Common Sense Hijack System-Chapter 112

Karl walked through the snowstorm with steady steps, even though the freezing wind whipped against his face and snow piled on his shoulders. Mrs. Jane’s body felt light in his arms, but the emotional weight he carried was far heavier.

"Karl... I can walk on my own," Mrs. Jane’s voice trembled weakly in his ear.

"No, your legs are too weak, and we don’t have time to stop," Karl replied firmly, his eyes focused on the path ahead.

The thick snow buried parts of the road, making every step feel like wading against a powerful current. Empty buildings and snow-covered cars looked like silent graves in the storm. Occasionally, Karl heard distant rumblings—either collapsing buildings or something far worse.

After what felt like an eternity, Karl finally spotted the silhouette of his apartment building in the distance. Its windows were covered with curtains, and only a faint light glowed from the upper floor—his apartment.

"We’re almost there, Mrs. Jane. Just hold on a little longer," Karl said reassuringly.

When they reached the apartment door, Karl fumbled in his jacket pocket for the key. His stiff, frozen hands almost dropped it, but finally, the door unlocked with a soft click.

Karl stepped inside, kicking the door shut behind him. The warmth from the small heater greeted them, though it wasn’t enough to chase away all the cold clinging to their bodies.

"Layla!" Karl called as he gently placed Mrs. Jane onto the small sofa.

Layla, still lying on the couch under a thick blanket, opened her eyes weakly. Her face looked slightly better than before, thanks to the Noctis blood she had consumed.

"Karl...?" Layla croaked softly.

"This is Mrs. Jane. I found her at the store. She needs a safe place to stay for now."

Karl quickly moved to the corner of the room, adding more wood to the portable stove to keep the room warm. He then grabbed an extra blanket from a small cupboard and carefully wrapped it around Mrs. Jane.

"Thank you, Karl..." Mrs. Jane whispered faintly.

"Drink this first, Mrs. Jane." Karl poured warm water from a thermos into a small plastic cup and handed it to her.

She sipped it slowly, her trembling hands gradually steadying.

Layla watched them with eyes filled with curiosity and relief. Although this small apartment was far from luxurious, it felt like a fortress in the middle of the chaotic storm outside.

Karl finally sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall, his head lowered as he took a deep breath. His body was exhausted, and his mind raced with plans and worst-case scenarios.

Mrs. Jane stared at the small flickering fire in the portable stove. Her face was pale, but a faint sense of calm glimmered in her eyes.

"What will we do next, Karl?" she asked softly.

"We’ll survive, Mrs. Jane. We’ll get through tonight, and tomorrow we’ll figure out the next step. For now, we need to rest and regain our strength."

Layla smiled weakly from the sofa. "As long as we’re together, we’ll make it through this, right, Karl?"

Karl nodded slowly, a thin smile forming on his face. "Yes, Layla. We’ll make it."

Outside the window, the snowstorm continued to rage, covering the world in a cold, silent white blanket. But inside that small apartment, three people sat together under dim light, holding on to a fragile spark of hope amidst a world slowly crumbling.

---

Karl stared at Layla, who was still lying on the sofa. Her breathing was steady, her face looked peaceful, and a healthy glow was beginning to return to her cheeks. However, the longer Karl observed her, the clearer it became that something was off.

"Why... why isn’t she in pain?" Karl thought, remembering how Layla drank Valencia’s blood with no adverse reaction. Valencia had been clear—ordinary humans who drank Noctis blood would experience unbearable pain before their bodies accepted or rejected it. But Layla... she seemed completely fine.

Karl frowned, his mind connecting forgotten dots. The Supersonic Explosion. That was the beginning of all this chaos—the event that triggered the Winter Apocalypse. The explosion destroyed the atmosphere, blocked out the sun, and caused global temperatures to plummet. But there was one detail the System had mentioned to Karl before.

"Some people will undergo unique mutations due to radiation from the explosion. Those who survive and are fortunate enough might experience an Awakening, though in unstable conditions."

Karl straightened up, his eyes filled with both realization and concern as he stared at Layla.

"No way... Layla must have already experienced Awakening before I gave her Noctis blood."

"It makes sense... That’s why her body could accept Valencia’s blood without destructive side effects."

Karl approached the sofa and sat down next to Layla, who now looked at him with a confused expression.

"Karl, why are you looking at me like that? Is something wrong with me?"

Karl took a deep breath before speaking in a calm yet firm voice.

"Layla... I think you experienced an Awakening long before this. When the Supersonic Explosion happened... your body must have reacted to the radiation or energy from that blast. And that’s why Noctis blood worked on you without causing unbearable pain."

Layla’s eyes widened. "Awakening? You mean... I’m like a mutant or something?"

Karl shook his head. "Not a mutant, Layla. More like... your body awakened some kind of power."

Layla stared at her hands, as if trying to sense something different within herself. "But I don’t feel anything different, Karl... I just feel warmer, more... alive."

"That’s enough of a sign." Karl looked at her seriously. "Awakening doesn’t always show immediate results. Your body might still be adapting. But one thing’s clear—you’re not an ordinary human anymore, Layla. And we have to be careful. If anyone else finds out about this..."

Karl didn’t finish his sentence, but Layla understood his meaning. The world out there was a place where even the smallest power could turn someone into a target.

The room fell silent. The cold wind continued to howl against the thin apartment walls, but between Karl and Layla, a new understanding had formed.

"I’ll protect you, Layla," Karl said with quiet determination. "No matter what happens, I won’t let them touch you."

Layla gave a faint smile, though her eyes still reflected shadows of fear that hadn’t completely faded.

"I trust you, Karl."

Outside, the snowstorm continued to rage. But inside that small apartment, a fragile spark of hope began to glow in the deepening darkness. Karl knew this was just the beginning. If Layla had truly experienced an Awakening, then the world outside would never stop hunting them.

Mrs. Jane sat quietly on the sofa, her frail hands clutching the cup of warm water Karl had given her. Her eyes darted between Karl and Layla, confusion etched deeply into her pale face. The tension in the air was almost tangible, and she couldn’t ignore the way Karl spoke—as if he already knew what would happen next.

"Karl..." Mrs. Jane’s voice broke the silence, soft yet firm. "How... how do you know all of this? About the Awakening, about the blood... about everything? You talk like... like you’ve been preparing for this for a long time."

Karl froze for a moment, his gaze locked onto the flickering flames in the portable stove. He let out a slow breath before meeting Mrs. Jane’s questioning eyes.

"I... can’t explain everything right now, Mrs. Jane. But let’s just say—I’ve had some help. Information from... a source I can’t talk about." His voice was steady but carried a hint of unease.

Mrs. Jane’s brows furrowed. "A source? Karl, we’re all just trying to survive here. If you know something, if there’s something you’re hiding... we deserve to know. This isn’t just about you or Layla—this is about all of us."

Layla shifted on the sofa, her eyes now focused on Karl. The question lingered between them, heavy and unyielding.

Karl sighed and rubbed his face with his gloved hands. "You’re right, Mrs. Jane. But the truth... it’s not something either of you might be ready to hear."

"Try us," Mrs. Jane said firmly, her voice stronger now.

Karl took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the flickering flame of the portable stove. The dim light cast sharp shadows on his tired face. Layla and Mrs. Jane sat quietly, their gazes locked on him, waiting for an explanation.

"Mrs. Jane, this all started because of the Supersonic Explosion. This winter... this endless cold... it’s an apocalypse," Karl said, his voice low but firm.

Mrs. Jane’s lips trembled slightly. "But how, Karl? How did it happen?"