The car rumbled along the highway, carrying me closer to my new life with every mile. I stared out the window, watching unfamiliar scenery blur past. The social worker - Janet or Janice or something - kept trying to make small talk, but I wasn't in the mood. How could I be? My whole world had been turned upside down. One minute I had woken up in a car crash with two people in the front seats dead. The next, I'm being shipped off to live with some distant uncle I've never met in a city I only know from fiction.

"You'll like your Uncle Danny," she said for what felt like the hundredth time. "He's a good man, taking you in like this."

I nodded absently. Uncle Danny. Right. A man I'd never met, suddenly my guardian because of some dubious family connection. The social worker kept rambling about how nice Brockton Bay was, but I tuned her out. How was this entire thing even possible? Self-inserts were supposed to be just stories, not real life.

Suddenly, the world seemed to... shift. There was no other way to describe it. A strange energy pulsed through me and I instinctively knew something had changed.

[Menhirs - Neverland: The RPG] - 150cp, 0cp remaining

Six massive, sentient rocks that share a collective mind as a single entity. You can give them basic orders like guard, patrol, or destroy. The Menhirs can attack by unleashing psychic waves that deal mental damage and push opponents back. In addition, if a Menhir is destroyed, a still-living Menhir can absorb the broken rock's pieces; this causes the fused Menhir to gain a permanent bonus to its total HP and attack power. If all six Menhirs are destroyed, you will get another full set in a month.

The Celestial Grimoire! I somehow knew that it was the cause of whatever had just happened. A grin spread across my face as excitement bubbled up inside me. This was amazing! I was getting powers!

And then I noticed the massive floating rocks that had appeared around our car.

"Oh shi-"

The social worker's scream cut off my curse as she slammed the brakes. The sedan skidded wildly, tires squealing in protest as we narrowly avoided plowing into one of the 10-foot-long, 7-foot-wide stone monoliths now surrounding us. All around, other cars swerved and honked, drivers no doubt reacting to the sudden roadblock of six levitating boulders.

"What the hell is going on?!" the social worker shrieked, her knuckles white on the steering wheel.

I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing out with my mind towards the Menhirs. Up! I projected desperately. Up into the sky and out of sight!

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as if released from some restraining force, the Menhirs began rising steadily higher. I could sense their consciousness responding to my mental urgings. Higher they drifted into the sky, soon clearing the chaos on the highway entirely.

Janet's panicked breathing slowed as the boulders slowly flew towards the clouds and out of sight. "Was...was that a cape?" she muttered, brushing sweat-damp hair from her brow. "Some kind of weird prank by Uber and Leet?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Is this kind of thing normal around here?"

Janet let out a small, incredulous laugh. "You'll regularly hear about capes and see them in action, but I've never encountered anything like this up close before." She shook her head slowly, still looking rattled.

We soon arrived at my supposed uncle's house. Janet led me up the sidewalk to the front door, the bottom step of the porch rotted out just like I remembered from the web novel. The whole place looked rundown, the faded paint peeling. Not quite the decrepit wreck it had been portrayed as, but clearly showing its age.

Janet rapped her knuckles against the door, and it swung open, revealing my supposed "Uncle Danny." He looked pretty much like I expected - tall and lanky, with thinning dark hair and glasses that made his eyes seem oversized behind the lenses. I felt a small twinge of relief that at least my own appearance seemed unchanged from my past life.

"You must be Lara," he said, offering a sad smile. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I hadn't spoken to your father much since we were half-brothers, but I'll do my best to take care of you."

I returned the smile, more out of politeness than anything. "It's nice to meet you, Uncle Danny." The words felt awkward in my mouth. This family connection was fragile at best. From what I could recall of Worm, self-inserts being sent to live with the Heberts was a common trope, usually with the protagonist being a young boy rather than a girl like myself.

I couldn't shake the suspicion that whoever or whatever had dumped me into this world had manufactured this distant relation to the Heberts out of convenience. After all, Daniel Hebert and I had little in common in terms of appearance besides hair and skin color. He did not even look like my 'father' in this world, and it was all too convenient either way.

