Man From Another Wold

CHAPTER 8: SHADOWS OF THAT NIGHT

Lauren sat on the corner of her bed, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly. The moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating her anxious face. Her mind drifted back to that night—the night when everything happened so fast, beyond her control.

The shadow of that wild struggle flashed in her mind. Heavy breaths, the warmth enveloping her, and… the face of that man.

Hansen.

Her heart pounded faster. That night, she was the one who pulled him into the hotel room. She clearly remembered how her body felt hot, how her mind blurred, and how a strange urge took over her.

She couldn't blame Hansen.

He wasn’t at fault.

Lauren covered her face with both hands. Fear gripped her heart tightly.

"What if I'm pregnant?"

Her eyes widened, her breath quickened. She knew this wasn’t just a trivial concern. If it really happened, her life would change forever.

And all of this… all of this must be because of Candra!

Lauren clenched her fists, her lips trembling with anger. "He must have spiked my drink that night!" she whispered, seething with rage.

Candra was the man who had been pursuing her obsessively. He had always tried to claim her in various ways. And that night… Lauren was sure she had been set up.

But what Candra hadn’t anticipated was that the person who fell into his trap wasn't him—but Hansen.

Lauren swallowed hard, her thoughts a mess. If Candra found out that she had been with another man that night, especially someone who had humiliated him, then things could turn much worse.

"I need to be sure first…" Lauren whispered, her hand instinctively touching her still-flat stomach.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Candra sat inside his car with a cold expression. His hand gripped his phone tightly as he impatiently dialed a number.

As soon as the call connected, his voice came out tense and commanding.

"Find out Lauren's whereabouts. I want to know what she's doing after that night. Don't let her do anything that could harm me."

From the other end, a male voice responded, "Yes, Sir. We'll keep an eye on her."

Candra ended the call and smirked coldly. If Lauren tried to resist him… then he would make sure she would never escape his grasp.

Hansen slowly opened his eyes. The spiritual energy from the talismans he had crafted had been fully absorbed into his body, and he felt much better. Though he hadn’t reached his peak condition, his body was beginning to adapt to the power he was instilling in it.

His stomach suddenly growled, reminding him of the most basic human need—food.

With a relaxed stride, he walked to the kitchen and opened the fridge stocked with food. His eyes scanned the shelves, spotting fresh meat, vegetables, and various expensive ingredients he had never seen in his past life.

"Life is pretty good when you have everything," he mused, grabbing a few ingredients to cook.

His thoughts drifted to the original owner of this body—a poor young man who had lived a life full of suffering. No family, always lacking food, and constantly looked down upon by those around him.

He sighed and then smirked.

"Such a pitiful existence. Brother, let me make your body strong and enjoy everything it was deprived of."

His hands moved skillfully, lighting the stove and cooking calmly. The aroma of food spread through the apartment, bringing warmth to the silent night.

The next morning, Hansen did some light exercises to stretch his body. Then, as he jogged through the park, he suddenly heard a woman’s desperate cry.

"Thief!"

His eyes closed for a moment as he focused, his growing perception seeking out the source of the commotion. Soon, he found it—a raggedly dressed man running frantically, clutching a small bag tightly in his hands. Behind him, a woman chased after him, breathless, her face full of panic.

Without hesitation, Hansen moved. With an unnatural speed, he weaved through the pedestrians, his body a blur that was hard to track.

The thief glanced back, his eyes widening in horror as he saw someone closing in on him at an alarming speed.

"What the hell?!" he panicked.

But before he could react, a strong hand grabbed his collar and yanked him backward. Hansen applied just enough force to throw the thief off balance, sending him sprawling onto the pavement.

Thud!

The man groaned in pain, the stolen bag slipping from his grip. Hansen caught it before it hit the ground and handed it to the approaching woman.

"Is this yours, miss?" he asked casually.

Still panting, the woman nodded quickly. "Y-yes! Thank you so much!" Her voice was a mix of shock and gratitude.

Meanwhile, the thief, still lying on the ground, tried to get up, but when he met Hansen’s sharp gaze, he quickly thought better of it.

"Don’t do it again," Hansen’s voice was calm, but the weight behind it made the thief shiver.

Hurriedly, the man scrambled to his feet and ran off, not daring to look back.

The woman smiled with relief and bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir… I really don’t know what I would’ve done without you!"

Hansen simply gave a slight nod. "Be more careful next time."

There was a reason he had let the man go. Hansen silently followed him, keeping pace effortlessly. The thief darted into a dark alley, unaware that he was being watched.

From the shadows, Hansen observed as the man clutched his knees, panting. Moments later, two little girls—one around seven years old, the other about five—ran up to him.

"Daddy! Why are you hurt?" one of them asked worriedly.

"I tripped at work earlier," the man said weakly. "But I'll be fine soon. Look, I brought you some food!"

He pulled something from his pocket—a piece of hard, stale bread.

"Eat up. I’m sorry this is all I can give you," he said softly, gently stroking their heads.

Hansen felt something stir within him. Yet, he remained in the shadows, watching the scene unfold with narrowed eyes.

The man may have been a thief, but the reason behind his actions gave Hansen pause. He could hear the sincerity in the man’s voice as he spoke to his daughters. The girls looked thin, their worn-out clothes barely keeping them warm.

The younger girl took the bread with her tiny hands and took a careful bite. But instead of eating it all herself, she broke it in half and handed it to her sister.

"Sis, you eat too," she said softly.

The man’s lips quivered slightly, his eyes glistening as he watched his daughters share what little they had. It was clear he loved them deeply, but circumstances had forced him down this path.

Hansen took a deep breath. He could have turned the man over to the authorities earlier, but now he knew that doing so might leave these two innocent children without their only protector.

Stepping out of the shadows, Hansen’s footsteps were calm but carried an undeniable presence.

The man immediately tensed, instinctively pulling his daughters behind him as Hansen approached.