He ran out of the toilet and hastily jumped on the bed as soon as the voice came in the first time.

He barely made it when a second after...

"Bro, you in?" Her voice floated in as she swung the door open.

Aldrich looked up from his bed, his eyes narrowing. "Ever heard of knocking? You know, that thing you do when you clench your fist and gentle tap it on the closed door to request permission from whoever is indoor... Cause in case they are up to something they would like to keep private." He phrased, sarcasm etching his tone.

"Oh, my bad. I didn't know you valued privacy that much unless of course you were…?" She trailed off, tossing him a knowing smirk as she strolled toward the window.

"Please, no. Don't even go there," he groaned, rubbing his temples with an understanding of what that mischievous look meant.

Saldrich yanked the curtains open, flooding the room with light.

Reflexively, Aldrich shielded his eyes, wincing.

"Enough excuses Al" she said, undeterred. "I'm taking you out today."

"No," he replied firmly, lying back on his bed with a sigh.

"Sorry, big bro, that wasn't up for debate," she countered, hands on her hips.

He rolled his eyes. "And I'm not planning on debating it. Or did you somehow miss the part where I just said no?"

"You either come with me now, or I'll make sure everyone in the apartment complex hears about your little desire for privacy in here," she threatened, smirking.

Aldrich shot her a frustrated look. "I hate you, you know that?"

"Love you too," she replied with a grin. "Fifteen minutes. Be ready, or I go viral with the news."

With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Aldrich sighed. He had no choice but to give in.

From the memories he'd acquired, he knew this was exactly how Aldrich and Saldrich's sibling dynamic worked—playful banter, lots of teasing, but a deep bond underlying it all.

"Alright, guess we're going out," he muttered, sitting up.

On second thought, maybe a change of scenery wouldn't be so bad.

Ever since his strange reincarnation, or whatever it was, Aldrich had kept mostly to himself, trying to process his place in this world.

He had been reborn into Arthdal Chronicle, a world he'd once thought was just fiction.

Luckily for him, this appears to be the early parts of the novel before any major conflict would arise.

Said parts focused mostly on carving out the distinct characteristics of the main cast so he can be sure to be out of trouble.

It is only later down the road does the story focus on the intercontinental conflict between the five race: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Merfolk, and Trolls.

He can at the least be rest assured knowing he didn't just get spawned into an instant life or death situation.

...

Fifteen minutes later, he emerged from his room dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, with a cap pulled down to hide his unruly hair. "Ready to go, sis."

Sal looked him over with a frown. "You're going out like that?"

"What's wrong with it?" He glanced down, genuinely puzzled.

She shook her head. "You look… like a hobo," she said bluntly.

"You mean he looks like a hobo stud," his dad, Eric, chimed in from the couch, a chuckle in his voice.

Aldrich shot him a sidelong look, unsure if that was a compliment or an insult.

Eric grinned, shrugging. "Maybe if you looked in a mirror, or better yet, wore something halfway decent, you'd look less… scruffy."

Aldrich sighed but gave up on defending himself, moving toward the couch to sit.

Sal waved him off. "No sitting down, we're leaving now."

"Alright, alright." He reluctantly followed her to the door.

Eric looked up, away from the tv. "Since you two are heading out, how about stopping by to pick up school uniforms for Al? The holidays are almost over, and he should get ready for school now that he is better."

Aldrich paused, a bit taken aback. "Isn't that jumping the gun a bit? I haven't even been accepted into a school yet so why the rush for a uniform."

Eric just waved him off. "Your sister's athletic talent and sharp mind got her into that institute. She's in the same class as the ruling class kids—"

"Dad, you mean the special class for students with exceptional talents and a better understanding of the mystic arts," Saldrich interjected, correcting him.

"Yes, yes, that one. But it's a class usually reserved for the elites. But you see my point, Al," Eric continued, looking back at him. "If your sister could get in, why not you? You're two years older. I don't see why you can't pull off a similar 'miracle,' as you kids call it."

Aldrich felt his chest tighten. "Dad, have you ever thought that all these expectations of yours could, I don't know… end up doing the opposite? I'm just now finding my footing."

Eric laughed it off, waving his hand. "Nonsense. You've got the Aldaman blood, same as your sister. And that silver hair of yours along with that astonishing looks you inherited from me? It's proof enough that you're bound to do great things. Failure isn't an option for you."

Aldrich stared at his father for a moment, feeling a pang he couldn't quite place.

"Okay, Dad, we're off. Listening to you is enough to wear me out," he muttered, and with that, he swung the door open and stepped out.

"Take care of your brother!" Eric called out as Saldrich followed him, giving a quick wave over her shoulder.

"Will do!" she called back, shutting the door behind her.