Activating the simulator!

At that moment, Adam felt a headache coming on.

But he had no choice but to go home like this. His injuries weren't worth going to a hospital for, and even if he did go, the hospital would inevitably call his parents to warn them and pay the bill.

So it was better for him to get up on his own and make his own way home.

He staggered through the silent streets, avoiding his reflection in the windows of closed stores.

From time to time, he would catch a glimpse of a flying car passing overhead.

It was a pity that although the cars passed slowly and could easily notice Adam's difficulties, not a single one stopped.

So Adam walked as best he could.

Every step was an ordeal, his body protesting against the pain. Every breath was complicated, the latter provoking automatic pain with every inhalation.

The journey, which should only have taken 15 minutes, ended up taking over 40, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his house.

Before heading home, he took out his phone and took a quick look at himself in selfie mode.

His face was covered with dirt and traces of dried blood. He wiped his face with his sleeve, then ran his hands through his hair in an attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy.

On impulse, he took a few photos, smiling and grimacing.

Then he looked at the photos.

Clearly, he looked like shit.

But he was already in front of his house, so he walked up to open the door, hoping no one would notice him and he could go straight to the shower.

But as soon as the sound of the door opening rang out, a voice called out.

"Adam, is that you?" his mother called from the living room.

The plan had fallen apart at the first step.

"Yes, Mom, I'm home." his voice was surprisingly calm.

He quickly arrived in the living room where his parents were watching TV, he had no choice since it was on the way to take the stairs and reach his room.

"You're home late, is everything okay?" asked his father his while continuing to watch the report being broadcast on TV.

"Yeah, yeah, I just took a shortcut... and ran into some guys who were a little aggressive. But nothing serious, really." Adam attempted a smile, but his strained face betrayed pain.

His mother, who wasn't very interested in the story herself, turned her gaze to Adam.

Then seeing his appearance she jumped up all at once, her eyes full of concern.

"What?! Adam, what happened? Are you hurt?"

He raised his hands, trying to calm her.

"No, no, they just jostled me a little Mom. I'm fine."

But she didn't believe him. She reached up to examine his face, discovering a budding bruise on his cheek and scratches on his arms.

Not to mention the disastrous state of his clothes and the dried blood present all over his body.

"Adam..." she murmured, her voice trembling.

"Who did this to you?"

Adam sighed, annoyed at the idea that his parents might intervene and make things worse.

 "It's nothing, just some jerks. I'm going to go upstairs, shower and rest, okay?"

Hearing the conversation, his father rose in turn.

"Adam, if someone attacked you, we have to notify the police. We can't let this go."

But Adam shook his head.

"Dad, I'm telling you it's nothing."

He met his parents' eyes, desperate to end the discussion.

His parents looked puzzled, but they didn't insist any further. He took the opportunity to quickly climb the stairs and go to the shower.

Back in the living room, Eva looked at Eric angrily.

"Our son's been hurt and you let him go so easily?"

"The sons of my Sylvaeri family are not weaklings. They have to learn by living the reality of this world and simultaneously learn to defend themselves against that reality." replied Eric as he went to sit on the sofa to continue watching the report.

"But he's just a kid!" exclaimed Eva helplessly.

"The monsters and aliens out there don't know the difference between an adult and a child. If Adam is ever confronted with this kind of thing, he has to keep a minimum of composure to at least run and increase his chances of survival. That's the reality of this world," Eric explained calmly.

"If your brother hadn't been spoiled by your parents, he'd still be alive today..." he continued.

"Eric!" Eva shouted angrily.

Her dead brother was clearly not a topic of conversation to bring up at this point.

Eric looked slightly at his wife, then sighed.

"It's true, I shouldn't have brought it up. Forgive me."

But Eva was in no mood to accept her husband's apology.

She grabbed her cigarette pack and lighter and went outside for a smoke to calm her nerves.

Eric let her go as he resumed watching the report with boredom, not enjoying it as much as he used to.

For his part, Adam didn't hear his new parents' argument. He showered as planned and returned to his room wearing just a pair of shorts and a casual T-shirt.

Then he collapsed into bed.

His muscles were still protesting, and every deep breath reminded him of the beating he'd taken.

But he didn't care. For him, the physical pain was just a reminder.

"I've got to get stronger. Strong enough so this kind of thing never happens again."

And as if God were answering him, a voice appeared in his mind.

[The host's soul is now fully integrated with the body].

[Life simulator startup in progress...]

[Startup complete.]

[Testing in progress...]

[No anomalies detected.]

[The life simulator is fully operational]

[Would you like to activate it?]