Without warning, Christopher found himself transported into his sister's body, reliving the moment of her piano recital at the downtown music hall.
Kristine stood in front of a grand piano, her small fingers dancing across the keys as she played the piano with grace and precision. Her long blond hair cascaded down her back and a flowing white recital dress swirled around her slender form.
She closed her eyes, letting the music flow through her as she was reaching the final part of the piano piece.
As the crowd below erupted into applause, the girl took her final bow, a smile of pure joy lighting up her delicate features.
It was no dream. This was real, and Christopher was currently experiencing everything Kristine had gone through.
Kristine basked in the adulation of the audience, her hands raised in gratitude as flowers rained down on the stage. She could see notifications from the Love Points being generated from the audience blanketing her vision as the applause died down. As she walked down the long red carpet, she looked out over the sea of faces. Every one of them gazed up at her with adoration.
When Kristine walked off the stage and back to her dressing room, she was greeted by the other pianist in the competition, all of them congratulating her on her impressive performance. Despite their attempts to hide it, she could see the jealousy and frustration in their eyes.
They knew that her talent was real, and it made them feel inferior.
The amount of Hatred Points she was currently earning was also proof of that.
+62 Hatred Points from Maria Reeves
+95 Hatred Points from Justin Lee
+127 Hatred Points from Choi Hye-sun
Kristine smiled and thanked them, as she pretended not the notice the feelings of inadequacy they were experiencing.
**
Later, after the recital ended, Kristine left the music hall and waited for the family chauffeur who was to take her home.
The traffic was pretty hectic today. As the chauffeur was pulling into the music hall, a man with a creepy smile grabbed her arm and tugged at her, pulling her away from the direction of the car.
The man's leering gaze made Kristine feel uncomfortable and unsafe, and she knew he had to get away from him as quickly as possible.
“Hello Kristine, this is my son," the man interrupted with a creepy smile, tapping a boy’s shoulder, "We are so excited to finally meet you."
A Hispanic boy, about ten years old with black hair and dark eyes, looked up at Kristine with reluctance as if he wanted nothing to do with her. The child’s dark skin was a stark contrast to the pale skin of his supposed father. It was clear that they were not related by blood.
The boy awkwardly put his hand forward, looking up at Kristine with nervous eyes, "Nice to meet you." He looked like he didn't want to shake hands with her, but Kristine played along with it and shook it anyways because she felt sorry for the kid.
"Umm, I need to go home now," Kristine said shyly as she shook hands with the boy while trying to hide her distaste for his father's presence, "Please excuse me."
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But the man was not satisfied, and he placed his hands on the back of Kristine's neck, his rough calluses scraping against her skin as he pulled her towards him.
"Hey, my son has been waiting for this moment since he saw your picture online!" the man sneered, sniffing the air in front of him. Kristine struggled to break free, but his grip was firm.
Christopher felt the same disgust and revulsion that Kristine did. His sister's eyes widened with shock as she struggled to break free, but his grip around her neck remained firm.
Just then, a voice called out. "Excuse me, sir!" It was the family chauffeur, a burly black man with a look of extreme anger on his face. He couldn't believe that this creep had gotten so close to his young miss.
He grabbed the man's wrist and applied enough pressure to snap the bones.
The man screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, writhing in pain while his “son” ran away into the crowd. But the chauffeur wasn't finished yet, and he landed a few more punches on the man's face, his anger and guilt fueling his strength.
As soon as Kris was freed from the man's grip, she dashed into the family car and slammed the door shut behind her. The driver, now calmer and collected, slowly stepped into the car and revved the engine, speeding off towards the mansion.
As the memory ended, Christopher returned to the present. He had finished reliving the memory that Kris shared with him through their linked souls.
Their souls were connecting, allowing them to communicate without words or physical contact, and to share memories and experiences with each other. Christopher could feel the same emotions as Kristine in her memories and vice versa.
"Poor kid," Christopher whispered quietly. "His dad is such a creep."
Kristine agreed, "Yeah, I told the driver all about that poor boy. I'm pretty sure our family will take care of that fat bastard for touching me like that."
Christopher nodded, knowing that their new family was more than capable of handling the situation. In the past eight years, both of them had realized just how powerful and wealthy their mother's family was. Their grandfather was the CEO of a billion-dollar weapons manufacturer and he had superpowers just like their parents. Christopher and Kristine felt like royalty in their new life.
"I'm sorry about making fun of you earlier, sis," Christopher said with sincere remorse in his voice. “I wish we could turn off some of our beautiful traits of ours, but I don’t think that's possible."
Kristine let out a heavy sigh. She was not used to standing out. The constant unwanted attention from creeps was a new and unpleasant experience. In her past life as a man, she had never had to deal with this kind of disgusting behavior. But now, even as a young child, she found herself constantly subjected to leering glances whenever she ventured out in public.
No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, she couldn't shake the feeling of disgust and anger that welled up inside her whenever some stranger stared at her with lust in their eyes. She often wished she could just punch them in the face, especially when they dared to look at a eight year old self with such inappropriate desire.
"Enough with that! No more talk about creeps," Kristine said, shaking off the unpleasant thoughts. "It's our birthday in eight days. Let's discuss the party details with the servants. We'll definitely rack up tons of Love Points for sure."
**
Kristine and Christopher watched in awe from their vantage point at the top of the staircase. They belonged to a normal middle-class family in their past lives and they were still trying to wrap their heads around the staggering wealth of their new family.
Their tiny hands wrapped around the baluster as they observed the preparations for their birthday party.
Servants rushed about, setting up tables and chairs for the guests who were starting to arrive. The twins looked on in amazement as their home was transformed into a glittering wonderland, with sparkling lights and streamers hanging from every surface.
Tables were being set up with elegant tablecloths and sparkling silverware, and a stage was being erected at the far end of the room for live music and entertainment. A towering cake sat on a table in the center of the room, its frosted surface gleaming under the lights.
In the main ballroom, the DJ was preparing his equipment, while in the dining room, chefs were putting the final touches on an elaborate feast. Waiters bustled about, setting up trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvres in preparation for the guests.
"I can't believe this is all for us," Kristine said in amazement. "In our past lives, we never would have dreamed of having a party like this."
Christopher agreed. "I know. It's crazy to think about. Our new family is so wealthy and powerful. It's almost like we're part of royalty or something."
As the party got closer to starting, Kristine and Christopher couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. They knew that this was the opportunity to obtain tons of Love Points from the system.