They arrived home taking care not to be seen by anyone along the way, injured and stained with blood; for that reason, it took them a bit longer than usual to get there. Liam made sure to look both ways before opening the door, and once inside, he closed it carefully, leaning his back against it for a second as he let out the breath he had been holding.
Carrie walked behind him in silence, her shoulders tense and her steps heavy, still processing everything that had happened.
"Carrie, go take a shower first. I'll go to my room in the meantime, I have a few things to take care of," Liam said tiredly as he headed toward the stairs, bringing a hand to his bandaged shoulder and climbing the steps slowly.
"Okay, I'll let you know when I'm done," Carrie replied, relieved to finally be somewhere she felt safe after everything that had happened. She hugged herself slightly before turning toward the bathroom.
Liam only responded with a nod, his gaze lost in thought, as if his mind were far away from there.
Once in his room, Liam closed the door behind him and rested his forehead against the wood for a moment. The exhaustion and adrenaline were finally catching up to him. He couldn't hold it in anymore and opened the system menu.
[ENTITY DEVOURING SYSTEM] [UPDATE]
Host: LiamAge: 12 years
[SKILLS]
ObservationProtection of MemoriesPsychic SensitivityTelepathy
[System synchronization: 20%]
[GUIDE]
Seeing the changes surprised him a little. He frowned as he reviewed the information, but didn't hesitate any longer and chose update first, extending his hand as if touching something invisible.
[UPDATING...]
Liam stared at the floating message for a while, watching it blink slowly, but when it became clear it would take some time, he shifted his attention elsewhere and let himself fall onto the bed.
Today didn't go the way I expected. I never imagined those two psychic vampires would appear out of nowhere. I was close to dying, but not everything was bad—Carrie awakened her powers, and I gained two new skills by killing those two.
Liam clenched his fists, remembering every moment of the fight.
I also learned that I don't need to be the one to kill them for the system to count it and grant me abilities. A small cut and Carrie finishing them off was enough for me to gain a new skill.
Now that Carrie's powers have awakened, we need to train them to improve both their strength and control. On top of that, she seems to have what I believe is pyrokinesis—the same power she used to weld shut the lock where her mother used to lock her in, in just seconds—and something that allowed her to sense that the girl who tried to be kind to her in the movie was pregnant.
With all that, I need to properly research what those abilities might be and explore with Carrie whether she has others. It's likely that she'll awaken even more over time.
[UPDATE COMPLETE]
At that moment, the system pulled Liam out of his thoughts as the update finished. He straightened his back immediately. Without hesitation, he opened the system again to see what had changed.
[ENTITY DEVOURING SYSTEM]
Host: LiamAge: 12 years
[SKILLS]
OBSERVATION [LVL 1]PROTECTION OF MEMORIES [LVL MAX]PSYCHIC SENSITIVITY [LVL 1]TELEPATHY [LVL 1]
[SYSTEM SYNCHRONIZATION 20%]
[MISSIONS]
[GUIDE]
Liam stared at the screen for a moment, analyzing every detail, then quickly selected the guide to understand exactly what these changes meant. He ignored what he had already read and focused on the new information.
[You can now level up skills by killing supernatural beings that possess those same skills and drop them. Each level will require double the previous amount.]
[You also have the option to destroy a skill you don't need to obtain skill fragments. Once you have 10 fragments, you can use them to upgrade a level 1 skill, requiring double the fragments for each subsequent level.]
[MISSIONS: The system will assign missions whenever you come within range of a story from your previous world. There is no penalty for failing missions, and rewards are tied to the story you participated in.]
"Interesting. I like these new system functions. I'll accept any help I can get to become stronger in the future," Liam said, leaning back against the bed, satisfied with the system.
"Now let's see what my new abilities do."
Liam selected Psychic Sensitivity first, and additional information opened in front of him.
PSYCHIC SENSITIVITY [LVL 1]: Allows you to sense beings with the Shine within a radius of one thousand meters.
Liam tilted his head slightly. He didn't think this ability was very useful right now, but maybe in the future it would help him run into more of those psychic vampires and kill them to gain more abilities.
TELEPATHY [LVL 1]: You can communicate mentally with a person within a range of one hundred meters.
"This one is useful," Liam said, testing the ability without a second thought.
Suddenly, he felt his mind expand, as if invisible channels were opening all around him. He could mentally speak to many people he sensed nearby—most likely neighbors from surrounding houses. He focused on the closest one, just a few meters away.
