Chapter 8 : Episode 7 – “ Where's Lucius? ”

The Alter sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling, his mind a storm of emotions. The fight with Nathan replayed over and over in his head. Every punch, every glare, every word Nathan had said.

"You're not there yet."

" You're incomplete."

The words gnawed at him like an open wound. He slammed his fist onto the armrest, the wooden frame cracking under the force.

"What the fxxk does that mean?" he growled.

He got up and began pacing the room, his thoughts spiraling. Nathan had seemed so sure of himself, so smug. But more than that, Nathan seems like stronger than him —and the glow orange eyes. They were just like his.

The Alter froze, the thought sending a shiver down his spine. Was Nathan right? 

"No," he muttered, shaking his head. "He's wrong. And i will prove it."

But the seed of doubt was already planted. He could feel it growing, twisting inside him.

He sat back down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. His bruised hands shook slightly as he tried to steady his breathing.

"This isn't about him. This is about me," he whispered. "I'll figure this out. I'll prove it by defeating you."

But a small, nagging voice in the back of his mind whispered otherwise.

The Alter walked onto campus, his usual swagger intact. The confidence in his step and the sharpness of his gaze drew attention from everyone around him.

Whispers followed him.

"He seems quite nice lately."

"Yeah, I like those changes."

"Did you see those bruises? What's he been up to?"

He smirked slightly, enjoying the attention. To him, this was how things should have always been—people noticing him, respecting him, or at least fearing him. Not the timid, invisible Lucius they all used to ignore.

As he entered the classroom, his eyes found Mia. She sitting in her usual seat, She looked tense, her eyes darting toward him before quickly looking away.

The Alter felt a pang in his chest, but he shoved it aside. If she want to play the ignore game, she now have a competition. He wasn't going to beg for her approval.

Nathan was seated, browsing through a book as though he had no worries at all. However, the Alter noticed the tension in his shoulders and the rigidity in how he flipped through the pages.

"Act like nothing happen don't ya" the Alter thought, narrowing his eyes. "Sooner or later. I teach you some lesson."

Throughout the lecture, Nathan didn't look at him once, but the air between them was thick with unspoken tension still.

Dr. Sarah was seated at her desk in the university library, browsing through a collection of scholarly articles on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Her glasses perched low on her nose while she examined her laptop screen, scrutinizing the most recent discoveries about the condition that had fascinated her for ages. She had observed Lucius in turmoil, and she needed to comprehend what was occurring with him.

A few textbooks lay beside her, their covers marked with scribbles and notes—her method of processing what she had been reading. She was a psychologist by training, but this situation was different from any case she had encountered before. Lucius, a seemingly ordinary student, had suddenly become the focal point of her curiosity. He was not just showing signs of DID, but something far more complex.

As she clicked through an article titled "The Nature of Dissociative Identity Disorder: Understanding the Dynamics of Host and Alters," her fingers stopped on a highlighted sentence:

"On rare occasions, the alternate identity may entirely overpower the host, leading to the total suppression of the original personality." This often occurs when the host cannot handle intense trauma, leading to the other identity becoming the preferred defense mechanism. If not monitored, the alternate identity could completely takeover. "And the original no longer exists."

Dr. Sarah frowned, muttering to herself. "Could Lucius be having this rare occasion? What's really happening to him?"

She scrolled further, looking for any clue that might shed light on his case. She knew Lucius had been through trauma in his past, and the unpredictable outbursts were all consistent with DID. But it seems like the situation was something far more concerning.

Dr. Sarah leaned back in her chair, absorbed in contemplation. "Therefore, Lucius is having difficulties..." She looked at her phone, where a message from Mia was waiting for her. It was once more about Lucius—how he was acting increasingly unpredictably, and how she was worried about his health.

Dr. Sarah sighed, her mind swirling with worry. She needed more answers, but this was not something she could solve on her own. Not yet, at least. She needed more time.

Dr. Sarah's mind remained foggy as she crossed the campus. The students nearby moved about, oblivious to the inner struggle Lucius was experiencing. She needed to ensure the situation didn't worsen, but she also had to determine how to help him.

As she entered the campus café, she saw Mia sitting at a corner table, her eyes focused on a series of articles. Dr. Sarah approached, her expression thoughtful.

"Mia, I've been doing some research," Dr. Sarah began, her tone more serious than usual. "I need you to make me understand what's happening to Lucius. His case is seems more complicated than i thought."

Mia looked up from her screen, concerned. "What do you mean, Dr. Sarah?.

Dr. Sarah sat down across from her. "Lucius seems struggling with something more than just a personality shift. If it continues, and if it's really the cases that Lucias been having. His Alternate could take over completely."

Mia's eyes widened with fear. " Is there anything we can do?"

Dr. Sarah hesitated for a moment before answering. " Not yet. "

Mia bit her lip, seems dissapointed. "So, the alter might not let Lucius come back?"

Dr. Sarah nodded. "I think. If what you're saying are really what's happening to Lucias. We need to be careful about how we approach this."

After college, the Alter decided to take a walk to clear his head. He wandered aimlessly through the streets, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

As he turned down a quiet alley, he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter and jeering. A group of delinquents was gathered near a dumpster, their voices echoing off the brick walls.

The Alter paused, a smirk creeping onto his face. "Perfect," he muttered.

He approached them slowly, his footsteps deliberate. The delinquents noticed him and immediately straightened up, their expressions shifting from amusement to hostility.

"Hey, who's that guy?" one of them sneered.

"Looks like he's lost," another said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's help him find his place." the other laugh.

The Alter stopped a few feet away, tilting his head slightly. "Lost? Nah. I'm right where I want to be."

