A piercing scream shattered the morning silence, jolting the half-asleep teenager awake. Startled, he tumbled off his lavish bed with a loud thud as he hit the floor.
No one could stay asleep after such a rude awakening. Frustrated, Zhou Yi rolled up the sleeves of his pajamas, determined to teach whoever interrupted his rare vacation a lesson.
The shrill screaming continued. Annoyed, Zhou Yi pushed open his bedroom door and stomped toward another door decorated with a teddy bear. He banged on it hard and shouted,
"Charis Ferguson! If you can't give me a good reason for this, I swear, I'll make sure God knows how big of a mistake it is to disturb my sleep!"
"Don't come in! Go away!" a sobbing voice cried from inside the room. The sound of his sister crying instantly snapped something in Zhou Yi's mind.
"What's going on, Charis? Open the door! I'm your brother—I need to know what's wrong!"
"No! Go away! I don't want you to see me!" Her cries grew louder before turning into muffled sobs, as if she had buried herself under the covers.
Zhou Yi grew anxious. Their parents had already left for work, leaving only him and his sister at home. No matter what, he had to find out what was wrong.
In his panic, he ignored all notions of privacy. Gripping the doorknob tightly, he forcefully wrenched the locked door open.
Inside, the room was a typical teenage girl's bedroom, filled with dolls and stuffed animals. But now, the usually tidy space was a mess, with toys strewn all over the floor. And in the middle of it all, Charis curled up like a frightened little hamster, completely wrapped in her blanket.
"Charis, what the hell is going on?" Zhou Yi strode over and yanked the blanket away. The next moment, his eyes widened in shock.
"Damn it… What the hell is this?"
The girl under the blanket was no longer the sister he remembered. Her once brown hair had turned a deep shade of red wine, her blue eyes had transformed into an eerie emerald green, and strange markings had appeared around them—natural markings, not something artificially drawn.
But that wasn't even the most shocking part.
Her ears… were pointed like an elf's.
His half-sister was an elf?!
God, are you messing with me right now?
That was all Zhou Yi could think as he tried to process the absurdity before him. But deep down, he knew—this was serious.
---
On the television, a military spokesperson passionately addressed a crowd of reporters, his expression grave.
"We must acknowledge that mutants, an unknown species hidden among us, pose a significant threat to humanity. Their powers not only disrupt the balance of nature but also present a massive risk to our security and social stability. We urge every American citizen to remain vigilant about the mutants in their midst—"
Zhou Yi usually didn't care about this kind of talk. But now, hearing it made his blood boil.
Mutants? A threat? Bullshit.
He tightened his hold around Charis, who was trembling in his arms, and then looked up at their visibly shaken mother with unwavering determination.
"It doesn't matter if Charis is a mutant. She's still our family. And for her sake, I think we should move to New York."
---
Zhou Lan, their mother, was a beautiful Chinese-American woman who looked much younger than her actual age. She had once fallen in love with a Chinese military officer and given birth to Zhou Yi. But as fate would have it, like all soldiers who made bold promises, his father had uttered the classic, "After this mission, I'll come back and marry you."
And, of course, he never returned.
For the next eight years, Zhou Yi and his mother lived as a single-parent family. Then, when Zhou Yi was eight, Zhou Lan met and quickly married Anthony Ferguson, a banker from Los Angeles. Less than a year later, Charis Ferguson was born.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck again. Anthony Ferguson died in a plane crash, leaving Zhou Lan a widow once more. Zhou Yi, who had never liked the Ferguson surname, immediately changed his name back.
So, once again, Zhou Lan, Zhou Yi, and baby Charis became a single-parent household.
However, unlike most single-parent families, they weren't struggling. Zhou Lan's high-paying job in the fashion industry, along with the hefty inheritance and insurance payout from Anthony, ensured they lived comfortably.
And thanks to Zhou Yi's keen investment skills, particularly in stocks, their financial stability only grew stronger.
---
Since money wasn't an issue, Zhou Lan wasn't against moving. But she was puzzled by Zhou Yi's choice. While gently comforting Charis, she asked,
"I understand we need to move for Charis's safety. But why New York? We have other options."
Zhou Yi sighed. "I get what you're saying. The West Coast might be safer, but do you really want Charis to live in some remote place forever? I'd rather she learn to integrate into society. That's why I want to take her to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. She can learn how to coexist with normal people there."
Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters—this was the first time Zhou Lan had heard of it. Zhou Yi explained that it was a school designed specifically for young mutants, helping them learn how to control their abilities and adapt to society.
For their family, this was the best option.
"Alright," Zhou Lan finally agreed, lifting Charis into her arms. "If you think this is best for you and Charis, then we'll do it." She kissed her daughter's forehead and whispered, "Oh, my poor baby. You must be so scared. Don't worry—Mom and your brother will protect you. Let's take a nap, and when we wake up, everything will be okay."
With that, she carried Charis into her bedroom, leaving Zhou Yi alone in the living room.
Zhou Yi smirked as he switched off the TV, crushing the remote in his hand like it was made of paper. Tiny fragments scattered onto the carpet, but he didn't care.
Staring at the blank TV screen, he muttered,
"Mutants, X-Men, Brotherhood… Looks like I can't avoid getting involved with you guys."
His eyes burned with determination.
Past life or present—whatever he held dear, he would never let anyone take it from him again.
---
With their wealth, moving was easy. Zhou Yi quickly sold off some assets and, through a trusted broker, bought two luxury apartments in New York's Upper East Side. The properties, located near Central Park, were expensive, but after cashing out a portion of his tech stocks, the cost was manageable.
He had no attachment to most of his tech stocks, except for a stake in Stark Industries and a few shares in Oscorp. Everything else? He sold it all. It was a smart way to mitigate risks.
With financial matters settled, he turned his attention to the logistics of their move. Flying was out of the question—mutants like Charis, whose mutations were visible, would never pass airport security.
That left only one option: a road trip.
After weighing his choices, Zhou Yi decided to buy an RV. It was slow, but it offered safety and discretion—two things they couldn't compromise on.
Everything else was trivial.
Charis wouldn't be saying goodbye to her friends. Zhou Yi had no interest in them anyway. Zhou Lan, working in fashion, had no deep ties in their current city. As for Zhou Yi himself…
Well, having past-life memories made him mentally older than his physical age. His so-called "friends" were nothing more than a social front. Losing them meant nothing.
So, all that was left… was to leave.
By the time the sun rose tomorrow, the neighbors would wake up to find that their longtime neighbors had vanished overnight.
And for some people, that might not be a bad thing.
At least for a few underachieving kids, losing a "model child" to compare themselves to would probably be a huge relief.