"Carrie," Liam said, attempting to speak to her mentally.
"¡Kyaa!"
Liam heard a scream from where he believed the bathroom was and couldn't help but laugh a little at having startled her, even though that hadn't been his intention.
"Relax, Carrie. It's me. I was testing a new power I got from killing those two psychic vampires." Liam stayed silent for a moment, waiting for a response, but when none came, he tried explaining.
"Carrie, try responding using only your mind. This is telepathy," Liam said calmly.
"Liam, uh… can you hear me?" Carrie's voice reached his mind, uncertain and nervous.
"Yes, Carrie. Well done—that's how telepathy works. This will be useful in the future when we need to talk without others hearing us." Liam was already thinking about how useful it would be in dangerous situations or battles to communicate without being detected.
Carrie, from the bathroom, had other thoughts. She couldn't help imagining how they could talk before sleeping, how this was something else she shared only with Liam. Thinking about that, she sank into the water, leaving only her eyes visible, as if trying to hide.
"Hmm." Carrie responded with a small sound, like a quiet nod.
Hearing only that shy response, Liam couldn't figure out what had caused it, but quickly stopped thinking about it and turned his attention to the final change.
System synchronization had increased by 5% from killing those two. That was much faster than what it gained just by being near Carrie—it had only risen 5% over two years with her. This clearly showed the benefits of killing supernatural beings to increase the percentage, but the danger couldn't be ignored. This time, he had come very close to dying, and this was nowhere near the most dangerous thing he might encounter.
Even now, with Carrie having powers, things would be easier—but he still couldn't afford to be careless. Liam believed it would be best to hunt supernatural beings only once Carrie had strong control over her powers and they were both stronger. Better safe than sorry.
"Toc, toc."
Liam was pulled from his thoughts by a knock on his door. He blinked a couple of times, as if snapping back to reality, and slowly turned his head toward the door, still sitting on the bed with his back against the wall.
"Liam, I'm done showering. You can go whenever you want."
Carrie's voice came muffled from the other side, softer than usual. Liam could picture her standing in the hallway, probably with damp hair and tense shoulders after such a long day.
"Alright, I'll go in a bit. Don't forget to ask mom for whatever you need for your period."
Liam spoke in a practical, almost automatic tone, like a checklist of things to do. Still, his gaze lingered on the floor for a second, aware that the topic was still uncomfortable for Carrie.
"S-yeah."
Carrie replied timidly. The pause before answering and the slight hesitation in her voice made it clear she had completely forgotten—and was now embarrassed. On the other side of the door, she likely shifted from foot to foot before walking away in silence.
Once again, Liam was alone. He exhaled slowly and rubbed a hand over his face, thinking for a few more minutes about what he needed to do in the future—training, dangers, the system, Carrie. Too many things for someone his age. Finally, he stood up and left the room to take a shower.
As he stepped into the hallway, he ran into his mother.
"What happened to you, son?"
She couldn't help asking in concern upon seeing him covered in dried blood. Her eyes widened, and she took a small step toward him, one hand rising to her chest.
Liam stopped for barely a second. His eyes hardened, and his expression turned cold.
"It's none of your business. And if anyone asks where Carrie and I were this afternoon, just say we were at home—and don't say anything about the blood."
He didn't raise his voice, but his tone left no room for argument. With that, he walked past her and headed for the bathroom without looking back.
At his response, his mother's concern faded. Fear quickly replaced it. She remembered why she had been afraid of Liam for years and couldn't help wondering, with a knot in her stomach, why they were so covered in blood. She stood frozen in the hallway, a chill running down her spine.
Ever since Carrie came to live with them, Liam had told her she didn't need to treat her like a new daughter. He had told her how she treated him when he was four and made it clear she only needed to give Carrie whatever she asked for. Still, over the last two years, she couldn't help growing attached to her. Liam noticed—but didn't do anything to stop it. As long as she didn't hurt Carrie, he didn't care.
The next day, after school, Liam and Carrie went to the BlackSpot to finish cleaning all the evidence and retrieve the weapons the two psychic vampires had carried. The place still felt heavy, and while they erased traces of blood and ash, Liam made sure Carrie practiced her abilities.
After finding a very secluded spot surrounded by trees and far from any path, Liam instructed Carrie to try opening a hole in the ground with her powers. Carrie closed her eyes, raised her hands slightly, and focused. To Liam's surprise, the hole was quite deep. He hadn't expected her to reach that depth when she had only awakened her powers the day before.
