Chapter 5: Unexpected Nightly Visitor

Abigail gently stood up with a tray of boiled potatoes and walked slowly to where her little brother sat.

"Consistently swinging your sword 1,000 times for four straight years without missing a day! Well..."

She sat beside him and dropped the tray onto her lap.

"...That is definitely something I can never hope to achieve."

Still gasping for breath, Aaron gave her a side glance.

"You... could join me, you know. At least, starting with 50 daily swings is something."

Abigail chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.

"I am good enough as I am. Compared to you or Damien, I’m no monster."

Aaron looked away with a tired sigh. He knew she was right. Over the years, he had realized that his sister was only considered weak when compared to her brothers. Within other teenagers in her age range, she is well above average.

Even their father had realized this when she impressively overwhelmed their cousins at their last Goldilocks family reunion. She had declared that day that their cousins would only earn the right to face her brothers after going through her.

And surprisingly, none went through her.

Aaron and Damien had spent the whole day there without fighting a single person. It was a very proud moment for their father.

"Mom said you need to eat. You have been losing a bit of weight lately. Also, I... I think you should take things a little slower. You’re more than strong enough."

Aaron turned back to her with a sarcastic look.

"Why don’t you tell that to Damien?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

"Obviously, he’d never listen. It’s a waste of time."

"Well, I can’t listen either." Aaron shrugged back.

He knew Ren and Soran were somewhere in this world, and he still had to find them. From his observations in the little time he had spent in this world, he knew the world only respected and listened to the strong, so getting stronger was essential to him.

At that moment, the leaves from a deserted forest not too far away from their house rustled, and Damien walked out of it with a tired, haggard look. He briefly gave them a disinterested glance as they observed him and strode past them without uttering a word.

Slowly turning their heads, Aaron and Abigail watched as he walked straight into the house and slammed the wooden door loudly behind him without an atom of care.

Aaron’s eyebrows flew upward.

’I think that door’s gonna fall soon.’

This new attitude of Damien’s was one he had recently developed. It was his new way of displaying frustration and exhaustion—which, for reasons unknown, he tended to feel a lot lately.

’What’s the deal with him?’

"Aaron, what... do you think about Damien?" Abigail suddenly asked in a hesitant tone.

Aaron whipped his head back in her direction and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Abigail let out a sigh. She opened the plate filled with warm, boiled potatoes, picked one up, and handed it to Aaron.

"Here."

Aaron took it and devoured it hungrily.

His new world did not have rice, beans, or even popcorn, but their potatoes were far tastier than the ones from Earth. As he ate, he heard a silent chuckle and took a quick glance at Abigail.

He frowned slightly.

Without his knowledge, she had been watching him eat with a slight smile on her lips.

He paused and gave her a questioning look.

"What?"

She shrugged.

"Nothing." Then she added with a mocking chuckle, "You just look different when you eat."

Aaron stared at her quietly.

’Did she just politely say I eat like a dog?!’

Aaron held her gaze for a few seconds. Then he remembered.

"Why did you ask about Damien?"

"Did I?" Abigail suddenly flinched, feigning ignorance.

"Yes. You just did."

"Uhmm... I think, I think you should forget I asked anything," she answered uncomfortably.

Aaron frowned.

’She’s hiding something.’

His sister was always terrible at hiding things. She easily gave in to the slightest pressure and always dropped hints without being asked. He knew she knew something she wanted to share.

’But she’s hesitating...’

He held her gaze and gave her a curious smile.

"How can I forget when you just made me curious?"

She flinched again and awkwardly looked away.

’She’s definitely hiding something!’

Aaron sighed. Then, with an exaggerated look of pain and dejection, he said in a disappointed tone:

"Are you keeping secrets from your little brother?"

Abigail immediately looked back at him.

"No! It’s... It’s not what you think. It’s just..."

She stayed silent for a moment. Then she held his gaze firmly.

"Promise not to tell a soul."

Aaron smiled inwardly.

’Yes... Pour out those secrets! Lay them bare before me!’

He gave her the most innocent brotherly look he could muster.

"I promise."

Abigail took a quick glance around them and said in a low tone:

"For the past one month, Damien has been bringing home a wild red-haired girl. She stays in his room at night and leaves for the woods at dawn."

Aaron’s eyes widened a bit.