Chapter 7 : Episode 6 – Confrontation

The following day, the Alter, maintaining control over Lucius's body, arose with a grin. While walking into the college campus, he exuded an air of confidence. An increasing number of students began to draw closer to him. They were enchanted by his humor and daring character—nothing like the Lucius they had previously encountered.

At lunch, he was positioned at the heart of a circle of recent acquaintances. The atmosphere was alive with laughter and conversation as he told jokes and expressed daring views on subjects Lucius would have never addressed. The students nearby looked up to his confidence, but one individual was not impressed—Mia.

Seated a few tables distant, Mia observed the Alter, her expression filled with discomfort. She was unable to clarify why, but this version of Lucius seemed off. He wasn't the gentle, warmhearted companion she remembered. He had a certain sharpness, something disquieting.

"Hey, Mia!" called one of her classmates. "Why are you not with Lucius?" "He appears to kind of funny today!"

Mia put on a smile and shrugged her shoulders. "I simply... have a few other tasks to attend to."

She took her tray and exited the cafeteria, her heart weighed down by uncertainty. She couldn't muster the courage to face him, yet the gap between them was widening.

That afternoon, the Alter noticed Mia walking away quickly after class. She had avoided him all day, barely speaking a word. He leaned against a wall, watching her with narrowed eyes.

"She's pulling away," he muttered to himself. 

For a brief moment, something like regret flickered across his face, but he quickly shook it off. "Let her go," he thought. "If she can't handle this me, then it's better this way."

Still, a part of him felt unsettled. 

Meanwhile, Nathan—was watching the Alter closely. Over the past few days, he had started asking questions that felt too specific, too probing.

"Hey, Lucius," Nathan said casually as they walked out of class together. "You've been... different lately. More confident, more... funny. What's changed?"

The Alter smirked but didn't slow his pace. "What can I say? People evolve."

Nathan's eyes narrowed slightly. "Sure, but it's almost like you're a completely different person. Like, not just a change in attitude—something like a..... You ever feel like... you're not yourself?"

The Alter stopped walking and turned to face Nathan, his eyes sharp and calculating. "What exactly are you getting at, Nathan?"

Nathan held his hands up in mock surrender. "Relax, man. Just curious. You've been getting a lot of attention lately. People talk, you know?"

The Alter forced a laugh and clapped Nathan on the shoulder. "Well, let them talk. I've got nothing to hide."

But as they continued walking, the Alter's mind raced. This guy. Its like he knows something... but how much?

The next day after college, Nathan sent the Alter a message: Meet me at the old park near the west side. We need to talk.

The Alter grinned at the audacity of the message but chose to indulge him. He reached the deserted park right when the sun was going down. The area was hauntingly silent, with decaying playground apparatus and unchecked weeds creating a deserted atmosphere.

The deserted park lay under the soft light of the moon, with the wind murmuring through the wild weeds and causing the old swings to creak. The atmosphere was thick, brimming with the approach of a violent storm. The Alter, casually leaning with his hands in his pockets, looked at Nathan with a slight smirk, his confidence shining like a fire. Nathan faced him, his attitude serene and collected.

"You've know something, haven't you?" The Alter tilted his head, his tone mocking. "You must be bad at whatever you to accomplish because— you just been caught on."

Nathan didn't respond immediately. He simply stared. "I wasn't hiding," Nathan said finally, his voice steady and deliberate. "I called you here. Why would i hide?"

The Alter raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, I'm here. Now what? You're gonna bore me to death with your cryptic talk?"

Nathan took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. " You're a danger to everyone around you. And until you understand what you are. I will prevent that from happening."

The smirk on the Alter's face faded, replaced by a sharp glare. "Danger?" he echoed, his voice dropping. "You don't know a damn thing about me."

Nathan sighed, as if he'd been expecting that response. "I know more than you think. I know you're not the real one, for starters. You're just… the extra."

That settled it. The Alter's eyes gleamed with fury, and before Nathan could respond, he lunged ahead, pushing him with great strength. Nathan was propelled backward like a puppet, crashing into a corroded metal fence with a loud impact.

