Late afternoon, around 4:50 PM, Liam arrived in Vica, walking with steady steps toward his street. He had fully accepted his new life, taking on the identity of Zavi, yet he intended to live according to his own will.

  The doorknob turned slowly, and the simple wooden door opened. Liam took a short breath before stepping inside. After taking two steps, he raised his gaze and paused. He saw a woman and a blue-eyed man standing straight and staring intently at him.

  Liam immediately realized his mistake. That afternoon, Ren had apparently already returned from his unclear departure. His brother stood on the first stair, while Isabelle stood above him, staring in disbelief.

  "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Liam panicked, voicing his thoughts unconsciously.

  The air around them froze as if reacting to that ignorance. No words followed. Both of them examined every part of Liam's body, their gazes stopping at his shirt, which was partially 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 did not know what had actually happened, was confused by her action. His chest felt tight from the strong embrace and from wounds that had not fully healed.

  His eyes widened. He suddenly remembered that behind him, tucked between his shirt and trousers, was the silver revolver previously given by Albert.

  "Let go of me," Liam said, trying to free himself from the embrace. He stepped back two paces, staring at their faces in confusion before entering his room.

  The door opened, and once inside, Liam slammed it shut so hard that the sound echoed briefly through the bedroom and living room.

  Ren, who was still standing on the stairs, glanced toward Liam's room before turning around and walking to his own. Meanwhile, Isabelle abandoned her intention to return to her room and decided to knock on Liam's door to ask something.

  Knock... Knock... Knock...

  Three knocks sounded, but Liam did not respond from inside, causing Isabelle to open the door without hesitation.

  The door swung wide, and on the bed, Isabelle saw her brother lying on his back, fast asleep, without even removing his coat.

  "Seriously? He fell asleep this fast?" Isabelle exclaimed in surprise while slapping her forehead.

  She took three steps forward, grabbed a blanket, and covered part of Liam's body, leaving only his head visible.

  A small smile appeared on her face. Earlier that morning, she and their mother had been worried about his sudden departure and the fact that he had not returned for an entire day.

  But now, she could finally breathe in relief. Before leaving Liam's room, Isabelle lit two candles for the night, placed them on a tray, then set the tray on the table.

  After that, she quickly left, shut the door tightly, and returned to her room to wait for their mother's return. However, unknown to her, Liam was merely pretending to close his eyes to hide the revolver, aware that Isabelle had previously made direct contact with him.

  Suddenly, he moved, his back stiffening as he realized he was lying directly on top of the revolver. Liam rose from the bed, walked to the wardrobe on the left side of the room, and opened it to search for something.

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  Inside the wardrobe was a small compartment previously made by Zavi. Liam did not know why Zavi had created such a space.

  'Was there something he had been hiding all this time?' Liam paused for a moment to think.

  He shifted the clothes hanging on the left side and saw a small wooden handle, the size of a corn kernel, in the lower middle section. Liam bent down and pulled it immediately.

  A neatly arranged box, roughly the size of a hat, slid out and nearly struck his face.

  Liam gasped in shock. "What is inside this box?" he whispered softly while searching for a way to open it.

  Without certain memories, and still unclear about how he could even be in this body.

  Several seconds passed, and he still had not found a way to open it. Liam placed the box on the table and paced around 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 did not know where Zavi had hidden the key. Perhaps because his memories were still fragmented, he thought.

  Even after twenty minutes passed, he still did not know whether he should open the box by shooting it, which was actually possible, breaking it with a hard object, or using another method.

  As he was about to close the wardrobe, he suddenly saw something on the floor that made his eyes widen.

  "Damn," Liam smirked. "How could I forget that I have this revolver, ck."

  Bending slightly, he picked up the revolver, which still had three bullets left in its cylinder. He walked to the table and took the box. Without hesitation, Liam aimed the revolver at the small padlock. But he immediately changed his mind, afraid the gunshot would be heard by people passing in front of the house, including Ren and his sister.

