Ethan and Avelyn sat together, facing an oval pond-like screen called the Lumina Pool. It resembled holograms from Space Z and allowed cultivators to observe various things.

Some skilled cultivators could even use it with their mystical arts for different purposes. The water-like surface held a soul of its own, although it wasn't alive. If a cultivator had the right technique, they could manipulate it.

Ethan glanced at Avelyn, and they had just watched his first dream, the one he remembered clearly. The one hundred fifty year old woman had no expression on her face, her thoughts unknown.

Suddenly, she asked, "Did the woman who appeared at the end of the dream die later?"

"Yeah," Ethan replied. "When I was sixteen, both my step-parents were already dead. But in the dream, that ending came from my fears and sadness, right?"

Avelyn nodded quietly. "Yes, the shadowborne affected your dream."

She sighed and waved her hand, bringing up the next dream in the Lumina Pool.

[+1 forge points due to feelings of sympathy. (Note that when the intensity of the forge points accumulation will increase, no explanation for the acquisition will be provided. You can also turn off this notification from the settings tab.)]

Ethan, having heard the system voice, recalled that despite Avelyn's menacing presence in the game, she had a kind disposition towards children.

They were always spared from her schemes, and if any unfortunate incidents occurred, she would ensure proper respect for their departed souls through tombstones and a Serene Tribute ritual to aid in their reincarnation.

‘So, depending on which memories are revealed, I can use them to my advantage,’ Ethan pondered, realizing the potential benefits.

Then the next dream commenced.

• • •

The Clover family had adopted young Ethan. He timidly observed the simple two-story house from inside the car. It stood as one of the few humble and traditional-looking houses in the area, while the rest boasted futuristic elements of space.

The car door opened, and a voice entered the vehicle. "Okay, Ethan, you can get out." Ethan took a deep breath and slowly stepped out. The owner of the voice was a cleanly shaved middle-aged man exuding a gentle aura as he softly smiled. He was Adam Clover, Ethan's stepfather.

Tessa, his stepmother, also emerged from the car. Silently, Ethan held her hand and looked around. From inside the car, he had already observed the clean roads, but stepping onto them made him realize they were even better than he had imagined.

The road was in good condition, devoid of any unpleasant smells. Tessa's words about the area being clean and pleasant turned out to be true. Ethan's gaze brightened as they entered the house's vicinity.

Before the entrance, a well-maintained garden greeted them, adorned with various beautiful flowers in one corner and intriguing-looking rocks scattered around. A pathway meandered through the center, leading to the house's door. As they approached, Ethan noticed a small head peering out from the doorway.

Sasha, a ten-year-old girl with a bob-cut hairstyle and cute, big gray eyes, gazed at him curiously. Adam affectionately tousled Ethan's hair and chuckled, introducing his daughter. "Sasha, meet your brother, Ethan."

Back then, Ethan couldn't imagine just how much he would come to treasure and long for the years that followed.

A month had passed, and chaos reigned in the Clover house. "Catch it!" yelled Tessa, armed with a big net to capture a large rat. Her face flushed red with anger.

The mischievous rodent darted into the hall, a piece of meat in its mouth. It made a beeline towards the frightened Sasha, who stood on the sofa, waving her hands in a comical panic.

The rat scurried under the table and headed for an open window. Ethan tried to trap it with the net, but the nimble creature outsmarted him. It rolled to the side and leaped out of the window.

Tessa stamped her feet in frustration. "This darn... I mean, rat escaped again."

Ethan rose from the floor, surveying the mess in the hall. His eyes met his mother's, and they both sighed simultaneously.

A few days earlier, things had started disappearing. First, it was fruits, so Tessa assumed the children had eaten them. But then other items went missing too.

Tessa questioned her children about the missing items, but both Sasha and Ethan were clueless. Tessa trusted them completely, especially Ethan, whom she considered even better. He was a quick and sharp learner, always helping her with simple tasks and diligently studying, unlike his younger sister. Spending time with him brought her joy, even though most of the conversation was initiated by her. She cherished the smile on his face, despite its slight stiffness, as it always radiated purity and melted her heart.