He stepped back, waving someone forward. "This is my daughter, Taylor. Maybe you two can be friends."

A tall, gangly girl my own age appeared from behind Danny, her long curly black hair framing an above-average face behind glasses. She clutched her arms protectively across her chest, eyes downcast. The very picture of awkwardness.

I flashed Taylor what I hoped was a warm, friendly smile, my lips curving up at the corners. "Hi Taylor. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."

Her eyes flicked up to meet mine for just a second before darting away. "Hey," she mumbled, the word barely audible as it escaped her lips.

Well, this meet-and-greet was going splendidly. I resisted the urge to sigh.

Danny cleared his throat, the sound harsh in the awkward silence. "I'll, uh, go get your bags from the car, Lara. Taylor, why don't you show her to the guest room?"

I gave Taylor an encouraging nod as she shuffled past, her shoulders hunched inward. No need to make the poor thing even more uncomfortable than she already looked. Even though this whole situation was batshit crazy, she was stuck with me whether she liked it or not.

I followed her up the stairs, the wood creaking in protest under our feet. Peeling paint clung to the walls in faded chips, and scuffed handrails looked worse for wear. The whole place could use a serious makeover.

Taylor paused at one of the closed doors, not meeting my eyes. "This is, uh, the guest room." She pulled the door open, revealing a small, bare-bones bedroom. A twin bed with a faded patchwork quilt, a beat-up dresser missing a drawer handle, and a wobbly nightstand populated the room. Heavy gray curtains blocked out most of the natural light, casting the space in drab shadows.

I stepped inside, dropping my backpack on the bed and taking in my new surroundings with a critical eye. It was...cozy? No, that implied a homely charm that this room distinctly lacked. Depressing was probably more accurate. But I tried to keep an open mind - it could be livened up with a few personal touches.

Taylor lingered awkwardly in the hallway, her arms wrapped tightly around herself like a straightjacket. She kept sneaking glances in my direction then quickly whipping her head away whenever I turned towards her. "The bathroom's right across the hall," she muttered, gesturing vaguely with one hand before tucking it back against her chest.

"Thanks, I appreciate it." I gave her another friendly smile, trying my best to put the girl at ease. Not that it seemed to be working - Taylor looked about as relaxed as a cat getting a bath. Which I could understand. Having a random stranger just show up and insert themselves into your home had to be pretty jarring.

Still, part of me couldn't help but feel there was something more to her discomfort than just the circumstances. The way her eyes kept skating over me, her whole body radiating insecure tension. It was subtle, but I got the sense Taylor found me...intimidating, for some reason. Maybe it was the looks - the long black hair, the green eyes, the sculpted cheekbones that I knew turned heads whether I wanted them to or not. Not that I was conceited enough to think I was God's gift or anything.

I waved a dismissive hand. "And don't worry about it. We're family now, right?" I gave her a wink. "I'm sure we'll be getting along like sisters in no time."

Taylor's eyes widened slightly at my wink, and she seemed to shrink further into herself, if that was even possible. An awkward silence stretched between us as she opened and closed her mouth a few times, seemingly struggling to find words.

Suddenly, her whole demeanor shifted. The tension bled out of her shoulders, and her face went carefully blank, all emotion draining away. When she spoke, her voice was a dull monotone. "I'll let you get settled in."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and retreated down the hallway, her steps stiff and robotic. I frowned after her retreating back. What was that about?

As she disappeared around the corner, I heard the faintest buzzing sound, like a thousand tiny wings beating the air. I cocked my head, straining to pinpoint the source of the noise. Was that...insects?

Oh. Of course! Taylor must have been offloading her emotions into her swarm. I felt a rush of excitement at having my suspicions confirmed - she had already triggered at this point.

And I was a bit surprised at her appearance as well, she wasn't nearly as unattractive as I had been expecting based on the descriptions in Worm. Sure, she was a bit gangly and awkward, but her face was above-average and not ugly at all.