For a moment, there was silence. The Alter stood there, breathing heavily, his fists clenched. "I'm getting real tired of people like you trying to tell me who I am," he growled.

But then, to his surprise, Nathan got to his feet, brushing off his jacket as if nothing had happened. His eyes glowed in orange, illuminating the shadows around him. "I was kind of hoping you'd do that," Nathan said, his voice cold. "Now I have a reason to stop you."

Before the Alter had a chance to reply, Nathan lunged ahead with unnatural speed, landing a strong punch to his gut. The Alter bent down, panting for breath, yet Nathan continued unabated. He executed a spinning kick that struck the Alter temple, causing the Alter to smash into a nearby bench and split it in two.

The Alter groaned, pushing himself up from the wreckage. His smirk returned, though his eyes burned with fury. Spitting blood onto the ground. "But if you think that's enough to take me down, you're dead wrong."

He charged at Nathan again, their fists colliding mid-air with a deafening crack. The force of the blow sent both of them skidding backward, but neither faltered.

The brawl intensified into a flurry of strikes, including punches, kicks, elbows, and knees. Nathan's actions were more deliberate, exact, and his blows were stronger, his orange eyes shining with an unsettling brilliance. The Alter, on the other hand, battled with sheer strength, agility, and intuition, his blows feral yet destructive.

"You're not quite there," Nathan conceded, evading a blow that broke a nearby lamppost. "You are careless. Raw."

"Yeah? Well, shut the hell up ," the Alter shot back, landing a side kick to Nathan's chest that sent him crashing into a tree.

Nathan coughed. "You're just proving my point," he said. "You're all brute force. No control. That's why you're incomplete."

The Alter froze, his eyes narrowing. "What you just say?"

Nathan smirked, his orange eyes glowing brighter. "You heard me. You're incomplete. A piece. A mere reflection of what you were meant to be. You're not there yet... not until i teach you a lesson."

The words hit the Alter like a physical blow, and for a moment, he faltered. But then his fury reignited, and he charged at Nathan with a roar.

The fight raged on, neither side gaining a definitive upper hand. Nathan's precision and speed clashed against the Alter's raw power and speed each trading blows that left the other battered and bruised.

Finally, as they squared off once more, Nathan's communicator crackled to life.

"Nathan," the director's voice came through, firm and commanding. "That's enough. Stand down."

Nathan hesitated, his glowing eyes flickering.

The Alter noticed the pause and fall to his knee. "I'm not done yet." Wiping the blood from his mouth.

Nathan glared at him but stepped back, his fists unclenching. "This isn't over," he said quietly, his voice tinged with frustration.

The Alter growl, though his breathing was heavy. "You're damn right it's not," he replied, watching as Nathan turned and walked away into the shadows.

As the park fell silent once more, the Alter stood there, his mind racing with questions. What did Nathan mean by "complete"?

He clenched his fists. Whatever the answers were, he knew one thing for certain: He's not the only one.

Nathan remained stiff in the director's confidential room, his arms firmly folded across his chest. Kara, positioned beside him with her constant clipboard, stared at him with a blend of annoyance and skepticism. The director positioned himself behind his desk, fingers interlocked as his intense gaze pierced through Nathan. The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, and the soft buzz of monitors in the background only contributed to the burden.

"What the hell were you thinking, Nathan?" the director finally said, his voice icy and measured. "You were supposed to monitor him, not provoke him into a fight."

Nathan's jaw clenched. "I wasn't provoking him. I was assessing his capabilities. You saw the footage. He needs to be confronted before he becomes a bigger threat."

"Confronted?" Kara snapped, slamming her clipboard onto the desk. "You nearly blew our cover, Nathan! He wasn't supposed to know that he was not the only one, let alone that we understand what he is."

Nathan's glowing orange eyes dimmed slightly as he let out a frustrated sigh. "He's not just unstable. He doesn't even fully understand what he is. How do you expect me to just sit back and 'observe' when he's could be walking time bomb? We could prevent that from happening."

