Chapter 3

The Aftermath

Ashley let out a long, shaky sigh of relief upon hearing the doctor's words. For a terrifying moment, she had feared that her youngest brother's mental disability had worsened because of the trauma. Alex would still be deeply affected by this ordeal—how could he not be?—but at least he was alive. And they would do everything in their power to help him heal.

Glancing to her side, Ashley saw her twin sister, silent tears streaking down her face. She understood all too well the immense weight her sister had carried over the past six months. The guilt, the self-recrimination—thinking she had nearly gotten their baby brother killed, that she had been responsible for him falling into the hands of a predator.

The toll was evident on all of them.

Ashley had shared a room with her twin long enough to notice the gradual changes. The way Jennifer's clothes hung looser on her frame. The way exhaustion had carved shadows under her eyes. But it wasn't just her—both their parents had changed too. Their mother, once vibrant and full of life, had grown quieter, more withdrawn. Their father, once strong and unwavering, had aged seemingly overnight, silver strands now visible in his dark hair.

It had all begun on that fateful day.

Ashley's Perspective Flashback – Six Months Ago

The scent of new fabric and the soft hum of idle chatter filled the small dressing room.

Ashley stood before the mirror, her expression unimpressed as she turned from side to side, inspecting the bright pink dress her mother had picked out.

"I look like a doll," she grumbled, tugging at the stiff fabric. "And you know pink isn't my favorite, Mom."

Martha, their mother, chuckled as she adjusted the hem. "You could always—"

She never finished the sentence.

The curtain to the dressing room was yanked open so forcefully that the rod rattled. Jennifer stood there, breathless and pale, her wild-eyed expression twisting Ashley's stomach with instant dread.

"Mom—Alex is gone."

The words hung in the air, a sledgehammer blow to reality.

For a second, time seemed to hold its breath.

Then their mother moved.

She bolted out of the dressing room, the dress forgotten, Ashley and Jennifer momentarily frozen in place. Panic clawed at Ashley's throat as her heart pounded. She locked eyes with her twin for just a second before Jennifer turned and sprinted after their mother.

Ashley was right behind her.

The Search – A Nightmare Unfolding

The next several hours blurred into a terrifying whirlwind of chaos.

Mall security was called. Then the police. Then their father. Their uncle. Family friends. The search grew more desperate as minutes stretched into hours.

Ashley and her younger brother Duke scoured the mall, screaming Alex's name, weaving through crowds, checking every possible hiding place. With each passing second, the dread in Ashley's chest grew heavier, sinking like a stone in deep water.

Then, the call came.

Ashley and Duke weren't there to hear the officer's words firsthand, but they didn't need to be. They felt it the moment they entered the security office.

Their mother was collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, held tightly in their father's arms. He was as still as a statue, his expression blank—but his clenched jaw and rigid grip betrayed the storm raging beneath.

Their two uncles, men who had always been their family's rock, stood nearby, their expressions shifting between shock and fury.

Ashley's stomach twisted into knots.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Duke reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly, his own eyes brimming with unshed tears. No one answered her. No one could.

An hour passed in agonizing silence. Then, another call came in.

"Reports of a shooting near Bank of America—several victims down. One matching the description of a young Black boy, Alexander Robert Cart Williams."

The world tilted beneath Ashley's feet.

She passed out in Duke's arms. Looking back, Ashley could barely remember the next few hours after waking up. The only thing she could clearly recall was what happened next. After the doctors brought Alex back from the brink of death, he fell into a long coma.

Her sister and mother had a falling out, and the same went for the rest of them. Their mother spent the next two to three months by Alex's bedside, barely leaving the hospital. Their father, on the other hand, buried himself in his work, coming home late into the night.

Jennifer refused to leave their room, hardly eating or drinking anything. She hid under her blankets, lost in grief, while their parents were too consumed by their own sorrow to do anything about it.

As for herself, Ashley did the exact same thing as their father—throwing herself into school, spending hours in the library. She avoided the hospital, too afraid to visit Alex in his current condition, just like her older twin sister and their father.

It was her own way of grieving, doing everything she could to ignore the situation. But one thing became clear to her—and likely to everyone in their family, including their friends.

Duke stepped up. At only twelve years old, he took charge of the household, handling all the daily chores that had once been divided among the three of them.

He made sure everyone was fed, even forcefully feeding their older sister when necessary. He made sure she at least came out of her room to eat and drink, and even dragged her to the shower when she refused to take care of herself.

Realizing he couldn't do it alone, he asked Maria—who was more like an aunt to them—for help. He took homemade food and a change of clothes to the hospital for their mother while juggling his own schoolwork. He even managed to get Jennifer to return to school after nearly two months of absence, though her grades had suffered badly.

Despite being lost in her own world, Ashley couldn't help but notice Duke's efforts.

Then one day, when she walked into their family's three-bedroom apartment, she found their parents' closest friends—who, at this point, were more like family—gathered in the living room. Even her father's younger brother, who lived all the way in England, had traveled to be there.

