"It seems you know him."
Holding the Staff in his hand, Eric asked Stargirl coldly.
"Yes, yes, I know him."
Ignoring the pain in her chin, Courtney staggered to her feet and looked at Henry, who was lying on the ground.
"You…you killed him?"
"Any problem?"
"Of course there is!"
Courtney looked at Eric with angry eyes and said excitedly, "He's not a bad person, he's been struggling. I can see it. He can hear everyone's innermost thoughts, whether they're malicious or ill-intentioned, he can hear them all. Although his heart is tormented, he wants to be a good person and longs to do the right thing. Why, why won't you let him try! Why kill his chance to try to do the right thing!"
"So what?"
Eric's expression was cold, not at all moved by Courtney's words.
"I have no interest in whether he is a good person or a bad person."
As he spoke, he raised the Staff, and a golden beam of light shot towards Courtney, who was standing on the ground.
Bang!
The beam of light, emanating a faint energy, struck her chest, directly knocking Courtney to the ground.
The energy beam fired from the Star Scepter was not very powerful; Courtney was not seriously injured, only feeling a sharp pain in her chest before falling to the ground.
Even so, her head was spinning, and there was an uncontrollable pain in her back and chest.
"Why?"
Lying on the ground, Courtney endured the physical pain, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at Eric.
"He has always lived a life of disaster, accompanying his father, enduring humiliation and a life he disliked every day. After awakening his superpower, he constantly heard the words he least wanted to hear, doubting if he was living in hell. Caught between fantasy and reality, he was continuously denied by reality and had his fantasies extinguished."
"If we could help him, we could pull him out."
Courtney raised her tear-filled eyes, gazing at Eric, "Just a helping hand—"
Eric no longer paid attention to her words, put away the Staff, and turned around.
"That sounds like a wonderful speech, saving a hesitant and wandering soul? But the best way, you should let him leave this world with a 'better soul' before he falls into a demon! Then recite your 'Deadman's Scripture' to him!"
Eric's cold voice came, "The reason I lent you the Staff was for you to find someone, not to save other people's souls! Now, I'm taking back the Staff, because I'm—"
"Extremely displeased!"
Before he finished speaking, a stream of light shot out from the Staff Eric held, striking Henry, who was lying on the ground.
Henry, who was being watched by Courtney, turned into dust in the stream of light.
The only proof of his existence immediately vanished.
Courtney, covering her mouth, immediately had tears rolling down her face.
After a while, she came to her senses and looked towards where Eric had been, only to find that he had disappeared.
White mist continuously surged throughout the sky.
Late at night, Martha tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
The many recent events: Clark's running away from home and illegal activities, Lex's sudden departure, the farm's problems—these things clung to her heart like an unbreakable shadow.
She closed her eyes, forcing herself to sleep, but no matter what, she couldn't fall asleep.
After glancing at her husband beside her, she carefully got out of bed without waking him.
Standing by the window, she looked out at the heavy fog, her mood as bleak as the misty night.
As she was frowning and thinking, she suddenly heard a soft "knock-knock" sound from downstairs.
It sounded like someone was knocking on the door!
Knocking on the door in such weather and at such a late hour, Martha's guard immediately went up.
She quietly woke her husband, "Jonathan, there's a sound outside, it sounds like someone is knocking."
Jonathan was a light sleeper and woke up with a nudge from his wife.
After hearing his wife say there was a sound outside, he immediately put on his clothes, grabbed a stick, and after telling Martha to wait in the house, went downstairs to the living room.
Outside, the fog rolled, and a strange aura permeated the night.
Jonathan took a deep breath and walked to the door, looking out through the crack.
He found a girl standing outside.
She was small, didn't look very old, like a middle school student, and appeared weak and pitiful.
After a moment of hesitation, Jonathan finally opened the door.
Courtney, standing outside the door, was wiping away tears.
After losing the Star Scepter, she had no way to go home, and now the outside was filled with fog. With nowhere to go, she could only walk to the farm to ask for shelter.
Although she knew this was Eric's home, to avoid spending the night in a haystack outside, she could only come and try knocking on the door.
When the door opened, Courtney looked at Jonathan in front of her, froze for a moment, then quickly wiped away her tears and forced a smile.
"Hello, I'm Courtney Whitmore. I got lost nearby. Can I stay here for one night? Just one night, I'll leave as soon as it's light."
"Ah, yes, yes."
Jonathan looked at the girl in front of him and replied subconsciously.