The director leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "We're not questioning your concerns, Nathan. What we're questioning is your judgment. You might be the Complete , but that doesn't give you free rein to act recklessly."

Nathan's expression hardened. "Then what's the plan? Let him spiral out of control until he hurts someone—or worse?"

Kara interjected, her tone sharp but calm. "We've been studying this phenomenon for years, Nathan. You're not the first case we've encountered. But you are the first to achieve integration—a Complete Form. Do you know how rare that is?"

Nathan looked at her, his forehead creasing. "I am fully aware of my identity." And that's the reason I'm saying this to you, Lucius—his Alter—he's not whole. He's broken. That's what renders him perilous. "We need to restrain him and bring him to our side."

The director stood, his imposing figure casting a shadow over the desk. "Then perhaps it's time we discuss the difference between you and him. You're the perfect example of what happens when the Alter and the host become one. Complete. Unified. But Lucius… he's living with two separate minds trapped in one body. That's the incomplete —a constant battle for control."

Nathan's fists tightened at his sides. "And you think that's sustainable? That he won't eventually snap and let the Alter take over completely?"

Kara sighed, rubbing her temples. "The incomplete form is inherently unstable. The Alter gains strength every time it takes control, while the host becomes weaker. It's a ticking clock. But if the host and the Alter can integrate—if they can achieve what you have—it's no longer two halves fighting for dominance. It becomes one unified whole. Complete."

Nathan scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, because integration is such an easy process. That's why we need to contained him as fast as we can. Let me remind you, it took me years of training—and a hell of a lot of pain—to get where I am."

"Precisely," the director said, his voice calm but firm. "And that's why we can't rush this. If we push him too hard, we risk shattering him completely. And if that happens…"

Kara concluded his statement in a somber manner, "The Alter will dominate forever, and Lucius will no longer be." "The unfinished version will collapse."

Nathan exhaled sharply, pacing the room like a caged animal. "So what do we do? Sit back and watch him destroy himself?"

The director's expression softened slightly, though his voice remained authoritative. "No. We guide him. Slowly. Carefully. Lucius is different from you, Nathan. His trauma is still raw, and his connection to his Alter is more chaotic. He's not ready for integration—not yet."

Nathan stopped pacing, turning to face the director. "And what if he doesn't want integration? What if he likes the chaos? The power?"

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of the question hanging in the air. Finally, Kara spoke, her voice quieter but resolute. "Then we'll have to make a decision. A hard one."

Nathan's eyes flickered as he stared at the director. "And if that decision involves taking him out, I'm guessing I'm the one who gets to pull the trigger. I hope not."

The director did not respond right away. Instead, he glanced at the screens on the wall, displaying footage of Lucius strolling through the city, his Alter confidently in command. "Let's wish it doesn't reach that point," he said at last.

Nathan laughed derisively but didn't dispute. He looked at the screen, observing Lucius's assured walk and keen glance. For an instant, he sensed an odd twinge of recognition to integration.

"One way or another," Nathan muttered, "There's two path. You must chose one. Lucias."

As the conversation ended, the room fell into a tense silence, the three of them lost in their thoughts. Outside, the city buzzed with life, completely unaware of the storm brewing in the shadows.

The Alter slammed the door shut behind him, heaving with frustration and pain. The faint glow from the apartment created elongated shadows on the walls, reflecting the turmoil of feelings developing within him. He tripped into the living area, tossed his bag onto the sofa, and fell into the armchair, gripping his side where Nathan had struck him.

"Damn it…" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Nathan's words echoed in his mind, taunting him like a broken record.

"You're not whole."

" You're not complete

The Alter sneered at the memory, his fists clenching tightly. "Complete, huh? What the hell does that even mean?!" he spat, his voice reverberating in the empty apartment.

He stood abruptly, pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His body ached from the fight, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the sting of Nathan's cryptic remarks.

