The girl kept quiet, staring at Liam. A thousand thoughts ran through her mind. She was sure she had seen his face somewhere before, but she just couldn't figure out where or when. She didn't even know if she should tell him or not, especially with the kind of wild things he was already saying. What if he was only playing some strange game? Or worse, what if he really knew something she didn't? But after a moment, she decided to break the silence.
"Are you… And what nonsense are you talking about? A seer? Are you even listening to yourself?"
Liam tilted his head slightly. "But according to you, you were sure there was no way anyone would know your name," he said.
"Yes," she replied, "but why would you jump straight to something as ridiculous as that? Coming up with such… heresy?"
Liam took a step closer. "Because I saw what you did back there. You healed yourself."
The girl's expression changed instantly. She took a small step back. "You don't know what you saw,"
"Oh, I know exactly what I saw," Liam replied, taking a step closer. He reached for her hand, the one he saw heal, but she quickly moved it behind her back.
"Stay away from me, I wouldn't want to warn you again." Then she turned to leave.
But Liam's voice stopped her when she was a few steps away. "You are not the only one involved here. There are others too, people who have abilities they don't understand. They're scared, terrified even, because they don't know what's happening and they think something's wrong with them.". Please, if you know something, anything at all, you should help. I'm not doing this for myself… I'm doing it for my friends."
For a moment, she said nothing. Then, slowly, she turned to face him again. "Can I trust you?" she asked. "That whatever I tell you will stay between us?"
Liam's face brightened. "Of course. Definitely. You can trust me on that," he said with a small smile.
She was about to speak when suddenly, a car horn sounded from across the school compound. Both of them turned toward the sound. A black car was parked nearby. A man stepped out and called, "Time to leave, baby girl."
"That's my father," the girl said as her expression shifted quickly. "I have to go now." She turned to leave but stopped, glancing back at Liam once more.
"By the way… It's Lily. Lily Frey."
Then she ran off toward her father, hugged him, and entered the car. The vehicle slowly turned and drove off the school grounds.
Liam stood there, frozen. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He had been so close, so close to finding out the truth.
He stood that way for a long while, staring at the spot where the car had vanished, until he heard a voice.
"So? Did you get anything?" Theo, who was walking toward him from the left side of the building with his hands in his pockets, asked.
He just kept staring at the empty road.
Theo sighed. "Well, I guess that's a no. But honestly, were you expecting her to just admit it? Like, 'Hey stranger, I can heal myself'? Come on."
Liam finally spoke, still quietly. "She wanted to tell me."
Theo blinked. "She what?"
"Yeah," Liam repeated, looking at him now. "She wanted to tell me what she knew… before that old-fashioned car interrupted."
Theo strangely looked at Liam, then turned toward the direction the car had gone. "Liam, that was the latest Cadillac Escalade IQ, and you dare call it old-fashioned? Do you even know the price? That car could buy you."
"It's still hand-controlled," Liam replied calmly. "In the future, there will be no such cars anymore. The best means of transportation is quantum teleportation. But I guess you wouldn't know anything about that."
Theo looked at him confused. "How do you even know about the future?"
"I told you," Liam said as he began walking toward the school gate. "I came from there."
Theo stood frozen for a moment, trying to process what he just heard. Then, with a helpless sigh, he ran to catch up. "Today is my weirdest day," he muttered. "And you made that happen. I just hope tomorrow doesn't go like this."
On their way home, Liam walked close behind Theo, trying to remember the roads. He could recall that he lived in a town, but with the trees and thick bushes on both sides, it felt more like a rural village than anything else.
"This is a rural town," Liam muttered suddenly. "This place… It's so rural. So bushy. Aren't you ever scared walking alone like this? What if something wild attacks us?"
Theo stopped and turned to him with a puzzled look. "You know, I can't help but wonder if what you said was actually true, about not being Liam. Ever since we were small, I was always the scared one, and you were the one helping me overcome my fears. The Liam I know would never be scared of a forest. So what's going on?"
They stood staring at each other for a few seconds before Liam brushed it off. "Nothing. Just asking," he said, waving his hand casually and continuing to walk.
But Theo wasn't done. He stared at Liam who kept walking forward. "Who are you, and what have you done to my friend?" he said loudly.
Liam stopped and turned around. "Why are you suddenly asking this? Why do you think I'm not Liam?"
Theo pointed ahead, directly opposite him. "Because my friend Liam might be weird sometimes, but he never forgets his own house."
Liam stopped and looked in the direction Theo was pointing. His eyes widened slightly. It was the same house, the one he had seen many times in his dreams. A single-story ranch-style home with a small front yard and a garage to the side.
For a moment, he just stared, lost in thought.
How could he have missed it?
"See you tomorrow," he murmured to Theo before walking toward the door.
Theo just stared at him as he went inside, shook his head, and headed for his own house, which was 3 blocks away.
Inside, the house was quiet at first. He walked toward the kitchen and found his mother there. For a moment, he didn't know what to say. His throat felt tight, but he forced the words out. "I'm home, ma."
She didn't respond. She didn't even turn around.
He tried again, "Good evening."
At that moment, he heard a resounding slap that fell on his left cheek, she had slapped him.
"You dare talk to me?" she said. "Seems you've forgotten your manners, you orphan. Go drop your things. You have chores to do."
Liam froze, then slowly remembered, Liam's mother had never liked him. She always beat him whenever she could. She despised him because she never had a male child of her own. Sixteen years ago, on a stormy night, Liam's father, Matthew Scott, had brought home a baby he found outside in the rain. That baby was Liam.
Matthew had loved him like his own son, but his wife never accepted him.
With tears welling in his eyes, Liam turned and quietly went to his room.