“Emily, let's go home.”

Emily walked forward, absorbed in the events transpired earlier, his words flying over her head. She accidentally bumped into him. Her soft, modest chest pushed up against Bryan. Emily looked up, finding stone pearls freezing her soul entirely. Realizing she was up against him, she backed away in a panic, a light blush covered her cheeks. Her face morphed into a deep frown, shooting daggers into Bryan's back.

“Let's go.”

Bryan ignored it completely as he walked out of the school gate. Emily nodded in reluctance, as she followed behind closely, heading back home.

***

Mr. Otters sat at his old desk, the smell of old paper filled the air. Another man was standing opposite, reporting to him in a slightly weary manner. He had neatly combed ginger hair. His thick eyebrows complemented his unwavering aura surrounding him. He stood tall like a mountain weathering countless storms. His green eyes were slightly dim, dark circles surrounded them, making him look inhuman. He wore a traditional brown suit and stood upright. It was the Vice Principal, Laurence.

“Sir, all the students have left. Amy's parents are on their way as well. Regarding Mr. Rogers, he's been arrested and the investigation team have started to look into the details. They have found some tampering in the Broadcasting Room” The man said all in one breath. A bead of sweat rolled down as he stared at the old man.

“I see. Laurence, what was found in the broadcasting room?” he replied laid-back.

“They found all the evidence related to the incident on a computer which was broadcasted to the auditorium. There was also a remote missing, meaning the perpetrator had to switch the channel manually. There is a high chance it could have been someone in the auditorium.” Laurence replied diligently.

“Are there any digital traces or DNA?”

“No, the traces were clean. As for DNA, the forensics are checking it now. An expert must have done it. The police are still attempting to trace the person who hacked into the accounts.”

“Hm. I doubt a student is behind this. Check the faculty's statements and keep me updated on this.”

“Yes sir.” He replied stiffly as he left the room.

Mr. Otters stared at the door, seemingly pondering something. No one knew what he was thinking.

***

----------------------------------------

Bryan and Emily got home early and explained everything to their mother. Her inquisitive look turned into shock as Emily narrated the events that occurred earlier. After a long conversation at the dinner table, Lily and Emily passed out on their beds, mentally exhausted. Emily bombarded Bryan with a series of endless questions about how he knew what was going to happen. He explained it hearing it by coincidence, leaving Emily somewhat unsatisfied. However, she could only accept it knowing he wouldn't tell her anything more.

Bryan slept soundly, waking up early the next day. He sat down at his computer, checking the news. After a while of scrolling, he decided to give up after not finding what he wanted. Just as he was about to close his browser, a headline in the corner of his screen caught his eye. He scrolled up, clicking it in disbelief. What he read there shocked him greatly.

“A major gunfight between two gangs leaves dozens of casualties in the small-town, Great Colows.”

He positioned himself close, reading it thoroughly to the end. Fifteen minutes later, he laid back in his chair, exhausted. He stared at his blank ceiling in a daze.

So I'm still in the same world.

Bryan didn't know anything else except Great Colows in his earlier life. Living in an unfamiliar place, he thought he was no longer on the same planet. After calming himself down, he started to ponder his next move.

Red Viper and Blue Wolf are here as well. For some reason, my body still looks familiar to my old one. This is a problem. I can't establish myself on the Dark Net yet. I need to learn more languages and level up a couple of times. Not only that, but I also need to train this body and get some weapons for any unforeseen circumstances. Not to mention I need to tie up some loose ends at Great Colows to sever my previous identity. I have to do all this before I finish high school. One year is enough.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

After deciding his path and finalizing some details for the next year, Bryan got up and went downstairs for breakfast. He saw Lily with a black off shoulder sweater and blue jeans. Her blonde hair tied up in a bun as she crossed her legs, emphasizing her curves. Her rectangular glasses gave a scholarly air compared to her usual look. The black frame rested on the bridge of her nose as she focused on her computer screen. Hearing footsteps, she lifted her head for a moment before breaking into a smile.

“Morning Bryan. You're up early. I didn't make any breakfast yet, so help yourself.” she said in a gentle voice before looking back at her screen.

He nodded as he went to the kitchen. He grabbed two slices of bread and slipped them into the toaster. The young man brewed two cups of coffee while waiting. After buttering the two slices, he brought everything to the table and sat down. Handing one cup of coffee to the engrossed Lily, he said in a neutral tone.

“Here, I made a cup for you.”