It was an intervention. And Ashley was forced to sit through it, as it wasn't just about their mother and father—it was about her and Jennifer too. Duke, however, was mostly spared from the lecture.

"Oliver, Martha, we all know what you've been doing these past three months," Daniel Williams—her father's younger brother—spoke firmly. "But it's time for both of you to get a hold of yourselves and take responsibility for the rest of your children. They still need your support and guidance."

Daniel rarely visited due to her father's strained relationship with their grandfather, a man neither Ashley nor any of her siblings had ever met. Her father never spoke of him, even when reminiscing about their grandmother. And whenever they asked, he would always change the subject.

One thing, however, was clear—their grandfather was a wealthy man. Ashley had gathered as much from her interactions with Daniel, who also avoided mentioning him, as if not wanting them to seek the man out.

"Neither of you can keep acting like this, neglecting your children—and yourselves," Daniel continued. "Yes, we all know this has been hard for you, and we understand. We've given you time and space to grieve, but this cannot continue."

Ashley barely listened, her eyes flickering toward her parents.

Her mother had taken this situation the hardest. And her father—who, in her mind, had always been unshakable—sat with his head lowered, unable to meet Daniel's gaze. Her mother, though still distant, was at least listening. Ashley could tell, even if her mind seemed preoccupied elsewhere.

"Yes, we're all worried about both of you," her aunt Maria chimed in, her voice soft and gentle. She moved closer, sitting beside her mother and taking her hand.

"I know what you're going through is painful," Maria said, looking at each of them.

Ashley met her gaze and, for a moment, felt as if Maria could see right through her. Unlike her parents, who had nearly lost a child, Maria had experienced that pain firsthand. Ashley had been old enough to witness it—her aunt and uncle losing a newborn who hadn't even survived a week. Almost losing Maria in the process.

And back then, it had been her mother and her aunt Donna who had stepped in to help.

From what Ashley had heard, this wasn't even the first time Maria and Uncle David had suffered such a loss.

"It's time for all of you to pick yourselves up," Maria said, her gaze lingering on Jennifer. "Yes, you may blame yourself for what happened, but what you do now is just as important."

That last part was clearly meant for Jennifer, who sat quietly in her blue dress.

Their aunts and uncles stayed the entire day, talking with each of them, encouraging them. Ashley watched as her uncle Damien —who always seemed carefree despite being a father of three—held Duke in his arms as the boy cried.

Duke, who had held everything inside, who had taken on more responsibility than any twelve-year-old should have to. Even compared to her and Jennifer, Duke had been the most mature.

Feeling someone standing behind her, Ashley glanced back and found her parents just a step away, watching from the balcony doors.

And that was when Ashley finally saw something shift in them.

The same shift she felt in herself as tears welled up in her eyes.

Before she knew it, she was pulled into their embrace, held tightly in her parents' arms. And as she let out all the emotions she had buried inside, she caught a glimpse—out of the corner of her eye—of a figure in a blue dress quickly hiding behind a corner.

End of Flashback

Back to the Present—Inside Alex's Mind Hours Later

Within the depths of Alex's consciousness, a storm raged. A torrent of knowledge and memories clashed violently, each identity vying for dominance.

I'm Joseph King… no, Dr. Elliot Graves… no, wait—Professor Nelson Lee… No, that's not right. I am… General Chen Lue Yang…

"Ahhh—!" Alex screamed within his mind as the flood of conflicting identities overwhelmed him. It wasn't just their names—it was their lives, their knowledge, their skills, all colliding in an uncontrollable frenzy. The pain struck like a wrecking ball, pounding relentlessly against his skull. His head throbbed with an unbearable intensity, as if his mind were being split apart.

The Hospital Room

"Uh… nurse, are you sure he's going to be alright? He's sweating like crazy, and those veins on his forehead look… bad."

Duke sat anxiously beside his younger brother's hospital bed, watching as Alex twisted and turned. It was now six in the evening. Most visitors had already left, leaving only him and their mother behind. They had volunteered to stay overnight to monitor Alex's condition.

Before he could be discharged, Alex still needed to undergo some physiotherapy. Their mother had also insisted on learning how to care for him in his current state, ensuring they were fully prepared.

Duke frowned, noticing how tense Alex's face had become. Something was clearly wrong.

The attending nurse, a middle-aged woman named Helen, approached quickly. Observing Alex's distress, she immediately checked the monitors. Duke stood up, making room for her to examine his brother.

"His vitals are spiking," she muttered, her expression darkening. "I need to get a doctor. Stay with him."

Grabbing her notepad, Helen rushed out of the room. She barely noticed Martha, who had just returned with a few blankets for the night. Seeing the nurse's hurried exit, Martha quickened her pace, her heart hammering.

As she entered, she found Duke standing over Alex, arms crossed, biting his thumb in agitation. Alex was still convulsing slightly, his head shifting restlessly from side to side. His sweat-soaked face was contorted with pain, veins bulging against his pale skin.

"What happened?" Martha asked, her voice laced with panic as she rushed to her son's bedside.

"I don't know! He was fine two minutes ago, but then—" Duke cut himself off, unable to put his unease into words.