  He placed the revolver into a hidden desk drawer beneath a stack of books and closed it tightly. Liam covered his face with both hands, his mind still filled with strange matters, then walked to the wardrobe to change clothes.

  Since yesterday afternoon until now, he had not bathed at all. He took a clean shirt and gray trousers, placed his wristwatch on the table, then headed to the bathroom.

  Twenty minutes later, he finished bathing and was now in his room, drying his hair with a clean towel that had never been used before.

  Click. Liam stood and opened the cover of his wristwatch.

  "So I have been out of the house for a full day," he muttered softly.

  "It is already five in the afternoon. Time truly passes quickly. I have not eaten since noon," Liam closed the watch and slipped it into his trouser pocket.

  He left the room, walked toward the stairs, then looked up.

  "Isabelle, have you eaten yet?" he called out while scratching his arm, which suddenly felt itchy.

  "Liam…"

  A cold, clearly feminine voice, devoid of emotion, was heard.

  However, Liam did not hear it.

  From where Liam stood, between the ground floor and the stairs, Isabelle should have heard his voice clearly. Ten minutes later, the one who came out to answer was not Isabelle, but his brother, Ren, who approached and began descending the stairs.

  "What is it, Zavi? Want me to cook something for you?" 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 nod 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 him, except with their mother who occasionally asked about his condition and spoke briefly.

  'Huh, your life was truly miserable. If I think about it, all of this started after Father died, did it not?' he thought, sensing something odd.

  Liam fell silent, recalling more memories and feeling that everything was interconnected. He looked at Ren walking beside him.

  'Looking at his unusual daily activities, and the way he speaks and moves, something feels strange. Now I understand. And earlier, when he looked at me, he was like a man trying to atone for something.'

  Liam exhaled deeply, choosing to investigate further another day.

  Now Liam's consciousness resided in Zavi's body, controlling the body and half of its memories, and he no longer avoided him out of pity.

  With negative thoughts, he wondered whether Ren had ever erased his siblings' memories, altering something that was once neutral into hatred, then the effect unraveling when Liam entered this body.

  "Hmm, that theory actually makes sense," Liam muttered softly.

  Meanwhile, Ren was already in the kitchen, and Liam followed him inside.

  "You should just sit. I will cook," Ren said coldly while putting on their mother's blue apron.

  Liam stopped at the doorway.

  "Alright," Liam replied briefly and obeyed, then sat down.

  Around twenty minutes later, after struggling with the cooking, Ren finally breathed in relief. Earlier, he had forced himself to fry fish, and hot oil had splashed onto his hand, leaving part of his arm reddened.

  Reluctantly, he asked Liam to take over. Liam complained, doubting Ren's earlier confidence. Fortunately, back on Earth, he had been skilled at cooking basic dishes like this.

  Back at the dining table, several appetizing dishes had been served.

  Fried fish coated in flour was served with fries and tomatoes. There was a pie made of potatoes, meat, and vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, and cabbage.

  The soup that was originally meant to be made from beef or lamb was changed by Liam into chicken soup with the addition of delicious boiled potatoes.

  Three sandwiches filled with eggs, potatoes, tomatoes, and this time Liam added meat. Ren also prepared the dessert he was capable of making, a soft and delicious pudding.

  Several dishes were still warm, spreading a fragrant aroma throughout the room, making their stomachs growl. Before eating, Ren asked Liam to call Isabelle, who was still studying in her room for her graduation exam.

  Liam nodded in agreement, thinking this was a golden opportunity to repair their family relationship and make it better than before. He did not want everything to continue like this, and he wanted to avoid what had once happened to his family on Earth.

  'Alright, I will try,' he thought.

  Twenty minutes later, after much persuasion, Isabelle came down with Liam, and the two entered the dining room.

  "Sorry, Ren, if you have been waiting too long," Liam said as he walked to a chair and sat down.

  He grimaced silently from the pain.

  'Convincing that girl was harder than I thought. I was even hit with thick books. And my neck hurts like hell, damn it.' he cursed inwardly.

  Finally, the three of them ate together, even though the food had grown slightly cold.