Two days ago, they had their first encounter with the alien rat. Since then, it had managed to evade capture each day, almost as if it was playing a game with them. Tessa walked over to Sasha and embraced her tightly as she sobbed, still shaken by the scary experience.

Tessa gently comforted her daughter, and it didn't take long for Sasha to calm down. That's when Tessa noticed Ethan silently picking up the scattered items. Throughout his life, Ethan had never been properly nourished, resulting in slow growth. Although his body had shown some improvement in the past month, he still appeared thin and weak. Tessa couldn't help but feel a deep sadness whenever she saw him in that state.

Tessa exhaled and called out, "Sweetheart, you don't have to do that."

Ethan straightened his posture, his confusion evident in his blinking eyes.

Tessa gently lifted Sasha, who clung to her like a koala, and said, "I'll take care of cleaning the hall. You go outside and have something to eat with Sasha."

Ethan stammered as he replied, "B-but the hall is bi-big..."

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Tessa adjusted Sasha in her arms, creating space to hold her with one arm, and used her free hand to tousle Ethan's hair. Her gaze was tender as she spoke, "I know you developed the habit of cleaning the house because of your past. But, dear, please remember the promise you made to me and Adam. Your focus should be on three things: playing, studying, and eating. If you want to help with a few things, like you have in the past month, you're welcome to do so. However, right now, there's a lot to clean, and I don't want you to help me."

Ethan looked up into her eyes. For a brief moment, Tessa caught a glimpse of determination in his gaze. She hoped he would express his thoughts, share his opinions, but he simply nodded in response.

'What can I do to encourage him to open up?' Tessa wondered. She and Adam needed to have another meaningful conversation about this.

Just then, Sasha chimed in, "I want an ice cream!"

Tessa broke into a smile as she gently placed her adorable daughter on the ground. She nodded and said, "Go with your brother and choose whatever you want."

Sasha sniffed and then burst into excitement. She turned to Ethan, laughing, "Come on, brother, I have a surprise for you."

Ethan blinked, a bit perplexed, but he silently nodded in response. Tessa pulled out a note from her pocket and handed it to Ethan, saying, "You can keep the change for future use. You don't always have to give me back the money."

Ethan bobbed his head up and down, accepting the note. He then extended his hand to Sasha, who took it with a bright smile. Together, they walked out of the house.

Tessa watched their retreating figures, noticing how their heights matched perfectly and how close they seemed. It warmed her heart.

Taking a deep breath, she pondered, 'Now, what should we do about that rat? I initially wanted to catch it myself and avoid paying a hefty amount to the domestic control unit, but it seems we have no other choice now.'

The next day, as per their routine, Adam left for work early in the morning, and in the afternoon, Tessa headed to the nearby supermarket. There was a limited-time sale, and she didn't want to miss out on it.

Sasha expressed her desire to accompany her mother, but Tessa insisted that it was too hot outside and it would be better for her to stay home.

With all the doors and windows tightly shut, they aimed to prevent the alien rat from entering. Given its size, there weren't many entry points it could exploit.

The children were instructed to spend some time studying before indulging in play inside the house. Once they were done with their studies, Sasha eagerly rushed towards the television, while Ethan seemed to have something else in mind.

As time passed, Sasha noticed Ethan moving back and forth throughout the house, occasionally going upstairs. Intrigued, she approached him and discovered him peering out of the open front door.

"Brother, why did you open the door?" she asked softly.

"I-I'm going to c-ca-catch that rat," Ethan replied.

"But Mom said that-"

Ethan turned to face her, determination gleaming in his eyes. It was a side of him she had never seen before. "Trust me," he said.

Sasha instinctively fell silent, captivated by the intensity in his gaze. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"That rat is smart, so I've planned some countermeasures. Just make sure you stay away from the rooms upstairs and the window, no matter what. It's better to go back to the television room," Ethan instructed Sasha urgently.

Sasha gasped in astonishment. "Y-you spoke without stammering!"

Ethan realized she was right, but there was no time to dwell on it. He motioned for her to go back inside, and she obeyed, torn between curiosity about his plan and fear of the large alien rat.