"Who the hell does he think he is? Coming into my life, acting like he knows me—like he's better than me!"

The Alter's anger ignited, and he took a glass from the counter, throwing it across the room. It broke upon the wall, the noise piercing and jarring. He breathed deeply, running a hand through his hair, his mind racing.

And afterward, in the stillness that ensued, uncertainty started to emerge.

"Why do his eyes glow like mine?" Why is he stronger than I am? What was he referring to when he said 'complete'? "Then why on earth do I feel like he's correct?"

The Alter stood still, his hand placed on the counter as the reality of everything hit him. After a lengthy period, he experienced a feeling that was unfamiliar to him—Competition.

He looked at his reflection in the cracked mirror hanging on the wall. The face staring back at him was Lucius's, but the fire in his eyes, the confidence in his stance—that was all him, the Alter.

"What am I?" he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible.

There was no answer.

The Alter sat on the edge of the bed, the room bathed in darkness. His anger had simmered down, replaced by a restless unease. He leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped tightly together.

"Nathan… He's like me. I thought i'm the only one?"

He shut his eyes, replaying the memories of the battle repeatedly in his thoughts. Nathan's bright glow eyes, his self-satisfied smile, and his precise, strong movements felt like gazing into a distorted mirror.

And then there were Nathan's parting words: "You're incomplete. A piece. A mere reflection of what you were meant to be."

The Alter scoffed, shaking his head. "What does he know that I don't?"

He sensed the well-known presence of Lucius subtly shifting in the recesses of his thoughts. The more vulnerable host, the one who perpetually concealed themselves behind him. For a brief instant, he contemplated withdrawing, allowing Lucius to take charge. However, he then tightened his jaw and clenched his fists.

"No," he muttered. "Not yet. Not until I figure this out—I can handle this."

The Alter woke up to the sound of his alarm blaring. He sighed, massaging his face as the sunlight poured in through the curtains. His body was still sore from the battle, yet he set the discomfort aside as he rose and got ready for the day.

As he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror, he noticed the faint bruises on his face and neck. He smirked, touching the edge of a bruise. " You find out soon enough." he muttered.

He took his bag and walked out the door, resolved to make it through the day without considering Nathan—or at the very least, attempting to.

The Alter strolled onto campus, his walk assured and his chin lifted high. Students glanced his way, their murmurs trailing behind him like a shadow.

"Is that Lucius?"

"Sure, he's striding around as if he runs the joint."

"Did you notice those bruises?" "What happen with him?"

The Alter ignored the stares and whispers, a smug grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He liked the attention—it was a far cry from the invisible existence Lucius had lived.

As he entered the classroom, he spotted Mia sitting in her usual spot. She looked up at him, her eyes gradually widening at the view of his bruises. However, her demeanor shifted, and she averted her gaze.

The Alter's grin faltered for a moment. He could feel the distance between them growing, but he pushed the thought aside. "If she wants space, she can have it," he muttered under his breath.

Nathan remained seated at his desk, idly leafing through his notebook while the professor monotonously lectured. The Alter observed him from across the space, his gaze tightening.

Nathan appeared unaffected, as though last night's confrontation had not occurred. However, the Alter noticed the slight bruises on his knuckles and the subtle rigidity in his movements.

"Act like nothing happen don't ya" the Alter thought. "You will pay."

Throughout the lecture, Nathan didn't glance his way once, but the Alter could feel the tension in the air. It was a silent game of cat and mouse, and neither of them was willing to make the first move.

That evening, the Alter found himself back at the park, the site of his confrontation with Nathan. He sat on one of the rusted swings, his mind racing.

Nathan's words still lingered, gnawing at him like a persistent itch.

"What does he know about me?" the Alter muttered to himself. "Why is he so damn confident?"

He clenched his fists, the fire in his eyes burning brighter. "I'll find out. One way or another."

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the park in shadows, the Alter made a silent vow. He would uncover the truth about Nathan, about himself, and about what it meant to be "complete."

And if Nathan wanted a fight, he would give him one.