The air around him seemed to freeze for a moment as he shut the book tightly and returned it to the shelf with a tense body. He did not know what had been in those people's minds when they committed such a vile act.
A chill crept down his spine along with sweat dampening his fingers.
He exhaled. Only then did he realize he had been reading while standing for a full hour, unconsciously immersed in the tension of the information before him.
Liam took the pocket watch from his jacket. His eyes widened as he said, "Huh? Half past eight already? That fast… damn."
He slipped the watch back into his jacket pocket. After that, he hurried out of the library and immediately headed toward his younger sister's friend's house.
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 he was speaking to someone he did not know. However, through memory, he knew that the young woman was the younger sister of the body he occupied.
To hide his confusion, he agreed to Isabelle's request and asked for a clearer explanation.
Now, Liam hurried toward Isabelle's friend's house, the address having been given to him that day. The house was still located on Cosdever Street, No. 25.
The journey there took about ten minutes by horse carriage. He got off at a four way intersection, decided to turn left, where there was a small alley. His steps were calm and steady along the pavement, glancing at the house numbers one by one.
"Five more," he whispered softly as he increased his pace, leaving small clouds of dust with each step.
Not long after, he arrived. He bent slightly, exhaling deeply. Then his eyes fixed on the number twenty five plate mounted beside the door.
'Is this really her house? But where is she now?' he thought in confusion while looking around.
Liam closed his eyes for a moment. Having no choice but to try, he gathered his resolve, climbed the small steps in front, and stood right before the door. For a moment he hesitated to pull the bell hanging on his right.
Cling... Ting... Ting...
The soothing chime entered his mind after the bell echoed briefly from inside the house. Because it was Sunday, a day off from work and school, and a day for visiting church, the residents inside were startled, and two of them hurried downstairs to check.
His ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps, growing closer and clearer with each second.
Reflexively, he swallowed. Afraid he had the wrong house.
The door opened. A woman with long black hair cascading over her shoulders, bright blue eyes like seawater, and wearing a rose patterned head covering that gave her an elegant charm stood facing him.
"Excuse me… I am looking for Isabelle," Liam muttered hesitantly. "Is she here?" he asked, his breath briefly caught as he saw the two women in front of him frown.
One of the beautiful girls, the homeowner, slightly shy but actually mischievous, smiled faintly, easing the panic gripping Liam's chest.
"Could you be Isabelle's older brother, Mr. Zavi?" she asked to confirm.
Liam responded with a nod, not knowing what to say.
Without pause, the woman tried to insist that Liam come inside, telling him not to hesitate. However, feeling uncomfortable, Liam refused and chose to wait outside until his sister came out.
Troublesome. I do not feel comfortable entering someone else's house even if invited by the owner, he thought, not realizing that he himself had entered another person's life.
He waited, sitting on a chair with his cheek resting on his hand, watching people pass along the small street ahead. About five minutes later, Isabelle came out of the house, standing at the doorway with two fairly large boxes beside her.
Liam glanced sideways. Just by looking at them, he could already conclude that he would have to carry those two boxes all the way home, a distance of hundreds of meters or more.
Even so, he would do his best to make his sister happy.
"I am heading home. See you again," Isabelle said gently. "Do not forget that plan, alright?"
"Alright, be careful on the way," they replied while glancing and smiling at Liam, who looked gloomy while carrying the two boxes.
Ugh. It feels like I am being teased, Liam complained inwardly.
Isabelle stepped down the small stairs and held her brother's shoulder, telling him to start moving.
Liam forced a bitter smile after witnessing that cruelty.
Damn. This is heavier than I thought, he grimaced internally.
The black jacket he had been wearing earlier, which restricted his arm movements, was now folded and tucked between the two boxes he carried, revealing his white shirt and black belt.
After leaving the small alley, the two passed along the main road and walked down the pavement.
However, something felt off when he turned right at the intersection where Liam had gotten off the horse carriage earlier.
The cobblestone intersection had a wide open area in the middle, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.
And from one of the tents, whispers of admiration could be heard, as if people were witnessing something unusual.
It is crowded. Is there a performance there? Liam thought, intrigued.
He did not like letting curiosity linger too long. After brief consideration, he decided to see it for himself.
Isabelle was still talking about family matters, about work, about the future, about how her brother should start organizing his life soon. But there was no response.
Her steps halted. She turned slowly as if time itself had slowed.
Liam was no longer beside her.
'Where is he? Whenever someone talks, he always disappears just like that.' Isabelle thought, annoyed.
Her eyes found Liam on the right side, walking toward the crowd at the Cosdever intersection.
She raised her hand, signaling passing vehicles to slow down.
"Excuse me… I need to pass," she said softly, her tone restrained.
She then ran after her brother and immediately tapped Liam's shoulder once she caught up.