Martha didn't hesitate. She gently took Alex's hand in hers and began stroking his damp, black hair. Then, with a deep breath, she started humming—a soft, soothing lullaby that she used to sing to him when he was little.

The effect was almost immediate. Though Alex continued to sweat and his expression remained strained, the lullaby seemed to reach him in some way. His movements slowed, his breathing steadied, and the violent tension in his face eased—if only slightly.

Duke let out a sigh of relief. His mother's gentle, melodic voice filled the room, casting a sense of calm over the storm raging inside Alex's mind.

Inside Alex's Mind

Amidst the chaos of colliding memories, a voice rang out—soft, familiar. A melody drifted through the tempest, like a beacon in the darkness.

That voice… That song…

Memories that had been buried, almost forgotten, began to surface. Warm memories. A face he knew well.

Mother.

Without thinking, Alex latched onto that voice, that memory, like a drowning man clinging to a life raft. He let go of the chaos, the fractured identities, and the overwhelming flood of knowledge. He reached for what he knew, what he was—his mother, his family, his real life.

The torrent in his mind slowed. Memories of his childhood, of laughter, of love, all surged to the forefront. The confusion, the pain—it didn't vanish completely, but at least now he had something solid to hold onto.

The Hospital Room

A doctor arrived swiftly, injecting a sedative into Alex's IV. Within moments, his vitals began to stabilize. The tension in his body eased, his breathing slowed, and the painful grimace on his face softened.

Dr. Cameron, a woman in her late thirties, observed the monitors before turning to Martha and Duke.

"It seems your son experienced a form of mental overload—likely triggered by extreme psychological stress. Has anything like this happened before?"

"No," Martha answered, her voice tight with worry. "This is the first time."

Duke nodded in agreement, his fingers drumming anxiously against the armrest of his chair.

Dr. Cameron sighed. "Given what he's been through, this isn't surprising. Post-traumatic stress manifests in different ways, and every patient reacts differently. Just keep a close eye on him, and if anything changes, we'll report this incident to his assigned doctor immediately."

Martha nodded, her gaze never leaving Alex's sleeping form.

"I'll let you both get some rest," Dr. Cameron said before exiting the room, the nurse following behind her.

As silence settled over them, Duke hesitated before speaking.

"Should we call father? Tell him what happened?"

Martha shook her head. "Not right now. Your father has a big meeting tomorrow morning with the inspectors. I don't want him distracted."

Duke frowned but didn't argue. He knew their father's job as a construction contractor required full concentration—one mistake could be dangerous, even deadly. Though he had been transitioning into a managerial role, he still had to be on-site occasionally, and tomorrow's inspection was crucial.

Deciding not to press the issue, Duke sat back down. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and both he and Martha drifted off to sleep on the small couch in the hospital room.

January 5th 1985, Saturday—8:00 AM

Alex stirred, slowly opening his eyes. His head still felt heavy, his thoughts sluggish and tangled.

He sat up slightly, glancing at his mother and brother, still sleeping on the couch nearby. They had stayed with him all night.

His mind was still cluttered, but at least now he knew one thing for certain.

I am Alex Williams.

And everything that had happened to him—the storm in his mind, the fractured memories, the sudden surge of knowledge—it all came down to a single device.

The Cognitive Amplifier.

A highly advanced learning tool designed to implant knowledge and skills directly into the user's brain.

A device that could eliminate the need for years, even decades, of studying.

A device that had rewritten his mind.

Alex exhaled, rubbing his temples.

He could understand multiple languages now, despite never studying them. Yet speaking them fluently was another matter—his tongue lacked the muscle memory, his body unfamiliar with the necessary pronunciation to properly articulate the words.

And it wasn't just languages. His mind was flooded with images—surgical procedures performed with precision, combat techniques executed flawlessly, equations solved in an instant. Skills that should take a lifetime to master… now locked inside his head.

But they weren't his.

Not really anyways.

He clutched his forehead as a new headache threatened to take hold.

Alright, let's focus…

My name is Alexander… something Williams.

I'm eight years old… I think.

I have a mother and father… three older siblings… two sisters… fraternal twins? And an older brother…

And… two other boys? Friends?

His head pounded, the information still tangled.

And yet, one thing was becoming clear.

I'm not a normal child. I have a intellectual disability, however that no longer seems to be the case.

His memories didn't feel like those of an ordinary eight-year-old. Conversations, thoughts, emotions—they all felt… off. Like a puzzle missing key pieces.

Shaking his head, Alex forced himself to lie back down. His body was still stiff, his mind exhausted.

For now, sleep was the only answer.

As he closed his eyes, Duke stirred awake, immediately glancing toward Alex's bed.

Seeing his younger brother resting peacefully, Duke let out a quiet breath of relief. Carefully, he freed himself from their mother's embrace and stretched, trying to ease the stiffness in his muscles.

He adjusted Martha's sleeping position on the couch, making her more comfortable, before checking Alex's monitors. Everything looked stable.

Satisfied, he headed to the bathroom to freshen up, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside Alex's mind—

A storm that would not only change their lives… but alter the course of history itself.