I was in Earth Bet, living with Taylor Hebert of all people. My grin widened when I remembered the psychic Menhirs hovering high above in the clouds.

Closing my eyes, I focused my thoughts outward, trying to make mental contact. Hello? Can you hear me?

A sense of ponderous awareness brushed against my mind, vast and ancient. Images flickered through my head - prehistoric landscapes, stone monoliths standing guard over primitive human settlements. The Menhirs responded with a rumbling telepathic voice like grinding rock.

We hear you, child. What is your will?

I tried to organize my thoughts. I'm still getting used to all this. Can you tell me more about yourselves? What exactly are you?

There was a pause, as if the Menhirs were considering how best to explain. We are old, older than your kind can fathom. We have watched over the world since before your ancestors crawled from the sea. We are the living stone, given consciousness by the world itself.

Well, that was...cryptic. And not terribly helpful in understanding what they actually were. Okay, but what are you? Some kind of sentient rocks? How intelligent are you?

The telepathic voice took on a bemused tone. We are as we are. Simple. Patient. Enduring. Our awareness is that of the stone. We do not ponder the whys or try to know beyond our humble ken. We merely exist.

I absorbed that for a moment. So the Menhirs weren't particularly intellectual or insightful, just...there. Elemental beings of living stone, with the raw power of psychic blasts but little motivation beyond that? Well, if they or rather 'it' considering it was a hivemind followed all of my commands, that's all I could ask for. 

The creak of footsteps on the stairs broke me from my thoughts. A moment later, Danny appeared in the doorway, holding my duffel bag and suitcase.

"Got your things from the car," he said, setting them down heavily. He ran a hand through his thinning hair, pushing his glasses up his nose with the other. "I spoke to Janet before she left. Got all the paperwork sorted out for your guardianship and everything."

I nodded, giving him my full attention. "Thanks for doing all that. I know this can't be easy, taking in a stranger like me."

Danny waved it off with a sad smile. "We may not have met before, but you're family. I'll do whatever I can to help you through this."

Say what you want about Worm's often bleak tone, but Danny Hebert seemed like a genuinely kind guy. "I appreciate that."

"Of course." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I went ahead and got you enrolled at Winslow. Classes start back up after spring break on the fourth, so you'll be joining Taylor then. Give you a week to settle in first."

I raised my eyebrows. "Winslow? From what I've heard, that school doesn't have the best reputation."

A sheepish look crossed Danny's face. "Trust me, I know. But it's the only real option, and..." He trailed off with a helpless shrug.

Nodding in understanding, I decided not to press the issue. The Heberts clearly didn't have much in the way of money. "No, I get it. Winslow will be fine, I'm sure."

At least I'd have the Menhirs to watch my back if any of the gangs started trouble. I couldn't help but smirk as I imagined the looks on their faces if they tried to mess with me and got blasted by a psychic shockwave from a living boulder.

Danny seemed to take my easy acceptance as the end of the discussion. "Well, I'll let you get unpacked and settled. Let me know if you need anything." With that, he ducked back out into the hallway.

oo0ooOoo0oo

So what's the range on being able to hear my thoughts? I asked the Menhirs telepathically while unpacking my clothes into the dresser. Their rumbling mental voice reverberated in my mind.

We are bound to your soul, child. There is no limit to the distance over which we can communicate.

I nodded to myself, hanging up a shirt. Useful to know. And the psychic blasts you fire - how far can those reach?

In your measurements of distance, the waves extend outward around fifty feet before dissipating.

Fifty feet was a pretty decent range for an attack like that, though they'd have to be very close. But it could be used for opponents that they couldn't smash their way through. One more question - do you have any particular weaknesses I should know about?

We are impervious to trickery of the mind. Magical forces hold little influence over our stony forms. However... A vision flickered through my head - a flashing blade, glinting iron leaving deep gouges in craggy stone. ...we are susceptible to weapons forged of iron.

Iron? That was a very bad weakness, because a lot of weapons were metallic. But it's good to be aware of any-

A sharp rapping at the door interrupted me. "Lara?" Danny's muffled voice came through the wood. "Dinner's ready whenever you're done unpacking."