Lily took the cup with a fresh smile before taking a sip. After ten minutes, Bryan got up to put his dishes and cup in the sink while Lily stretched her upper body; her arched back puffed out her chest. After he washed them up, he grabbed his coat and put on his shoes. He called out to Lily.

“I'm heading out, I'll be back later”

Just as he was about to leave, Lily called back in a hurried voice.

“Wait. Can we talk for a bit?” She asked, her blue eyes staring at Bryan.

He shrugged before making his way back to the table. He sat down, wrapping his right hand on the corner of the table. His finger tapped rhythmically before replying.

“Sure, what do you want to talk about?” He asked curiously.

Lily took a deep breath before staring at Bryan with resolution. The rhythmic tapping continued until her soft voice resounded out.

“I want you to look after Emily. After hearing what happened yesterday, I couldn't help but feel worried she might land herself into trouble.” She said with concern.

Bryan's index finger stopped tapping as he stared at her with an indifferent look. He replied dully.

“Why should I? What she does is none of my concern, which includes you as well. We're not even related.” He said bluntly in a steady voice.

Lily bit her lip, hearing his response. Her eyes wavered slightly before replying in a shrill voice.

“I know we're not related. Still we lived together for so many years! Don't you care about us one bit? I know how Emily doesn't like you, and I think you do too. But you're the only one who can protect her. Please just watch over her! After your father left, it's been tough on me, and I don't know if I can handle it myself.” She said pleadingly.

“He was my father. It should be the toughest on me since he left his own son behind, but I'm not making a fuss since I didn't care anyway. Fine, I'll look after her.” He snapped back.

Bryan grabbed his coat and walked out of the door. Just as he closed the door, he heard two words in a shaky voice.

"Thank you"

The door closed, embracing the living room with tranquility. Lily stared at the door for sometime before she heard someone coming downstairs. She wiped the forming tears away as she greeted Emily who was still groggy.

"Morning Emily" Lily said in a cheerful tone.

Emily instantly woke up when she heard her. She stared at her mother for a while before asking worriedly.

"What's wrong? You never sound so cheerful unless you're covering something up. Where's Bryan?"

"Mhm, it's nothing. Bryan just left to take care of some stuff."

Emily stared at her mother for a long time before sighing in defeat. She returned to her normal self as she asked,

"Fine, do you want some coffee? I'll make it!"

"It's fine, I already had a cup..." Lily responded, staring at her empty cup before getting back to work.

Emily looked at Lily before sighing lightly. She walked in the kitchen and started to make breakfast for herself.

Meanwhile, Bryan was following some directions on his phone thinking about Lily.

I already have enough on my plate and now I have to look after Emily as well. Not to mention Lily is also asking for help. Who knew having a family would be this hard

Bryan smiled bitterly as he arrived at the place indicated by his phone.

"You have arrived at Steele's Gym" His phone sounded out.

He first planned to train his body as the first step to his plans for the year. Reflecting back to his first fight in this body, If Wayne, Aaron, or Bennett landed a single blow on him, he could have died due to internal bleeding. That's how weak his body was. He only won the fight with his fighting experience and luck. He needed a tougher and flexible constitution if he wanted to protect himself.

Once he entered, the smell of sweat wafted into his nose as he walked to the front desk. A beautiful woman sat behind as she looked at Bryan with a smile. She wore a see through tank top, showing her black sports bra and skin-tight black yoga pants. Her brown hair tied in a ponytail while her round green eyes stared at the young man in front of her.

"Welcome, how can I help you?" she asked in a polite tone.

"I would like to sign up for a membership" he replied.

"Of course, here are the details." She responded happily before handing over a sign up form and a pen to Bryan.

He filled it out and paid for the next six months up front. Nodding his head, he entered the gym. Bryan had already brought his tracksuit so he worked out for two hours before heading back home for a shower.

After their talk, Lily only curtly greeted Bryan before going back to work. Sitting on the couch, Emily saw this but said nothing as she remembered her mother saying to not interfere. Although it irritated her greatly, she could only watch this exchange.

After he took a quick shower, he walked to the public library. Bryan wanted to test a theory he had behind the system and would be tremendously helpful in the first stages of his plans. After he arrived, he checked the catalog and went to the designated aisle. He pulled a couple of books from the shelves before sitting down at a table. He grabbed the first book out the pile and glanced at it before starting to read.

"A Guide to Java: Coding for the Future"