Chapter 4: Unexpected Surprise(Edited)

[July 1987, London]

The morning sun illuminated the room as I sat by the window, sipping tea and enjoying the sight of birds soaring through the sky. The radio played a catchy tune,♫ Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up ♫ and memories flooded back as the song filled the air.

"This takes me back," I said aloud, lost in nostalgia.

"But it came out last week," remarked Chris, flipping through a picture book. He looked at me, awaiting an explanation. I sighed and replied, "You wouldn't understand," dismissing the topic to avoid further discussion.

Today held special significance for me as it marked my 11th birthday, or rather, the day my adoptive parents found me. I had discovered more about my past and how Irene and Jacob, my adoptive parents, met in college. They married shortly after, and Ela, Irene's sister, moved in with them. Three years into their marriage, Irene stumbled upon me in a nearby park one fateful night. I was a small, weak child with bruises from an apparent fall, likely due to my premature birth. All I had was a mysterious ring. Irene rushed me to the hospital, and for several days, they searched for my family to no avail. The ring became a clue, prompting further investigation, but it only deepened the mystery. Some suggested sending me to an orphanage, but Irene and Jacob refused, choosing to adopt me and bring me into their family.

Today marked my fifth year in this new world, and while I had mostly adjusted to this life, I couldn't escape the occasional confusion. Spending years pretending to be a child began to take its toll, especially at school. There were moments when I genuinely believed I was a child, which troubled me deeply. To preserve my sanity, I started distancing myself from others and reverted to my old habits, such as immersing myself in computers and isolating myself from making friends.

In hindsight, even if my mind had adapted to a child's mentality, I was still me, and it somewhat aligned with the notion of a fresh start in a new life. However, subconsciously, the weight of this unfamiliar existence bore down on me. Living in a foreign land with different customs, food, weather, and having to maintain constant English proficiency took its toll. I longed for home, but cooking provided solace, allowing me to savor flavors reminiscent of my past.

I also found time to pursue interests I never had the chance to explore before, like playing the piano. Despite my efforts to learn the guitar, progress remained elusive. I delved into old books hidden within our home, though I had to be discreet as Ela viewed it as mere playfulness.

Speaking of Ela, she thrived in her own endeavors. She ventured into the computer business in the early '80s, and as the popularity of IBM PCs soared, so did her company. In short, we became quite affluent. No longer bound by financial constraints, we enjoyed the latest televisions, stylish furniture, fashionable attire, and more.

Chris, now six years old, displayed remarkable maturity beyond his years. He stood taller than his peers, possessed a photographic memory, and excelled in advanced mathematics. Undoubtedly, he was a prodigious talent. While I didn't want to spoil him, he developed similar interests to mine in music, movies, and literature. He also developed a profound fascination with stargazing.

For my birthday today, Ela took Chris and me out for lunch, followed by a shopping spree, and then we visited the cemetery. It had become a cherished family tradition to celebrate our birthdays this way each year.

Later that evening, we threw a birthday party at our house and invited many guests, including friends and relatives. As I greeted the guests, a sudden blur clouded my vision, and the holographic screen appeared once again before me.

{Congratulations on awakening your skill. Please use it responsibly. Once you turn eleven, the system will be fully awakened and ready to assist you on your journey} the message read, and the screen vanished.

"Finally!" I exclaimed. "But wait, I didn't do anything special, and I don't feel any different. Can greeting others really be considered a skill? I'm not so sure." I pondered the words on the screen, wondering what they meant.

"It mentioned when I turn eleven, but I'm already eleven. Maybe it'll happen when I blow out the candles or at midnight. Only time will tell," I thought to myself, lost in my musings.

Just then, Ela called out to me. "Is it time for the cake already?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied, her gaze fixed on the hallway.

"So, where's the cake?" I asked, glancing at the empty table.

"Oh, your brother said he would bring it," Ela said.

I looked at her with concern and voiced my worry. "Are you sure he can handle it? He's only six."

Ela smiled and reassured me, "Don't worry, there's an extra cake in the fridge, and I couldn't dissuade him from bringing it himself. He specifically insisted on it."

After a few minutes, Chris arrived with the cake. It appeared like an ordinary cake with candles adorning the top. He carefully placed the cake on the table and I blew out the candles.