"Coming!" I called back. I dismissed the Menhirs' psychic presence for now.

I opened the door to find Danny waiting patiently in the hallway. "Smells good," I commented as I fell into step beside him.

He made a sort of awkward half-shrug. "It's just hamburger helper. Nothing fancy."

We made our way downstairs to the kitchen. Taylor was already seated at the small square table, hunched over a bowl of noodles and beef. She didn't look up as we entered.

I took the empty chair across from her as Danny moved to the stove, portioning out another helping. "You a fan of hamburger helper?" I asked Taylor in a friendly tone, hoping to draw her out of her shell a bit.

Her eyes flicked up to meet mine for the briefest moment before darting away again. "It's okay," she mumbled.

I opened my mouth to continue the conversation, but everything suddenly blurred. A strange pulse rippled through me as the Celestial Grimoire kicked into gear.

[In Search Of The Hero - Legend of Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets] - 100cp, 0cp remaining

While Zelda and Aginah assisted the Hero of Light in getting back on his feet and moving towards saving Hyrule, Sahasrahla was off wandering the world in search of Link, the Hero, in the hopes that he would return to Hyrule in its hour of need. Sadly, it was not to be. But, much like how he of the complicated name could track down Link and Zelda could stumble across the Hero of Light, you have a very weak psychic power that allows you to 'scan' people in order to determine if they would be useful for your goals. Generally speaking this will latch onto the nearest person with whatever talent you seek and simply point you in their direction, but with enough familiarity you could latch onto someone in specific, or someone in a much wider range. Admittedly, your range is that of a small nation, but if you want to go with someone you KNOW can handle things, you have that option.

Danny waved a concerned hand in front of my face. "You alright there? You looked dazed for a second."

I blinked rapidly, shaking off the disorientation. "Yes, I'm fine. Just zoned out for a bit."

So I have some kind of psychic ability now? The psychic rocks, and now a weak psychic ability… that was not what I was expecting from the Celestial Grimoire known for magic. I focused my mind, setting my goal as the defeat of Scion. A faint psychic tug pulled my attention towards Taylor. Figures. She did manage to take down the Entity in the end, even if it took complex circumstances and brain damage.

Curious, I switched my goal to something more mundane. Getting food in my stomach. The psychic sense shifted, drawing me towards Danny as he crossed the kitchen holding a plate piled with hamburger helper.

"Here you go," he said, setting it down in front of me with a warm smile.

I returned the smile and dug in. Not gourmet fare by any means, but I was pretty hungry after the long drive.

"So, Lara..." He paused, seemingly searching for a conversational thread to grasp. "You'll be going to a new school next week. Are you looking forward to that?"

I swallowed a bite before answering. "I guess? I don't really know what to expect." Aside from a cesspool of gang activity, rampant bullying, and subpar education standards.

Taylor made a small derisive noise but didn't look up from pushing food around her plate. Yeah, I could imagine Winslow wouldn't be her favorite topic.

Maybe I should try talking to her directly? Turning my attention to the hunched, bespectacled girl across from me, I asked, "What do you think of Winslow, Taylor? Any insights you can share with the new girl?"

She stiffened slightly at being addressed. "Fine, I guess."

I raised an eyebrow. "That's not a ringing endorsement. You don't like it there?"

A slight shake of her head, her dark curls swaying with the motion. "It's just...school."

Okay, this girl's even more awkward than I expected. Still, I refused to be put off. "Fair enough," I reply with an easygoing smile. "What about hobbies then? Do anything fun outside of classes?"

Taylor shifts uncomfortably in her seat. She's quiet for a moment, and I wonder if she's going to answer at all. Just when I'm about to change the subject, she mumbles, "I like running. Every morning before school and some afternoons too."

I perk up at that. "Running, huh? That's cool. Get some exercise, clear your head a bit?"

Taylor gave a small nod, finally meeting my gaze for more than a fleeting second. "Yeah, it helps me...unwind. Process things." She paused, then added in a quieter voice, "When stuff gets overwhelming."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Oh? Rough time at school or something?"

