The blue moonlight shining beautifully across the sky, accompanied by glittering stars, created an overwhelmingly magical sight. The night wind carried an unfamiliar scent, one Liam had never breathed in before.
From the downstairs window, Liam Tirarty realized that he was now in a strange place, along with an odd sensation that had lingered since the moment he woke up.
A brief glance at the stone-paved road revealed no one passing by. Confusion wrapped around his thoughts. Where exactly was he?
"Who is he? And did I transmigrate into this person's body?" he muttered in confusion while staring at his own reflection in the window glass.
At present, he was living in one of the houses in the Chapena district, Moran City, Kingdom of Norn. Mysticism was deeply ingrained in this kingdom. It was not merely a belief, but a part of everyday life. Supernatural incidents often occurred, many of them ending tragically and claiming lives in gruesome ways.
The causes of those deaths were never known for certain. Even now, the authorities had no explanation for the tragedies. Alongside that, prophecies of an approaching apocalypse circulated widely. No one knew when it would come. There was no exact date, month, or year.
It had been an hour since Liam's soul forcibly transferred into the body of a twenty-year-old young man named Zavi Actitus. In this modest two-story house with a total of seven rooms, Zavi lived with his mother, Mei Actitus, his older brother, Ren Actitus, and his younger sister, Isabelle Actitus. He was the second child in the family.
Since childhood, Zavi had been obsessed with the prophecy of the apocalypse spreading across the continent of Chynoria, especially in the Kingdom of Norn, Moran City, far from the dominance of eastern kingdoms near the sea. His deep curiosity unintentionally dragged him into the supernatural world.
His older brother, Ren, knew about this and repeatedly warned him to stop engaging in dangerous activities. However, they held opposing views. Young Zavi believed in the prophecy, while Ren considered it nothing more than a fabrication created by those in power.
Since that day, Zavi no longer wished to speak with his brother. And as time passed, when he reached the age of eighteen, Zavi stopped believing in those absurd prophecies and began recalling his brother's words from nine years earlier, precisely half a month after their father's death.
On the same date, October 20th, 1543, star calendar, Saturday, exactly at 8:15 a.m., Zavi committed suicide by stabbing his own heart with a knife.
Why did he do it? Because on Thursday the 18th, he had gone with his friends to a place regarded as sacred in the Tezny district, and on Friday night, he began to feel an unsettling sensation in his body.
It was like the appearance of two black spots on his left and right wrists or neck, along with tingling sensations in his hands and feet.
On Saturday morning, right after breakfast, the sensation grew so intense that his body reached its limit, and Zavi stabbed his heart with a kitchen knife. On that day, none of his family members knew about it.
That death triggered Liam's soul to forcibly take over his body.
–––
At present, Liam was unable to speak after experiencing this strange incident. After waking up, he realized he had to hide the knife in the wardrobe because his older brother would be returning home with their mother.
"What's wrong, Zavi?" his sister asked with a mischievous smile, then continued, "Did you get heartbroken after being rejected by a woman?"
His younger sister, Isabelle, was extremely mischievous toward him. Since childhood, she had barely spoken to their eldest brother, Ren.
Liam turned back with a smile and decided to indulge her for a moment. In the end, they chased each other around the house for five minutes, prompting their mother, who had been resting in her room, to come out.
"It's already night. Aren't you two sleepy?" their mother asked softly while rubbing her eyes.
They both stopped at once. Isabelle immediately deflected the blame, accusing her brother of bothering her.
Naturally, Liam refused to accept the accusation. He told their mother that it was all just a game Isabelle had started.
Their mother smiled upon hearing her son's words and gently asked, "Has Ren come home yet?" She carefully observed the faces of both her children.
Isabelle's previously cheerful expression turned gloomy. She walked upstairs and entered her room.
Liam tilted his head after witnessing that. He did not understand why Isabelle hated Ren so much. Even within Zavi's memories, he could not find a single clue related to it.
He sighed, looking at his mother's worried face.
"Just leave it. You should go back to sleep," Liam said gently while guiding his mother into her room.
Click. The bedroom door closed. Meanwhile, Liam headed toward his own room, as there was information he wanted to investigate. His room was located to the right of the central hall.
He stood beside the door, closed it, and held a metal tray with two lit candles positioned toward his face.
