[You recuperated in the coffin overnight, safely surviving the eerie night. +1 Survival Experience.]
The next morning, as Chen Luren was woken by his alarm and sat up in bed, a chorus of whispers rang in his ears.
He paused for a moment, then got out of bed with a complicated expression, dressed, and stepped out of his bedroom. The living room was empty... His mother was busy in the kitchen, his father was sitting at the dining table with his legs crossed, scrolling through news on his phone, and his sister was sleepily struggling to eat a slice of bread.
"You got up a bit late today, son."
"Hmph, why did you wake me up so early when my lazy brother slept in longer?"
Father Chen Hai and sister Chen Qian were the first to speak, greeting Chen Luren. But just as he was about to respond, a strange feeling welled up in his mind—something might happen to his father and sister today, and the source of this feeling seemed to come from his sister.
Instantly, Chen Luren frowned. "What's wrong? Why are you just standing there? Go brush your teeth, wash your face, and have breakfast."
"Stop dawdling. I have an early meeting today and can't wait too long for you." Seeing Chen Luren stunned there, his father urged him.
"O-okay..." Chen Luren walked into the bathroom with a puzzled expression. A few minutes later, he sat at the dining table and silently started eating breakfast, but his mind kept replaying what had just happened.
Although he hadn't fully figured out his Rank 1 Mind yet, the information from his intuition demanded his caution. Normally, his father drove his sister to school. If this intuition came true, something was bound to happen.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Luren finally spoke up. "Dad, hasn't Qianqian been begging me to take her to school? Since you're in a hurry today and I don't have morning classes, let me do it." He put down his bread slice and pretended to say it casually.
"Are you sure?" His father put down his phone and asked.
"Yeah." Chen Luren nodded.
"Yay! Yay! Big brother is taking me to school today!" Their sister, who was in second grade and deeply attached to her brother, immediately got excited.
"Alright, then I won't wait for you." His father nodded, stuffed the remaining half of his bread into his mouth, picked up his briefcase, and headed for the door. "Honey, the son is taking Qianqian today. I'm busy, so I'm leaving first." His voice echoed in the corridor.
"You always slack off... Drive safely on the road," their mother responded with a slightly disgruntled tone from the kitchen.
At the same time, as his father left, the strange feeling in Chen Luren's mind shifted—the danger he sensed from his father disappeared, only to transfer to himself. Moreover, the crisis around his sister seemed even more intense.
????
"Is my sister the one really in danger?"
"Was Dad just caught up because he was going to take her?"
Chen Luren chewed his bread while thinking. "Big brother, I'm done eating! Can you hurry up?" Chen Qian couldn't help but urge when she saw him eating absently.
Just then, their mother, who had finished in the kitchen, came over. "Son, are you sure you'll make it in time?"
"If not, I can take her today."
But as soon as she said this, Chen Luren clearly felt a different sensation in his mind—the crisis from his sister seemed to be spreading toward their mother.
"What the hell... Is this a curse where whoever takes her gets unlucky?"
"What exactly is going to happen to my sister?"
Chen Luren's expression turned grave. After some thought, he made a difficult decision. "No need, Mom. I have time. Oh right, aren't you about to be late for work? You go first. I'll wash the dishes and head out soon. I won't make Qianqian late for school."
Upon hearing this, his mother looked astonished. Something felt off about her son today. He was usually lazy at home, refusing to take care of his sister and never washing dishes after meals. Was he suddenly changing his ways?
"Son, do you have your eye on something? A video game? Or... do you want more pocket money? Let's make it clear—nothing too expensive." His mother asked seriously.
"No, no... I just want to share some of the burden. After all, I'm old enough now."
"Alright, Mom, it's getting late. You'll be late if you stay any longer," Chen Luren urged.
"Um... okay then."
"Our son is growing up, knowing how to share responsibilities. Good, good," his mother beamed, clearly pleased. Before leaving, she even tossed a 100-yuan bill on the dining table and hurried out.
"Big brother, I think you're acting a little weird," Chen Qian said with a mischievous glint in her eye after their mother left.
But Chen Luren ignored his sister, focusing instead on continuously sensing the changes in her through his enhanced mind. The lingering sense of crisis, however, kept him on edge. Sending his sister to school meant danger for both of them, yet the source of this danger remained vague in his mental perception.
As the school time drew closer, Chen Luren finally stood up from the table. "Let's go. It's getting late. We should head out." He picked up his sister's pre-packed schoolbag and took her hand, ready to leave.
But the moment he opened the door and stepped out, the sense of danger in his mind intensified drastically—like the risk multiplied several times over the moment they left the house. He stopped in his tracks.
"Big brother, let's go," Chen Qian urged again.
"Wait... Sis, let's double-check if you brought your homework, pens, books—everything," Chen Luren made up a lame excuse, pulling his sister back inside to test his hunch. The moment they stepped back, the multiplied danger receded.
In an instant, Chen Luren understood: if their father took her, both would be in danger; if their mother took her, or even if he did, the outcome wouldn't change. Stepping out of the house exponentially increased the risk, confirming the danger originated from outside—and anyone in contact with his sister would be dragged into it.
A terrifying thought struck him: it was like the movie Final Destination—his sister might have been marked by some "death god." Stepping through that door could mean a car accident or some other inexplicable disaster, but staying home reduced or even eliminated the risk. This was his current deduction based on his mental intuition, which needed further verification.
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Luren made a decision: he would call in sick for his sister.
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