Then, with visible effort, they sealed it back up using her abilities again. Carrie brought a hand to her head, frowning.
The effort caused a slight headache, and she looked noticeably tired, her breathing a bit heavier than usual.
After finishing everything, they returned home and stored the weapons in a safe place.
That same day, later.
The bluish glow of the television was the only light in the living room.
Liam sat on the couch, a bandage still visible beneath his shirt, watching the news intently while absentmindedly adjusting the volume.
The nightly news logo appeared on screen.
"We interrupt our regular programming to report on a developing situation in the city of Raccoon City."
Liam stopped moving.
The image shifted to blurry aerial footage: blocked streets, police forming perimeters, ambulances rushing in and out.
"For several hours now, local authorities have declared a state of emergency. While there is still no official information, reports suggest a possible outbreak of unknown origin."
The reporter spoke with a tense voice, smoke rising behind her between buildings.
"Overcrowded hospitals, isolated disturbances, and communication failures have raised concern among residents. The government has urged the population to remain indoors."
Liam frowned, resting his elbows on his knees.
A virus… but without a name. No clear explanation. Exactly like he remembered.
"Authorities have refused to confirm rumors circulating on social media regarding violent behavior or abnormal contagion."
The camera briefly showed people being evacuated—some screaming, others struggling with police—before the signal cut back to the studio.
Liam clenched his jaw.
"This shouldn't be happening yet…" he murmured to himself.
Soft footsteps sounded behind him.
Carrie appeared at the entrance to the living room, stopped when she saw the screen, and slowly walked over to stand beside him.
"What's going on?" she asked, watching the images curiously.
Just then, the news abruptly changed topics.
"In other news, shocking images are coming in from the West Coast."
The screen showed the port of San Francisco engulfed in smoke—overturned containers, damaged buildings, people running.
Carrie's eyes widened.
"Witnesses claim to have seen a colossal creature emerge from the ocean. Authorities have not yet confirmed its origin."
The image shook as something massive moved between the buildings.
"The Department of Defense has identified the organism as a possible MUTO, an unknown life form with extreme destructive capabilities."
"That… that can't be real," Carrie whispered, placing a hand over her chest.
Liam didn't respond. His gaze was fixed on the screen.
"Just minutes ago, another creature—far larger—has been detected approaching the city."
The broadcast showed a gigantic silhouette advancing through the water, its body outlined against smoke and fire.
"Authorities have designated it… Godzilla."
A deep roar blasted through the television speakers. Carrie flinched, instinctively moving closer to Liam.
"A… monster?" she asked, incredulous. "Is this really happening?"
"Yes," Liam said calmly, though his eyes were serious. "It is."
Carrie looked at him, still trying to process everything.
"First those psychic vampires, my powers… and now this," she murmured. "The world is going crazy."
Liam rested a hand on the back of the couch and exhaled slowly.
"It's not changing," he corrected. "It's just showing what was always there."
Carrie swallowed and looked back at the screen, her fingers gripping the edge of the couch tightly, as if she hoped that if she blinked enough times, the giant monsters would disappear and everything would return to normal. Her shoulders were tense, her breathing a little faster than usual.
After that, they continued watching TV in silence, the sounds of explosions and screams filling the room as Godzilla and the MUTO began to fight, their massive forms colliding as buildings collapsed like paper.
"The number of deaths they must be causing has to be in the tens of thousands, with this much destruction from just their fight," Liam lamented, lowering his gaze for a second and clenching his fists on his knees, brow furrowed and jaw tight.
"Carrie, that's why we need to become stronger. To those monsters, we're no different from normal humans—powers or not," Liam said seriously, turning slightly toward her and meeting her eyes, wanting his words to sink in.
"Y-yeah, I wouldn't be able to move them even a little with my telekinesis," Carrie said, fear trembling in her voice as she shrank in on herself, hugging her arms as if the thought alone made her feel small.
Liam nodded in agreement, his expression softening just slightly, but without losing its firmness. "We need to be strong enough that no threat can ever affect our happiness."
"Yes," Carrie replied with confidence this time, lifting her head and pressing her lips together with determination, pushing the fear aside for the sake of her future happiness.
Seeing that change in her, Liam couldn't help but smile proudly. He leaned back into the couch, and together they watched as Godzilla and the MUTO eventually moved away from the city. When the news ended, Liam reached out and turned off the TV, leaving the room quiet once again.