Wind entered through the still-open window, forcing Liam to shut it tightly. This time, the candle flames stabilized and no longer flickered.
He placed the tray on top of the wardrobe in the right corner, the candlelight illuminating the desk before him. Liam sat on the chair, staring at a piece of paper while holding a pen in his right hand.
"So… what should I do?" he muttered softly.
"Strange prophecies? Supernatural phenomena? And how did I end up in this world?"
Liam was confused, unsure of what to do. But not long after, he heard faint footsteps passing by his room.
His eyes widened. Liam stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back. He slowly opened his door, staring down the corridor as he moved toward it.
"Was that Ren? I'm curious why no one suspected his absence in the morning and only noticed when he returned at night."
The door slowly opened with a faint creak. From the doorway, Liam saw a man with ear-length black hair. His blue eyes held exhaustion as they looked at Liam suspiciously.
It was Ren Actitus, the firstborn and his older brother. Ren lowered his hood and briefly glanced at his younger brother's face before heading upstairs.
Liam did not know what to think. He sighed, slightly irritated that the door had not been closed. Reluctantly, he shut it himself and returned to his room.
Sitting calmly, staring at the neatly arranged books on the desk, Liam recalled a fragment of Zavi's memories.
"That bastard is hiding something in his left hand. I'm sure he's keeping something from the family," he muttered quietly.
Unexpectedly, Liam heard a knock on the door to his right. His eyes widened. He immediately stood up and opened it.
He saw his older brother standing there, his face weary and worried.
"Why are you here?" Liam asked coldly while staring at him.
Ren scanned every corner of the room, ensuring nothing strange was hidden. Suddenly, he gripped his brother's shoulders with both of his cold hands.
"It's nothing. Just be careful," he said, then left without explaining what he meant.
Liam stood frozen, thinking about his words. Then realization struck him.
"Does he know I'm not his real brother? That's impossible… I have to act like the old Zavi," Liam whispered in panic.
His heart pounded violently, his breathing growing heavy as if he had just escaped from a wild beast. Liam closed the door with lingering anxiety and sat back down, writing something.
Five minutes later, he tore a page from the notebook containing the plan he intended to follow from now on.
He lifted it up, checking for any mistakes or errors. There were none. Satisfied, he stood and walked left toward the wardrobe.
He opened it and slipped the paper into the pocket of his coat. Closing it, he walked to the bed and lay down, waiting for morning.
The sun rose, its warm light illuminating both his home and the world. Liam was awake, now in the bathroom, bathing and preparing himself.
From the kitchen, he heard the clinking of a spatula and a pan, and the aroma made his stomach growl.
Liam was already dressed, wearing a shirt and long black trousers, just as Zavi preferred. Earlier, his mother had asked him to wake both his sister and his brother who were still asleep.
Because of that request, a wild idea suddenly formed in his mind. Liam wanted to reconcile the two of them, as it would benefit him.
He stood on the second floor, staring at his sister's bedroom door, then let out a heavy sigh. He knocked and said,
"Isabelle, are you awake? Hurry downstairs. Mother needs help."
Hearing the word "Mother," Isabelle's eyes flew open. She jumped out of bed and quickly tidied it.
The door opened. She rushed out, carrying a towel and a bucket filled with bathing tools. Isabelle went downstairs toward the bathroom, completely ignoring Liam standing in front of her room.
"Time to wake that bastard," he muttered irritably, for reasons he himself could not explain, he disliked his older brother as well.
Ren's room was also on the second floor, at the end of the corridor, directly aligned with Isabelle's room. Liam stood before the door and knocked five times.
Receiving no response, he had no choice but to call out directly. "Hey, Ren. Are you still asleep?"
Ten seconds passed. There was no answer. The room was eerily silent, with no sign of life inside.
Suddenly, Liam remembered something from Zavi's memories. He forced the door open, stumbling as it gave way.
"Huh, that was close. I almost fell!" Liam glanced back at the broken door. "Damn it. But did he already leave?"
Confused, he scratched his head and sighed. He carried the broken door downstairs, intending to throw it away.
He walked toward the kitchen and saw his mother and sister eating while chatting. Not wanting to disturb them, Liam placed the door in the living room and sat on the sofa, waiting for them to finish breakfast.