My Anti-hero Fairy System

"I am sorry for the pain I've caused you," Sylvester said, holding Ashley's deep blue gaze. "I don't remember causing it, but your feelings are valid." As he spoke, it felt as though the words came from somewhere else—his lips moved, but his mind wasn't in control.

"Do you think just saying 'I'm sorry' absolves you? That it would make me forget how, if it weren't for you, Kyle and I would be husband and wife by now?" Ashley asked, her tone softening despite herself.

"I can't remember my past, and I can't change it," Sylvester replied, his voice steady and sincere. "But I know one thing for certain—I can be better moving forward. And as a side note, any man who let himself be 'stolen' from you wasn't worth the ground you walk on. You're far too beautiful for a man like that."

Ashley's cheeks flushed crimson despite her best efforts. She quickly looked away, her thoughts racing. Why is she being so nice to me? And... wait—was she just flirting with me?

"Really? You think that of me?" Ashley asked, her attempt at a stoic expression crumbling.

Sylvester could see he had her attention and decided to press forward, carefully reeling her in. "Yes, I think that of you. You're stunning. I can't stop thinking about it. Honestly, you're living rent-free in my head right now," he said, his tone playful but earnest. "And no man should ever have the power to make a gorgeous woman like you feel less than."

As he spoke, he lightly grazed his hand against Ashley's, his touch lingering just long enough to send a spark through the air.

Ashley's gaze lingered on Cara for longer than she intended, the tension between them palpable. Arlene and Travis exchanged confused glances, clearly unsure of what was unfolding before them. Ashley, flustered and silent, seemed frozen in place.

Just as the silence threatened to stretch too long, Rudy entered the room, breaking the moment. Sylvester quickly withdrew his hand, the motion awkward but deliberate.

Rudy approached with Cara's phone in hand, his thoughts screaming louder than his composed exterior. 'Fuck, fuck. How do I know what this husk of a bitch knows?' Sylvester read his mind effortlessly, noting the panic behind the man's polished façade.

Rudy handed over the iPhone, his tone carefully measured but laced with urgency. "Here's your phone. Please, once you find anything, let me know before you go to the police. I'm a public figure in Hemridge, a mayor running for reelection. I can't have this... situation hanging over me, let alone being used by my opponents. Do you understand me?"

Sylvester took the phone with a calm, unreadable expression. "Yes, I understand," he said, his tone neutral. Internally, however, he couldn't help but be amused by Rudy's barely concealed desperation.

He placed the phone in front of Cara's face, allowing the phone's facial recognition to unlock it. Relief swept over him when it worked, silencing the faint doubt he'd had about whether it might not. Adjusting to life in Cara's body was still strange, but every small success helped.

As he began scrolling through the phone, searching for clues about Cara's life and what might have led to her death, Rudy cleared his throat. "I want you to go to the hospital tomorrow for a thorough checkup," he said. Sylvester didn't even need to read his mind to see this for what it was a weak attempt to reassert control.

Before Sylvester could respond, Arlene chimed in, "I think that's a good idea," her eyes settling on Cara with a mixture of concern and determination.

"Why is that a good idea, Mom?" Sylvester asked, feigning indifference.

"I just want to understand what happened to you, honey," Arlene said, reaching out to take his hand. "I want to know why you lost your memories and if there's any way to bring them back."

Sylvester understood her concern, but he knew the truth of his situation couldn't be uncovered through medical tests. Explaining that he'd somehow transmigrated into the body of a young woman would only get him labeled insane. There was no way to untangle this without making things worse.

"Okay, Mom," he said with a stoic expression. "I'll go to the hospital tomorrow."

Arlene's face lit up with a relieved smile. "I'll go with you first thing in the morning," she said, squeezing his hand.

"I propose she sees the family doctor—Dr. Elwes, and no one else," Rudy added, his tone firm but attempting to appear concerned.

Sylvester raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Rudy's insistence on this particular doctor. He delved into Rudy's mind and quickly uncovered his motive: the mayor wanted to keep everything private and out of public view. That suited Sylvester just fine—the fewer eyes on him, the better.

"Fine. Tomorrow I'll see whomever you all want me to see," Sylvester said, standing up. "But for now, I need to sleep."

"Sleep? Haven't you slept enough?" Travis quipped, grinning.

Sylvester didn't bother responding to the jab, instead casting one last glance at Ashley. She caught him looking, her expression unreadable, but he held her gaze confidently before turning and heading out of the dining room.

—-

Back in Cara's room, Sylvester tossed her phone onto the bed, making a mental note to go through it thoroughly before turning in for the night, since his earlier attempts didn't give him much to work with.

He tapped his left and right ears with his fingers. "Hey, Hagrit, come back on," he said aloud, hoping the system would activate.

[Sylvester, were you just tapping your ears to bring me back on?] Hagrit's voice chimed in, laced with amusement.

"Yeah! How else was I supposed to do that?" Sylvester asked, his face scrunched in confusion.

[All you have to do is telepathically say, "Hagrit, come back on."]

[Also, you're speaking out loud. Someone might hear you.]

Sylvester instantly stopped talking and switched to telepathic communication. 'Okay, now I know how to bring you back when I block you out. Now tell me—how was I able to flirt with Ashley a few minutes ago? I wasn't exactly a smooth talker in my last life.

It was as like my mouth was talking, but my brain did nothing but observe.'

[Have you forgotten you were rewarded with a charm skill?] Hagrit reminded him.

'Yeah, I remember. But I didn't command it to work, did I?'

[That's not how skills function. They don't need a verbal command. They activate whenever you want or need them to.]

Sylvester sat down on the bed, taking a moment to process the explanation. 'Alright, that makes sense. Now that we've cleared that up, can you tell me more about Real Blood? Darren mentioned it in the car earlier—what is it exactly?'

Before Hagrit could respond, the door burst open, grabbing Sylvester's attention. Standing there, to his utter shock, was Ashley. She wore a red nightgown that accentuated her figure, looking breathtakingly gorgeous. Sylvester's eyes couldn't help but linger on her as his mind scrambled to catch up.

Ashley stepped into the room, her gaze locked onto his. "I've got to ask—did you mean everything you said to me earlier?"