.
Without hesitation, Liam aimed the revolver at the small padlock. But he quickly changed his mind, afraid the gunshot would be heard by people passing in front of the house, as well as by his brother and sister.
He put the revolver into the desk drawer and shut it tightly. Liam covered his face with both hands, his head still filled with strange thoughts, then walked to the wardrobe to change his clothes.
From yesterday afternoon until now, he had not bathed at all. He took a clean shirt and a pair of brown trousers, placed his wristwatch on the table, and headed to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, he had finished bathing and was now in his room, drying his hair with a clean towel that had never been used.
Click. Liam stood up and opened the cover of his wristwatch.
"So I've been out of the house for an entire day," he murmured softly.
"Five in the evening already, huh. Time really flies. I haven't eaten since noon," Liam closed the watch and slipped it into his trouser pocket.
He left his room, walked toward the stairs, and looked up afterward.
"Isabelle, have you eaten yet?" he called out, scratching his arm, which suddenly felt itchy.
"Zavi…"
A cold, emotionless voice sounded. But Liam did not hear it.
From where Liam was standing, between the ground floor and the stairs, Isabelle should have heard his voice clearly. Ten minutes later, the one who came out to respond was not Isabelle, but his older brother, Ren, who walked closer and began descending the stairs.
"I haven't eaten, Zavi. Want me to cook something?" Ren asked in a cold tone as he slowly came down.
His black hair was messy, his blue eyes filled with exhaustion. Liam did not know what to say other than nodding in agreement. Or perhaps he truly wanted to build a relationship with Ren. From Zavi's memories, Liam felt pity, because Zavi had almost never spoken to his siblings at all, except for his mother, who occasionally asked how he was doing and spoke briefly.
"Huh, your life really is pitiful. Come to think of it, this all started after Father's death, didn't it?" he thought, sensing something off.
Liam fell silent, recalling more memories and feeling that everything was connected. He looked at Ren walking beside him.
"Looking at his unusual daily activities, and the way he speaks and moves, something feels strange. I see it now. And earlier, when he looked at me, he was like a man trying to atone for a mistake."
Liam let out a deep breath, choosing to investigate further.
Even Zavi himself rarely spoke to his older brother. Every time he met Ren or Isabelle, he chose to avoid them. Liam, recalling this through Zavi's fragmented memories, felt sorry for Ren because of how both of his siblings treated him.
But now that Liam's consciousness resided in Zavi's body, he no longer avoided them. Whatever had truly happened, Liam did not know.
Thinking negatively, he wondered if Ren had erased the memories of his siblings, turning what was once neutral into hatred, only for it to be undone when Liam entered this body.
"Hm, that theory actually makes sense," Liam murmured softly.
Meanwhile, Ren was already in the kitchen, and Liam followed him inside.
"You'd better just sit down. I'll cook it myself," Ren said coldly while putting on their mother's blue apron.
Liam stopped at the doorway.
"Alright," Liam replied briefly and obeyed, taking a seat.
After about twenty minutes and struggling through the cooking, Ren finally breathed in relief. Earlier, he had forced himself to fry fish, and the oil had splashed onto his hand, turning part of his arm red.
Reluctantly, he had to ask Liam to take over. Liam complained, doubting Ren's earlier confidence. Fortunately, back on Earth, he had been skilled at cooking basic dishes like these.
Back at the dining table, several appetizing dishes were laid out.
Battered fried fish served with french fries and tomatoes. There was a pie made of potatoes, meat, and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and meat.
The soup, originally meant to be beef or lamb, had been changed by Liam into chicken and combined with delicious boiled potatoes.
Three sandwiches filled with eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, and this time, Liam added meat. Ren also prepared a dessert he could manage, a soft and delicious pudding.
Some of the dishes were still warm, spreading a fragrant aroma trapped in the room, making their stomachs growl. Before eating, Ren told Liam to call Isabelle, who was still in her room studying for her upcoming graduation exam.
Liam nodded in agreement, thinking this was a golden opportunity to mend the family relationship and make it better than before. He did not want things to continue like this, and he wanted to avoid what had happened to his family back on Earth.
"All right, I'll try," he thought.
Twenty minutes later, Isabelle came downstairs with Liam after much persuasion, and the two of them entered the dining room.
"Sorry, Ren, if you've been waiting too long," Liam said as he walked to a chair and sat down.
He then
winced in pain, holding back any sound.
"Convincing that girl was harder than I thought. I even got pelted with thick textbooks. And my neck hurts like hell, damn it," he cursed inwardly.
At last, the three of them ate together, even though the food had gone slightly cold.