I was in a panic. Grabbing the things and tossing them back to the system and slung my bag on my back in a hurry.
"Hey.. what's up? What's the rush?" Gino said already standing up.
"Got problem at home. I need to hurry back." I said, already rushing towards the door.
"Wait let me drive you home." Mr. Bartolome offered.
"It's alright sir, I brought my car with me, I'll drop Anthony home and we will head home to." Gino said, helping Sarah up.
"We will take our leave now." Sarah said, clutching her bag.
The Bartolomes followed us out and waved their goodbyes. Gino drive off immediately, seeing how restless I was.
"Hey you okay?" He asked while eyes on the road.
"My sister... She's a ghost now. She's one of the reasons why I'm doing what I'm doing. I wasn't able to have any clue at all about her death. She just disappeared. She couldn't remember how she died, or where. At first she thought she was still alive. And was always weeping why our parents ignore her. She was 7 years old. Well. She remained seven. And that was what? Seven years ago too." I seemed somewhat just explaining.
Like it wasn't my story to tell. Because it really wasn't.
I don't have the slightest clue on where her body was. Nor who the culprit was. The system just told me to upgrade it so I'll be able to unlocked more skills and get stronger too.
That alone tells me, whoever did that to my sister in this parallel world, was the final boss of some sort.
Sarah looked at my expression. And looked away. She didn't say anything.
That's when my gaze went to the rearview mirror and was surprised myself.
I looked like someone who's ready to murder anyone who crossed me. And I swear, it wasn't my expression.
The reflection got my face. Maybe a glitch of the reality. The Anthony of this world showing anger through me.
And according to the system, we two got switched. He was nothing like me. He was brave and fear nothing, doting on his sister, and protective of his family.
Maybe...just maybe.... There's more to this system suddenly choosing me.
That could wait. I'll keep leveling this damn system up and help my sister, our sister, go to the happy land I promised her.
No matter what happens.
The silence int he car was deafening. My foot won't stop rocking. Both Gino and Sarah felt it.
They remained silent, rather than inquiring about it.
I directed Gino to the roads he needed to take and he easily navigated them, since my house was just near the main road.
Not as grand as Cynthia's house. Just something we live in harmony. With a single parking space.
As Gino stopped in front of our gate, I hurriedly stepped out from the backseat and opened the gate without thanking them.
I went in. And Gino parked his car closer to the sidewalk to give more space for other cars passing through.
Good thing it was already late at night that there not much car driving around.
"Mama, Papa... What happened?"
When I stepped inside our living room, the lights were flickering, the frames swinging on the walls, and I could hear Alicia's loud cry.
Millien even hopped away and hurried to my room, ahead of me. That's where the crying came from.
I followed without waiting for my parents' response.
Gino and Sarah knocked and greeted them. Don't know what they talked about , but I heard them introducing themselves and my mother told them to sit on the sofa.
When I entered the room, Millien was already snarling.
Something's not right.
"ANTHONY! GHOST EATER!"
Millien shouted, skipping and lunged himself towards the dark energy envelope Alicia.
I took out my dagger and stabbed the creature with such big mouth. All teeth and that's it.
Alicia was crying in pain as the ghost eater was trying to absorb her soul.
But for whatever reason, it was having a hard time.
I stabbed it again, repeatedly.
[YOUR COMBAT POWER IS WEAK. POUR HOLY WATER TO THE GHOST EATER TO WEAKEN IT.]
[HOLY WATER HEALS HUMANS BUT IT'S POISON AGAINST ENTITIES]
I purchased five holy water without batting an eye. This creature was stronger than I am now. Even Millien was having a hard time distracting it.
I poured the holy water on the creature, but it smacked me away with one of its dark tentacles that's restraining Alicia.
Gino and Sarah heard wasn't able to stay still. They heard the cry, heard the battle going upstairs, and rushed to my room.
They saw the ghost eater, and me getting choked up, feet dangling on the air.
Sarah grabbed the nearest thing she could get, a broom.
Yes, because mother always told me to sweep the floor everyday, before I bath.
She smacked the ghost eater, while Gino helped me supported my weight to be able to let me breath.
My parents followed and was shocked seeing me floating in the air like I'm getting choked. And helped support my weight too.
"D-Dagger..." I barely managed to speak.
Sarah stopped her useless smacking and picked up the dagger that slipped from my grip when the ghost eater restrained and choked me.
She handed it to me and with all my might I cut off the dark tentacles wrapped around my neck.
[HOLY WATER STACKED. EFFECTS DOUBLE, TRIPLED, QUADRUPLED, QUINTUPLED. MAXIMUM EFFECTS REACHED.]
[GHOST EATER WEAKENED EXPONENTIALLY]
[DEAL FINAL BLOW WHILE IN THIS STATE]
I dropped into their arms as the remaining tentacles around me disappeared. Alicia stopped crying and was scooped up by Sarah away from the depleting ghost eater.
Like a balloon, slowly leaking its air.
I lunged at it, on my bed, and stabbed it repeatedly.
[GHOST EATER (MID RANK) ELIMINATED.]
[GAINED + 300 POINTS]
The ghost eater shattered and disappeared, and the lights stabilized. Everything in the house went back to normal.
When the traces of the ghost eater disappeared, Alicia jumped away from Sarah's hold and rushed towards me.
I caught her as she jumped and picked her up.
"Kuyaaaa... The monster bit me."
I checked her ghost form, there's nothing. Not traces of a bite.
It's alright midnight, yet our home was still trying to breath after what just happened.
All of us.
Just staring at each other. Just breathing.