"Wow, this clone spell looks really good. I could send a clone to my eight a.m. classes from now on!"
"Look at this whirlwind spell, Carrie. If we learn it, we won't even need a hair dryer anymore!"
Excited chatter and the rustle of turning pages drifted over to him.
Soren pushed himself up from the couch. He pulled the thin blanket off his face and followed the sound.
Patty and Carrie were huddled together, poring over the magic books and scrolls he had brought back from the witch academy. Books and parchments were scattered all around them.
"This one looks useful too—levitation. We could save so much energy when we go shopping!"
Soren listened to their increasingly ridiculous conversation and felt a dull throb start behind his eyes.
I brought these magic theory books back so they could use artillery on mosquitoes?
He cleared his throat loudly on purpose.
"You're awake?"
Patty didn't even look up. Her slender fingers kept tracing something on the page. "It's Sunday. Carrie and I were thinking about going out for a while. You want to come?"
She flipped to the next page. "And Alessa too. We might as well take her out for some fresh air."
Soren rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at the bright sunlight outside. One or two days wouldn't make much difference. Besides, it was the weekend. It had been a while since he'd had the chance to just go out with them and relax.
As soon as Patty finished speaking, Alessa appeared beside him.
The moment she showed up, Patty rushed over and scooped the little girl into her arms.
"Alessa! Big sister's taking you on another one-stop shopping spree today!"
"I'm going to dress you up prettier than any of those mannequins in the windows."
Patty pinched Alessa's cheeks and started introducing Carrie to her.
Alessa was already very comfortable with Patty. The main reason was probably that Patty always took her out to play. Every time they came back it was either sweets and snacks or armfuls of colorful clothes.
Soren was certain that somewhere in Silent Hill there was now a corner piled high with every style of dress imaginable.
Afternoon — downtown pedestrian shopping street.
After several hours of nonstop shopping, even Soren's body, far tougher than any normal person's, was starting to feel the strain. He was carrying more than ten shopping bags of various sizes and was seriously considering calling it quits.
"Let's rest for a bit."
Patty glanced at him and pointed toward a shady spot at the edge of the square.
They walked over and sat down. Patty set the popcorn she had just bought to one side and chatted with Carrie about the necklace they had been eyeing while they munched on popcorn. Alessa sat between them, swinging her legs and eating her ice cream in small bites.
"Huh?"
Carrie suddenly made a soft sound of surprise and stared at the popcorn bucket beside her with a puzzled expression.
"The popcorn… why does it feel like a big chunk is missing?"
"Did you just eat too fast?" Patty teased with a laugh.
"No, I only had a little."
Carrie shook her head.
Soren looked toward the dense bushes behind them. He could sense a faint demonic scent, but there was no malice behind it, so he didn't bother reacting at first. He reached into the bucket, grabbed a small handful of popcorn, and casually tossed it toward the edge of the bushes.
Rustle—
After the popcorn landed, a small, furry paw poked out from the bushes, snatched up a few pieces, and quickly pulled back.
Soren stood up and pushed the bushes aside.
Amid a series of panicked little squeaks, he reached in and pulled out a small, furry monster.
The creature was tiny, only twenty to thirty centimeters tall. It was covered in soft fur, with a pair of pointed ears and comically large eyes. Soren was holding it by the scruff of its neck. Its four stubby legs kicked uselessly in the air while it still had half a piece of popcorn clutched in its mouth.
"Wow! What is that? It's so cute!"
Patty's eyes lit up the second she saw the fluffy little thing. She reached out and took it from Soren's hands.
The little monster was surprisingly clever. It seemed genuinely afraid of the scent coming off Soren. The moment it saw Patty radiating pure friendliness, it twisted free and jumped straight into her arms. Its fluffy little head rubbed hard against her arm while it looked up at her with big, pitiful eyes.
Soren stared at the familiar-looking creature and raised an eyebrow.
It looked exactly like something from one of those old movies.
While he was still trying to place it, a voice called out from nearby.
"God! I finally found you, you little troublemaker!"
An elderly Asian man in a vest came running over, panting hard. When he saw the small monster in Patty's arms, he let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank you so much. This little guy is way too mischievous. He slipped out the second I looked away."
The old man walked up to them and bowed repeatedly.
Patty held the creature close, clearly reluctant to let go. "Grandpa, where did you buy this pet? I want one too."
"This… well…"
The old man looked uncomfortable. He glanced warily at the group.
"This isn't an ordinary pet. You can't just buy one anywhere. It's a creature my family has guarded for generations—"
"A demon that has never mutated."
Soren finished the sentence for him.
Only when he had gotten a proper look at the old man did the memory finally click into place.
This was a Gizmo — a strange little creature that could sing and play piano, always eager to please. But if certain rules were broken, it would multiply uncontrollably and spawn new individuals. Those new ones were cunning and filled with murderous intent.
The old man's words died in his throat. He stared at Soren in shock. "You… how do you know that?"
Soren met his eyes and continued. "Once it touches water, or eats anything after midnight, it turns into a monster. Isn't that right?"
"Sir, you're getting older. It's lucky this thing ran into us. What if it had run into someone else? Or gotten wet? Could you really handle what would happen next?"
The old man fell silent. Of course he knew the consequences. That was exactly why he had never dared to let the creature be seen by others.
"Name your price."
Soren looked at Patty, who was still cuddling the fluffy little monster like she never wanted to let go. "I'll buy it from you. And I can guarantee its safety."
The old man studied Soren's expression for a long moment, clearly hesitating. "It's not about the money, young man. You don't understand what kind of disaster this thing represents—"
"I know exactly where it comes from, so you don't need to worry about that. I'll give you forty thousand dollars."
The old man's eyes widened. His breathing quickened.
Forty thousand dollars was an enormous amount of money for him right now. Enough to go back home, find a sunny place, and live out the rest of his days in peace without having to watch this potential catastrophe every single day.
And this young man had recognized the creature's true nature at a single glance. He was clearly no ordinary rich kid.
After a long hesitation, the old man finally closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. He looked at the little monster in Patty's arms with a complicated expression.
"Alright… Since you already know what it is, maybe handing it over to you really is the best outcome for it."
Once the deal was done, the old man's face turned serious again. He spoke with heavy emphasis. "Since you're so determined, please remember every single word I'm about to say—"
"First, it hates bright light."
"Second, never let it touch water. Not even a single drop."
"Third, after midnight, do not feed it under any circumstances."
His voice was grave. "Do you understand? This concerns not only your lives, but the safety of this entire city."
Patty nodded seriously.
The last light of evening had faded by the time they finished watching a movie and headed back to the office, laughing and chatting. The fluffy little monster bounced around at Patty and Carrie's feet, making silly faces and gestures that kept both girls giggling nonstop.
Soren rubbed his shoulder and watched them head upstairs together. He called after them, "Don't forget the three rules."
Alessa had already returned to Silent Hill. The girls' laughter grew muffled as they went up, and the office lobby fell quiet again.
Just as Soren turned to close the door, his movement paused.
"Vergil?"
Only then did he notice the figure standing in the darkness.
Vergil stood with one foot braced against the wall, Yamato held loosely in his arms.
"You've been wasting far too much time on these meaningless little family games."