"Happy Birthday!" the crowd cheered in unison.

"Happy Birthday, brother!"

"Happy Birthday!"

After the birthday party ended, I sat quietly on my bed, watching the clock reach twelve. I closed my eyes, expecting something special, but nothing happened. I lay down, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. I knew something was wrong.

[Christopher's POV]

Today is my brother's birthday. Normally, he and Ela handle everything for my birthday, so this time, I wanted to help. I helped decorate the house and chose the cake. As it got late, Ela was busy with the guests, so I decided to bring the cake myself.

I went to the kitchen and saw the cake box on the counter. I couldn't reach it, so I grabbed a stool. I climbed on it and opened the box to see the cake. When I tried to step down, the stool wobbled, and I fell. When I got up, the cake box was on the floor, a few feet away.

I felt sad and angry that the cake was ruined because of me, I slowly went to open the box and i saw the cake was fine as if I had just placed it on the floor. I was confused but happy that I didnt ruin the cake. I slowly stood up and dusted myself " that was a close one," I signed, relieved that I didn't ruin the day. I picked up the cake and walked very carefully this time.

===

[Rohan POV]

After that day, I searched for any signs of the special skill I used on my birthday, but I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary about myself. I eventually lost hope.

Time flew by, and now I was 15 years old in early June of 1991. Just a few days ago, we celebrated Chris' birthday. This time, we had a joint celebration since Elena, or Aunt Ela, as I called her, was getting married in a month or two.

You know how in anime or novels, a loner is transported to a new world and becomes a badass? Well, it's all a big lie. It doesn't matter if the world changes; what matters is if you can change to adapt to the world. I learned that the hard way. When I first arrived in this world, I had all these plans and ambitions, and I did achieve some of them. But it turns out, I'm not a genius after all. Despite being a jack of all trades, I'm a master of none. My main focus now was finishing school and joining Aunt Ela's company, and maybe getting into software development during the dot-com boom.

Due to my injuries, I couldn't engage in physical workouts, and as a result, I gained a lot of weight. I was now even heavier than before. Well, at least I was wealthy.

"What a wonderful second life I'm living. Ugh!" I sighed, thinking about all this while planning for the wedding. On the other hand, Chris had grown into a very handsome young boy. He was taller and bigger than others his age, with blond hair and blue eyes. I knew he would be popular at school. He was also a genius, with a remarkable memory and a natural talent for math. He was currently helping Aunt Ela with accounts, but now he was assisting me.

"Are all the invitations sent?" I asked him.

"No need to worry," he replied.

"Okay, that leaves the van—" as I discussed this with him, the doorbell rang.

"Check if there's anything wrong with the guest list. I'll see who's at the door," I handed Chris my pile of papers and went to answer the door.

When I opened the door, I found an elderly woman standing there. She looked at me and smiled.

"Hello, is this the Williams household?" she inquired.

"Yes, can I help you?" I replied.

"I'm looking for Christopher Williams. He just turned 11 a few days ago," she said.

"Yes, he's my brother," I responded, noticing her gaze lingering on me. I rolled my eyes and added, "I'm adopted."

"Well, it might be hard to explain. May I come in?" she asked.

She seemed suspicious, but I figured an old lady couldn't do much harm, so I let her in. I led her to the living room and sat opposite her on the couch. She then handed me a letter, written on parchment with green ink.

I took the letter from her hand and was shocked. I thought it might be a prank, but as I read the letter, my brain stopped working. The woman introduced herself.

"Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. My name is Minerva McGonagall. I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It might sound like a joke, but believe me, it's not. I can even prove it if you want," she said, before transforming into a cat. I stared at her silently for a solid minute, then slowly got up and called out loudly.

After a few minutes of listening to her, i got up and exclaimed loudly "Ela, Chris, come quickly!"

They came running downstairs quickly as if an emergency and saw a cat on the couch,

Ela came to me and said worryingly and saw me sitting with a blank expression "what happened? who came ? "

Suddenly, the cat jumped in front of her and transformed into a woman. Ela was startled and fainted, falling to the ground. Chris, on the other hand, was curious, and his eyes sparkled with interest like shining stars. And i only said one word that no heard "FUCK"