Chapter 8: What Makes Us Different
Edward pushed open the door to his home. In the living room, his mother, Sarah, was bent over, tidying up.
"Mom, I'm home."
He casually tossed his backpack onto a chair.
Sarah looked up, a warm smile on her face: "Welcome home, sweetheart. Go wash your hands, dinner's almost ready. And while you're at it, go upstairs and tell Lily to come down."
"Sure."
Edward responded, taking the stairs two or three at a time.
Lily's door was cracked open, so he pushed it and walked straight in.
In the room, Lilith was sitting on the bed, staring blankly into space, radiating pure boredom.
The movement at the door instantly snapped her back to reality. She immediately jumped from the bed and respectfully lowered her head.
"Master, you're back."
Edward nodded without expression, commanding in a matter-of-fact tone: "Lily, come downstairs for dinner."
The casual nickname made Lilith's eye twitch violently.
Her expression stiffened for a moment, and the rebellious spirit of a demon surged within her, but ultimately, her survival instinct won out. She meekly followed Edward downstairs.
After dinner, Edward took his nominal "sister" for a walk to digest their meal.
He suddenly stopped, and as if casually, asked: "Lily, can you get me a large sum of money?"
Lilith was startled, then honestly replied: "Uh, I can manipulate rich people, make them see things, and get them to willingly hand over their money."
Edward looked disgusted: "That sounds tedious, doing it one person at a time. Can't you just go to a bank vault and grab some cash directly?"
Lilith's face instantly fell, her voice dropping several octaves as she grumbled defensively: "I can't do that, Master."
"And you call yourself a demon?" Edward's disgust was practically palpable. "Man, looks like I still have to handle everything myself."
He scoffed, then glanced at Lilith again: "Whatever, I wasn't counting on you anyway."
Lilith felt even more dejected, her voice barely audible: "But even demons don't have that kind of power…"
"What was that?"
Edward's eyebrow rose, clearly having heard her.
Lilith flinched and quickly changed the subject, her face full of false enthusiasm: "Master, are you tired from walking? How about I carry you?"
As she spoke, she made to get down on all fours.
Edward waved his hands in strong rejection: "Hell no! I don't want people thinking I'm some kind of freak!"
The two continued walking along the street, the dim streetlights stretching their shadows long and thin.
Suddenly, a fierce argument shattered the night's quiet.
Edward frowned, following the sound, and realized it was coming from Carrie's house.
Carrie's tearful shout pierced the air: "Why are you always like this! Can't you just be a normal mother!"
Immediately following was her mother Margaret White's shrill, frantic scream: "You are sinful! You were born in sin! Everything you do is wrong! It's all sin!"
Edward and Lilith exchanged glances, stopping in silent agreement.
On the house's window, two distorted shadows were reflected: one gesturing threateningly, the other cowering helplessly.
The argument escalated, and a loud crash came from inside, as if something had been violently thrown.
Lilith's lips curved upward involuntarily, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"This is gonna be good."
Edward said nothing, merely staring at the window.
The lights inside the house began flickering wildly, dimming and brightening, like faulty electrical wiring.
Carrie's scream became even more desperate: "I've had enough! I can't take this anymore!"
CRASH!
Another sharp sound, and a piece of glass flew out of the window, slicing through the air, and clinked to the ground at their feet.
Lilith crouched down, picked up the shard with her fingertips, closed her eyes, and inhaled deeply.
"This extremely suppressed energy... it's absolutely delicious."
Edward knew that Carrie's power was on the verge of losing control.
Just then, with a loud BANG, the front door was violently kicked open from inside.
Carrie burst out, her hair wild, her face streaked with tears of rage and despair.
She glanced at Edward and Lilith, didn't stop for even a moment, and ran desperately toward the other end of the street.
Her mother, Margaret, stood at the doorway like a madwoman, hysterically screaming at her retreating back: "You can't escape! You demon! You'll burn in hell!"
Edward watched Carrie's retreating figure, then turned his gaze back to the deranged woman.
He tilted his head and quietly asked Lilith: "If you absorb the fear from her, how much stronger will you get?"
Lilith was startled, and instinctively asked: "Master, are you talking about the girl, or her mother?"
Edward frowned, snapped back impatiently: "Who do you think is standing right there?"
Lilith immediately understood, nodding eagerly, her voice tinged with hunger: "Yes, Master! And the harvest will be incredible!"
Edward nodded slightly, giving his order: "Go ahead. Handle this."
"As you command, my Master."
Lilith respectfully accepted.
No sooner had she spoken than Edward turned and ran in the direction Carrie had fled.
Behind him, the ambient temperature plummeted, and a bone-chilling cold materialized out of nowhere.
The trees lining the street swayed without any wind, their branches shaking violently, producing a rustling sound, like countless whispers from the grave.
Lilith's figure blurred, transforming into a black shadow, silently drifting toward the woman who was still screaming curses.
Edward hurried along the dim street, finally finding Carrie in front of an abandoned warehouse.
She was curled up in the corner of the building, trembling like a leaf, her disheveled hair covering her face, only her shoulders visible, heaving with each sob.
Edward softened his footsteps, cautiously calling out: "Carrie..."
Carrie's body jerked violently, like a startled deer.
She slowly lifted her head, her eyes full of wariness and terror, brimming with tears, her cheeks still streaked with fresh tear tracks.
Edward slowly crouched down in front of her, his voice incredibly gentle: "Don't be afraid. It's me, Edward."
Carrie bit her lip, her voice filled with uncontrollable sobs: "She's always like this... always saying I'm sinful, saying I'm a monster... I can't take it anymore..."
By the end, her emotions collapsed again, and she buried her face, weeping uncontrollably.
The warehouse reeked of rust and decay. A few pale moonbeams shone through holes in the roof, casting dappled shadows on the ground, making the place seem even more desolate.
Edward reached out and gently patted her trembling shoulder.
"You're not a monster."
His voice was steady and sure.
"You're just a little different from everyone else. Everyone has something unique about them; that's never a bad thing."
Carrie lifted her tear-filled eyes, a hint of confusion and a faint glimmer of hope within them.
"Really? Do... do you have something different too?"
Edward's lips curved into a mysterious smile. He lowered his voice and leaned in slightly.
"Of course. Mine's just... more obvious than most."
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