"Why did you stop here?" she asked, frowning. "Come bac—"
Her words were cut off instantly.
Her mouth fell open after seeing what was in front of her.
A man wearing a bowler hat was performing magic in the middle of the crowd, his movements measured and confident, captivating the audience.
On the other side, a man dressed like an occult scholar sat behind a small table, fortune telling one person after another lined up neatly before him.
"What is this?" Isabelle muttered in disbelief.
She did not like that atmosphere.
She stepped closer and whispered, her voice softer than before. "Let us go home. I do not want to be involved in something like this."
Liam's face, tense from observing the performance, gradually softened after hearing that whisper.
"Yes, alright," he replied hesitantly.
But before turning away, he observed them carefully once more.
Something is not right, Liam thought, then immediately left the crowd with Isabelle.
10:45 a.m.
After resting several times along the way, the two finally arrived home, although Liam's lower back felt like it was about to break. The two boxes, whose contents he still did not know, were placed beside the table near the front door.
His eyes shifted to the right. He only wanted to go straight into his room and lie down on his bed.
He staggered forward, but just as his hand touched the doorknob, Isabelle told him to stop.
Liam's hand froze on the knob, as did his entire body. A gentle breeze slipped through the ventilation, brushing against him and creating a dramatic atmosphere.
"Take this," Isabelle said while pulling out several bills from her wallet.
Liam's eyes widened. Seeing two or five bills in front of him, he smiled faintly and accepted the money without hesitation as compensation for 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 from behind.
"Thank you for giving this money to your brother," Liam said, though Isabelle only heard it faintly.
"Yes," Isabelle replied briefly with a smile.
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Liam lay on his back on the 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 is almost eleven, huh?" he whispered softly while stretching both arms.
At exactly two o'clock, Liam planned to head to the meeting point Leo had told him about in the Tezny District.
"There is still time. I should sleep," he said, his eyes reluctant to stay open.
The cool breeze entering through the open window filled the room and brushed against his body, giving Liam a comfortable sensation.
A minute later, he fell fast asleep, his black jacket still draped over his shoulders.
At 13:00, Liam suddenly woke up, once again affected by a nightmare about Zavi's death repeating over and over until he woke on his own. He could remember it, far too clearly to visualize those final seconds, and the nausea and horror were still deeply rooted in his mind.
"Damn. That dream again," Liam muttered while wiping the sweat from his forehead and using his black jacket to dry his face.
His breathing was irregular. His jaw tightened briefly as he rose from the bed.
He drew a deep breath before leaving the room, heading to the bathroom to wash his head.
The dream he had just experienced went far beyond human logic. Yesterday morning, Zavi had been alone at home. Because he was unemployed.
Ren's whereabouts were unknown as usual, full of mystery. His mother had gone to the market to sell daily necessities such as fruits, beans, and fish alongside others.
Meanwhile, his younger sister, Isabelle, had gone to school with her friend who had visited their house that Saturday, leaving together for school.
Then, at around eight in the morning, Zavi was in his room. His neck stiffened along with rigid muscles that caused him to wake, his steps weak as he walked to the kitchen and ate a piece of sandwich with an empty gaze, as if something heavy burdened his mind.
After swallowing the sandwich with difficulty, tears slowly fell and dampened his cheeks. At that moment, Zavi could no longer hold it in. For some reason, he suddenly stood up, causing the chair to fall backward.
With heavy yet steady steps, he immediately took a knife from the long table and without pause directed it toward his chest and stabbed himself repeatedly.
The blood would not stop flowing, soaking the kitchen floor and forming a pool upon it. At the peak of it, Zavi stabbed his own heart. At that very moment, he died instantly, his body collapsing onto the floor, surrounded by fresh blood, and that sensation did not fade in the seconds before his death.
Liam stood in front of the mirror, turned on the tap, collected water in his hands, and splashed it onto his head after recalling it all.
The cold water calmed his mind more than before. Liam narrowed his eyes, staring sharply at his reflection in the mirror.
'Suicide? Madness? Or a supernatural force?' he asked himself in confusion.
When he woke up in this body, Liam had seen no blood in the kitchen or on his own body, and there were no stab wounds on his chest, as if none of it had ever happened.
"However, from my observation, it seems he experienced a sudden mental breakdown. I do not know what happened, but he could not fully control his mind and ended his own life."
"I cannot determine the cause. Perhaps from Monday to Friday last week, Zavi's memories and activities were partially erased. I can only recall a small portion of the entire event."
Liam punched the wall a few inches from the mirror several times. His hand turned slightly red, 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," he shouted loudly. "I am going out. Do you mind staying home alone?" Liam asked while standing in the living room, tilting his head toward the stairs.
"I am fine," Isabelle shouted from her room.
Hearing that, Liam felt at ease leaving the house. He took the coat hanging on the pole near the front door and quickly put it on.