Outside in the garden, a plate with a piece of meat coated in rat poison was placed. Ethan positioned himself near the open door, waiting for the rat to appear or any other unexpected visitors that might be lured by the bait. He had set up the rat trap that Tessa had specially purchased for dealing with the alien rat near the entrance. Another trap was placed by an open window in an adjacent room. There were only two traps in total.

Soon enough, the alien rat emerged outside. True to its cunning nature, it ignored the bait and instead approached the open entrance, its sharp eyes scanning the interior.

Ethan locked eyes with the rat. It sneered and swiftly darted off in another direction. Ethan reacted quickly, grabbing the rat trap near him and darting upstairs.

Gasping for breath, Ethan pushed open a door and entered Adam's study room. It was the only room upstairs with a broken lock on one of the windows, which had been closed from the outside. Ethan carefully positioned the trap near the window and hid behind a nearby bookshelf. He swiftly coated his hands with the rat poison powder, which Tessa had mistakenly believed to be safely out of reach in the cupboards.

Ethan had considered this plan thoroughly. It was highly likely that the rat had been using this window to enter the house. How it managed to climb to such heights remained a mystery to him. If his assumption was wrong, the worst that could happen was the rat returning and stealing something again. However, if he was right, he had a chance to catch the rat once and for all, relieving his new family from the constant trouble it had caused.

Just as he settled into his hiding spot, a sudden realization struck him. The meat he had placed outside as bait was still there. What if another animal consumed it? What if that animal belonged to someone else? His step parents could get into trouble because of his oversight.

Ethan bit his lip, feeling a surge of panic. He glanced at the window and made a decision. He would wait for another fifteen seconds. He began counting silently in his head, and by the tenth count, he noticed movement outside the window.

The next event happened too fast. Ethan couldn’t even properly understand what happened and how he did it.

The rat opened the window, emitting a snickering sound. It leaped downward, but just as it did, it caught sight of the trap positioned beneath it. In a surprising display of agility, the rat swiftly altered its trajectory, narrowly avoiding the trap by a fraction of a second. However, this sudden change in direction caused the rat's landing to be unsteady. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ethan swiftly descended upon it with the rat net.

To Ethan's astonishment, the rat proved to be stronger than he had anticipated. It fought back ferociously, emitting shrill squeaks as its claws desperately clawed at the net, grazing Ethan's skin in the process. Drawing upon his determination, Ethan moved his rat poison-coated hand closer to the alien rodent, and as expected, it sank its teeth into him.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Ethan persevered, feeling the rat's movements gradually slow down with each passing second. Eventually, the rat ceased its struggles altogether. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan attempted to lift it and bring it downstairs but discovered that it was much heavier than he had anticipated. With time running short, he used the trap to secure it instead.

Hurriedly rushing downstairs, Ethan paid no heed to Sasha's surprised exclamation. As he emerged from the house, he froze in his tracks at the sight of a motionless puppy near the meat.

“What happened?!” He heard a gasp from nearby. Rigidly, he turned to look at Adam who had just arrived at the scene. Adam stared at the cat and then at Ethan with wide eyes.

Ethan wanted to speak but no voice came out of his mouth. He wanted to say that he was just helping the family by catching the rat. But he made a grave mistake.

His entire body tensed as he saw Adam swiftly approaching. Memories of past beatings flooded his mind. He closed his eyes and instinctively held his breath.

The fear of another merciless thrashing consumed him. He dreaded being cast out of this home and thrown back into that oppressive darkness. The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

‘I am sorry. I am sorry,’ he repeated silently, as he had done countless times in the past, as those merciless belts lashed against him. Yet, no words escaped his lips now.

In that moment, a pair of hands enveloped him in a tight embrace. A voice filled with concern reached his ears. "Son, what happened? You have scratches! Does it hurt?"

Ethan couldn't comprehend the rest of Adam's words. His mind went blank. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

Why was he crying? Ethan couldn't fathom the answer. He simply sobbed uncontrollably.

His broken voice, quivering like a wounded animal, echoed through the air.