She stiffened again, hunching her shoulders inward defensively. "Just...stuff. You know how it is."

Not really, but I could take a guess based on what I knew about her canon experiences. I decided not to pry further for now. "Okay. Any other hobbies besides running?"

Taylor seemed to relax a fraction at the change of subject. "I like reading too. Books, mostly."

"What kind of books?" I asked with an encouraging smile. "I'm more of a fantasy nerd myself."

"Classics, a lot of the time," she replied. "But I'll read pretty much any good fiction."

I nodded approvingly. "Nice. It's hard to go wrong with the classics." I took another bite of the meal, chewing thoughtfully. "Maybe you could recommend something for me to check out?"

A small smile grew across Taylor's lips – the first I'd seen from her so far. "I could do that."

We fell into a surprisingly comfortable silence as I finished my meal. Danny cleared his throat after a few minutes. "So, Lara, would you like to watch some TV? I've got a few shows recorded if you're interested."

I shook my head. "Thanks, but I think I'm gonna turn in early. Long day of driving, you know?"

He nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course. Let me know if you need anything."

"Will do." I rose from the table, grabbing my empty plate. "Thanks for dinner."

As I headed for the stairs, I heard Taylor's chair scrape backwards. A moment later, her soft voice called out, "Hey, Lara?"

I paused, turning back towards her. "Yeah?"

She wouldn't quite meet my eyes, her gaze focused somewhere around my shoulder. "I go for a run pretty much every morning around six if you...you know, if you wanted to join me sometime."

I blinked in surprise. Extending an olive branch, huh? I grinned at her. "That sounds great, actually. I'll set an alarm."

Taylor gave a jerky nod. "Cool. Night then."

"Night," I echoed, heading up the creaky wooden steps.

Well, that could have gone worse. At least I'd made a tiny bit of progress in getting Taylor to open up. Baby steps.

Once back in the guest room, I closed the door and settled onto the bed, crossing my legs into a meditative pose. Okay, Menhir, I thought. You still there?

The grinding mental voice rumbled in response. We are ever-present, child. What is your desire?

Right, of course. I paused, organizing my thoughts. I was just wondering if you were aware of my new psychic ability? The one that lets me sense the closest person useful for my goals?

There was a long silence. Eventually, the Menhirs replied. We sense only your summons and commands. This new ability is unknown to us.

I nodded to myself. Okay, that makes sense. You can't read my surface thoughts unless I'm deliberately projecting them to you. Leaning back against the headboard, I asked, So what exactly can you perceive? Your senses must be pretty different from a human's.

There was a momentary pause as the Menhirs seemed to consider. Our awareness is not constrained by physical form. We sense the flows of magic, the vibrant sparks of living minds. When rooted to the earth, we feel the reverberations of each step, each movement.

And in terms of normal sight? I asked. Can you see things the way humans do?

We see as you see, the Menhirs confirmed. Our vision encompasses all directions simultaneously, unobstructed by such limitations as human eyes.

That...could be incredibly useful for combat awareness. No blind spots, no way for anyone to sneak up on me as long as the Menhirs were deployed. I licked my lips as I considered the advantages their unique senses could provide.

So you can detect magic, see in all directions at once, sense vibrations through the earth, and track living minds around you? I summarized. That's an impressive range of abilities.

There was a sense of amusement from the Menhirs. We are as we are. No more, no less.

I chuckled softly at their characteristic humility. For a collective psychic entity of ancient stone guardians, they were almost...quaint in their outlook. Still, I felt a surprising affection for my new companions. Perhaps it was our newly formed psychic link, or simply their ageless, steadfast natures. In any case, I looked forward to learning more about them.

For now, however, I was fighting off waves of exhaustion. Today's events had been...draining, to put it mildly. A jaw-cracking yawn escaped me as I lay back on the thin mattress.

We will leave you to your rest, child, the Menhirs intoned. Call upon us should you require aught else.

Will do. Thanks, I replied, already drifting towards sleep. Talk to you...later...