The leader of the group stepped forward, a cocky grin on his face. "Oh, yeah? And what do you want, spiderman?" as the leader and gang laugh

The Alter's grin widened. "A little stress relief."

The leader barely had time to react before the Alter lunged, Grip his face and sent him crashing to the ground.

Chaos erupted. The remaining delinquents charged at him, but the Alter was ready. A wild swing, managed to hit his face but the fist just stop when make contact with Alter face as he smirk. Upon not taking any damage he drive his elbow into another guy gut before spinning around and back kick another guys in the chest.

"Fun isn't it" the Alter taunted, dodging another attack and counter with cresent kick through the guy ribs that could hear the crack sound. He fell to the ground as he hold his rib hold out the pain sensation.

By the time the fight was over, the delinquents were groaning on the ground, their pride and bodies equally battered.

The Alter stood over them, breathing heavily but with a satisfied grin on his face. " It so sad that i'm the only having so much fun." he said, turning and walking away without a backward glance.

In a secret base. Nathan sat in a surveilance room. On the screen was footage from a nearby security camera, showing the Alter's fight with the recent delinquents.

Nathan leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed as he watched the fight play out.

"He's getting stronger," he muttered to himself.

His phone buzzed on the table, and he picked it up to see the Director's name on the screen. With a sigh, he answered.

"What is it?"

The Director's voice was cold and direct. "Report."

Nathan glanced at the screen again. "He's became better. The fight today proves it. But sooner or late.." before Nathan could finish

 "And his behavior?"

"Erratic. It's only a matter of time before he inhabited Lucias body forever. Don't you understand we need to act fast, contain him, help him."

The Director was silent for a moment before speaking. "Keep him in check. And if he becomes a threat…"

Nathan sigh. "I know what to do."

The call ended, and Nathan stared at the screen, his glow orange eyes reflecting back at him.

"This isn't going to end well," he muttered, closing the laptop.

The Alter made his way back home, his body sore but his spirit still uplifted from the battle. He flung his bag onto the couch and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, he couldn't help but grin. "They think they can mess with me? What a joke."

But as he stared at his reflection, Nathan's words crept back into his mind.

"You'll see soon enough."

The grin faded. The Alter leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the sink.

For the first time in a long while, the Alter felt a flicker of uncertainty. But he quickly shoved it aside. He couldn't afford doubt—not now.

Not when the fight was just beginning.

Mia lounged on her bed, gazing at her phone. The screen's light emitted a soft illumination on her face, her look a combination of concern and fatigue.

She sighed, locking the phone and tossing it onto her bedside table. Leaning back against the headboard, she stared at the ceiling, her mind racing.

"Is he still in there somewhere? Or is this... all that's left?"

Her hands shook as she reminisced about the past few days. The Alter was self-assured, daring,—everything Lucius was not. And still, there was something disquieting about him. His grins, his biting remarks, and the manner in which he appeared to relish conflict.

"Am I wrong for distancing myself? Maybe if I just try to reach out again... he'll be back."

She hugged her knees to her chest. "Lucius," she whispered into the silence, "if you're still in there... come back."

The moon loomed low in the sky, throwing a faint, spectral glow over the empty alley. Debris strewn on the earth, a wind carrying the subtle odor of decomposition. The distant noise of traffic was dampened by the decaying structures that bordered the narrow, neglected street.

The man involved in the container disaster—his face partly hidden by the hood of his black jacket—emerged from the darkness. His eyes shone with an eerie intensity, a smirk forming at the edges of his lips as he examined the chaos of the brutal scene.

The alley was strewn with corpses, each one bruised and shattered, contorted in unnatural postures. Vince and his crew, the identical individuals who had created significant issues for Lucius, were collapsed on the frigid concrete, unable to stir. Some moaned in agony, while others just stayed still, their faces ashen from losing blood. 

The man ran his gloved hand through his dark hair, a low chuckle escaping his lips. "Pathetic," he muttered, kicking aside a discarded bottle with a harsh swing of his boot. "You thought you could act like own the place. But didn't know that your nightmare would came to life."

His voice was low, laced with a bitter satisfaction. He paced back and forth, his steps confident and measured. His smirk never faltered, and his eyes remained cold,red, devoid of any remorse. He wasn't bothered by the grotesque scene he had created—it was nothing more than a job to him. A way to send a message. To remind the city that there were forces far more powerful than petty criminals.

"Strange, isn't it?" the man whispered, his fingers lightly touching the side of his face. "You individuals consistently seek power, desire to lead, and wish to instill fear in others." You all believed that with a weapon in hand, you could defeat others and extend your influence throughout this area. His voice, previously serene, now possessed a toxic tone. "However, individuals like you are frequently the targets." The weak, the greedy... you all believe you're invincible, Yet when confronted by a true predator. The initial idea that comes to mind is...FLEE."

Tazer chuckled, "As if fleeing could spare you from your end—kukukukk," as he laughed. "Some of you are dead, correct?" Well, think of it as a...sacrifice for you that remains alive and well.

He took one last glance at the wreckage he'd caused. Vince and his gang wouldn't be walking again anytime soon. A few might survive, but they'd never be the same. The man's work here was done.

As he turned to leave the alley, his grin widened. The quiet thrill of what he'd just done was unmistakable. He understood that his deeds would resonate through the streets, instilling fear in those who believed they were untouchable. He was an unyielding power, and no one remained capable of confronting him.

His boots echoed sharply on the concrete as he moved away from the turmoil, his silhouette fading ino the city's shadows.

Behind him, the only sound that remained was the faint echo of groaning from Vince and his gang.