Chapter 2

I pressed my back against the door. My heart was still racing.

I told myself to calm down. This time, I had the greatest trump card: foreknowledge. I couldn't be as impulsive and foolish as I had been in my previous life.

If the usual methods weren't working, then it was time to try something unconventional.

My hands were shaking as I unlocked my phone and scrolled through my contacts.

In my previous life, after I was thrown into the mental hospital, I frantically searched for anything that could save me.

One day, I heard from a former government official who ended up there by "mistake" about a mysterious special department that handled all sorts of supernatural and unexplainable cases.

He told me that as long as I could reach them, no matter how bizarre things got, they'd handle it.

Back then, I brushed it off as crazy talk. But now, it was my only hope.

Trusting my memory, I entered a sequence of numbers into the dial pad.

The call went through.

"Hello," a calm, composed man's voice came through.

I gripped my phone tightly, forcing myself to sound steady. "Hello? I'd like to report something. There might be a traveler from another world in my house."

There was a long silence on the other end.

Just when I thought he'd hang up on me, thinking I was crazy, his voice came back, with an undeniable seriousness and professionalism. "Please give me your address, and what are his specific characteristics?"

I closed my eyes, and the painful memories of my previous life flashed before me.

"The address is Sullivan Manor, 1 Cloud Avenue, Starport City. As for his characteristics..." I enunciated each word clearly. "He lets me hear his thoughts."

After hanging up, I slumped to the floor, completely drained.

My heart was pounding in my chest, half terrified by my reckless gamble, half electrified by the thrill of impending revenge.

I had no idea if they'd show up, or what would happen if they did.

But I knew this was my only shot at fighting back.

I could hear my parents and Chris talking and laughing downstairs. My parents seemed a little annoyed that I'd suddenly gone upstairs, but mostly, they were comforting Chris.

"Chris, don't let it bother you. Anna's been spoiled rotten by us. She's got a bit of a temper," my mom said.

"Yeah, you're part of the family now. Nobody's going to mess with you," my dad added.

I let out a sarcastic laugh.

Part of the family? What a joke. I wondered if my parents would still say that when Chris bled them dry and kicked them out of the house.

I didn't have to wait long.

About half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

I scrambled up from the floor, rushed to the window, and lifted a corner of the curtain to look down.

Several black SUVs with no license plates were parked outside Sullivan Manor.

A few men in black suits stepped out, their expressions solemn and serious.

The man in front was tall, with a steely expression and a hawk-like gaze.

They really showed up.

I was shaking all over, barely able to contain my excitement.

Downstairs, the housekeeper went to open the door.

My dad sounded annoyed. "Who are you? Who are you looking for?"

The man in front flashed a badge. I couldn't make out the words, but I saw my dad's face go pale in an instant.

"State Security Agency? What are you doing here? We're legitimate businesspeople," my dad stammered.

"Mr. Sullivan, please stay calm," the man said, his voice low but carrying a powerful sense of authority. "We've received a report and need to verify some information. Please cooperate with us."

My mom was panicking too. She pulled Chris behind her protectively, eyeing the men with suspicion. "What report? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

"No mistake," the man said, his gaze sweeping the living room before locking onto Chris. "You're Chris Grant?"

Chris kept his head down, his body trembling. He looked absolutely terrified.

[Shit, how did these people get involved? Where did I mess up?] For the first time, Chris's nasty thoughts was laced with panic and shock.

I felt a rush of wild joy. It really worked.

"We've received a report that you have a special ability, making others hear your thoughts. We need to verify this," the man in charge, Hayden Lawson, said in a calm tone.

Mom and Dad were totally stunned.

"Thoughts? What thoughts? Captain Lawson, this has to be some kind of mistake. Chris is a normal kid," my dad protested.

"We'll find out if it's a mistake once we run the test," Hayden replied, waving his hand. Two agents stepped forward. One took out a device that looked like headphones, the other brought out a tablet.

"Chris, please cooperate and put this on," Hayden said.