After welcoming Courtney inside, Martha also came down from upstairs, casting an inquiring glance at Jonathan.
Jonathan shook his head at his wife's questioning look, indicating that he also didn't know what was going on.
"So, Courtney, why are you here?"
Martha walked over and stood beside her husband, asking her.
"I—"
Courtney hesitated, then glanced upstairs.
She knew Eric was probably resting upstairs and didn't know how to answer. After thinking for a moment, she stammered, "I came out for a walk to clear my head, but then a heavy fog suddenly rolled in, and I got lost."
"Hmm."
Jonathan nodded. "The fog outside is indeed very heavy. Where is your home? I'll take you back."
As he spoke, he got up and walked to the clothes rack, taking down his coat, preparing to take her back.
"Blue—"
The words "Blue Valley" were about to blurt out from Courtney's mouth, but she quickly covered it.
If she said directly that she was from "Blue Valley" now, it would surely arouse their suspicion.
So Courtney smiled at Jonathan, preparing to gloss over it, "My parents aren't home, and it's a bit far from here. Actually, I'm visiting Smallville. My aunt is here. My hometown is Blue Valley, and this is my student ID."
As she spoke, she pulled out the student ID she had been keeping in her pocket.
Taking the student ID from Courtney's hand, Jonathan and Martha exchanged glances, and most of their suspicion about her identity dissipated.
"Can I sleep here? I like soft sofas."
Courtney smiled and patted the sofa she was sitting on.
"Of course."
Jonathan nodded.
After chatting with her for a few moments, he went upstairs with his wife.
"I'll go get her a blanket."
Martha said to her husband, "Although getting lost in heavy fog is a bit strange, I don't think this child is a bad person."
"Hmm, her student ID shows she's already a high school student, but she still gives off the impression of a somewhat naive child."
Jonathan nodded and replied to his wife.
Because they felt a quiet and natural aura from Courtney, the couple felt at ease letting her sleep downstairs.
As the couple were talking, they had just walked up the stairs when they saw Eric standing in front of them.
Eric glanced at Courtney, who was lying on the sofa, her mood already settled, sleeping with her arm as a pillow, and said to his parents, "Dad, Mom, you two go rest first. I'll watch her here."
Eric truly hadn't expected her to brazenly knock on the door and quickly gain his parents' trust.
But he also had no intention of kicking her out.
After saying a few words to his parents, Eric walked down the stairs, preparing to warn her a few words, but unexpectedly, Courtney had already fallen asleep with her arm as a pillow.
Shaking his head, he glanced at her face, where the tear stains had dried, then Eric walked up the stairs.
The next day, early morning.
After saying goodbye at Kent Farm, Courtney embarked on her journey home.
Although she really wanted to get the Star Scepter back from Eric, after feeling the aura Eric emitted at the breakfast table, she immediately dismissed that idea.
Upon returning to Blue Valley, she immediately learned from Pat that someone had been murdered in Brainwave's room.
"You didn't come home last night, Courtney!"
Pat grabbed Courtney, preventing Courtney's mother in the kitchen from seeing them.
"I've already covered for you with your mom, but I don't think we'll be so lucky next time. You have to explain it to me clearly."
"I will."
Anxious expression appeared on Courtney's face, "Someone was murdered in Brainwave's hospital room. Who did it?"
"I don't know, Brainwave, or Henry? The deceased's Death was characterized by bleeding from the mouth and nose, and varying degrees of damage to all bones and muscles. I think there's no other explanation except for telekinesis. The police want to find Henry for some clues, but he's gone."
Pat explained to his daughter.
"Is that so?"
A dejected expression appeared on Courtney's face.
Did Henry really kill someone?
Was her simple idea of pulling him back from the boundary of good and evil wrong?
Dejected, she walked dazedly to the hospital, glanced at Brainwave's room, separated by a glass wall, and a bewildered expression appeared in her eyes.
Then she went up to the third floor and poured out her confusion to her friend Yolanda, who was recuperating.
Unexpectedly, Yolanda immediately flared up!
Regarding Courtney's attempt to recruit this scumbag who had previously distributed her nude photos, causing her social Death, Yolanda issued a stern protest and declared that Courtney was betraying her!
After Yolanda decided to cut ties with her, she kicked her out of her hospital room.
Standing outside the hospital room, Courtney suddenly remembered what Eric had said to her—the best way, you should let him leave this world with a 'better soul' before he falls into a demon.
Was she really wrong?
---Extracurricular Thoughts---
A good sci-fi novel with unique ideas. If you like it, you can check it out.
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