Chapter 54 - Small Comforts

“Alex?”

Val, everything is fine. Don’t attack him.

“Yes. Mark, I’m sorry, I know-”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the big man crossed the room in a few strides and absorbed his half-dressed friend in a bear hug.

“You’re alive, you crazy bastard!” He shook Alex back and forth a few times before setting him back down.

Alex coughed as the hug was released, and he was barely able to hold on to his towel. He gave his friend a smile and glanced over at Sam and Val. The two were still tense and watching the exchange. “Mark, can you talk a bit quieter? This is Sam, and he doesn’t love loud noises.”

Mark winced as he saw the clearly scared teenager and realized that he must seem like a crazy person after that entrance. He scratched the back of his head before talking in a much more quiet and gentle voice, “Sorry, man. I’m Mark and Alex is my best friend. Until a few minutes ago, I thought he was dead.” Mark casually punched at Alex’s shoulder, only for the playful strike to be batted aside on reflex.

Oops.

“Mark, I’m really glad you’re here. I promise I’m alright. Can we wait until Sarah is here before I start explaining things?”

Mark nodded, but he took several long moments to look over Alex. With only a towel covering him and a mask still not in place, Mark was able to see all of the changes out in the open.

“Yea… explanations…” He let his words trail off as he kept looking at Alex.

“Hey dude, my eyes are up here.” Alex quipped, feeling their natural banter return easily.

Mark smiled in response.

“Look, do you mind hanging out here for a minute so I can get dressed and find some clothes for Sam? If Sarah gets here, just keep her here and tell her I’ll be out in a second.”

Mark nodded again before moving over to sit on one of the stools on the countertop. Sam’s eyes followed him the whole way.

Alex saw Sam and Val communicate, and the mana wyrm returned to the boy's shoulder and used his illusion skill to hide his appearance. Mark raised his eyebrows as he witnessed the magic but didn’t press the skittish pair.

Seeing that Val wasn’t going to use a mana burst to explode his living room, Alex walked back into his closet to grab a fresh set of clothes and find a second pair that might fit Sam’s thinner frame. He sent a [Mana Thread] across his floor and into the living room, knowing that Mark couldn’t see it, to tell Sam to come to the closet as well.

Alex handed the teenager a black t-shirt, some jeans that would definitely be too baggy, and a green sweatshirt. “Here, take a quick shower and put these on. We’ll get you some fresh clothes later tonight or tomorrow.”

Sam nodded and walked into the bathroom.

Alex heard Sarah arrive and his two friends talking in hushed tones from the other room. Bracing himself, Alex reached into his spatial bag, which was resting on his dresser, and pulled out some of the Mana Silk he’d received from the Mana Spinners. He took the boot knife from the bag as well and cut a piece that would fit well for a mask.

After the mask and a piece of the dead wood were in place, Alex used [Mirage] to create an illusion and walked into the living room.

When Alex entered, they stopped talking, and both looked over to him.

“Alex!” Sarah called and rushed over to him.

“Alex?” Mark asked, confused at his change of appearance.

“Hey, Sarah. Look, I’m really sorry, I know you guys-”

“Alex!” Sarah cried. He gripped him in a hug, and he could feel her shoulders start to shake.

Just as Mark had done, Sarah interrupted his apology by throwing her smaller body into his. She crashed into him and buried her head in his chest while letting out some pent-up tears.

Alex’s hand hovered awkwardly for a moment before hugging her back and putting a hand on her back for comfort. “It’s okay, I’m back.” He murmured, though the words felt lame as he said them. He glanced over her and at Mark, who was watching the scene unfold from the bar stood across the room. He had a slightly confused look on his face, but he smiled and nodded.

Just as Alex was about to continue, the sound of the front door creaking open wider could be heard. He turned and saw Olivia standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and eyebrows raised.

“Alex?” Olivia asked.

Shit.

He could hear the tension in her voice.

Sarah immediately tensed in his arms and pulled back just enough to glance over her own shoulder at the door.

Mark stood from his seat. “Who are you?”

Olivia narrowed her eyes a bit before responding, “I could ask the same. I don’t know either of you.” She jerked her chin toward Sarah as well.

“Guys, please. Hold on a second,” Alex tried, but his voice was lost in the rising volume.

Sarah loosened her grip to face Olivia, “Wait, what? What’s going on?”

Before Alex could answer, Sarah turned her attention back to him. Her eyes focused on his face, and her eyebrows drew together slightly. “Are you mad? Your face… you look-”

“Sarah, I’m not mad. I-”

“Then why do you look so serious? You’ve had the same deadpan expression.” She interrupted him, and her fingers trembled on his arm.

Damn, she picked that up way too quickly.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Olivia’s voice cut through the room. “Because that’s not Alex.” She said. Her voice was calm and serious, very unlike the teasing, flirtatious behavior he’d heard from her just before leaving Elana’s estate.

The room seemed to freeze. Sarah’s hand dropped from Alex’s arm, and her gaze snapped back to his face, eyes wide. Mark instinctively stepped forward, ready to shield her from the “imposter.”

“Wait, what?” Sarah said again. Her voice quivered.

Mark’s jaw clenched as he moved to stand between Alex and Sarah, his posture protective. “You better start explaining yourself,” he warned, his eyes flicking from Olivia to Alex. Mark seemed more confused than on edge, while Olivia seemed ready to fight if anyone made sudden movements.

Olivia’s expression remained unchanged, unimpressed by the looming tension. She took a step into the room, her hand resting on the hilt of a dagger at her waist. “There’s an illusion on his face,” she said calmly and Alex’s eyes. “I can see the mana. So, who the hell are you?”

Alex groaned internally.

This is not how this was supposed to go. I need to reign everyone in.

He raised a hand in an attempt to ease the situation. “Olivia, wait—”

“Illusion? Are you a shapeshifter or something?” Mark asked, squaring his shoulders as if ready to pounce.

Sarah’s voice trembled. “I don’t understand—what’s happening?”

“You know I’m a Peacekeeper with the Guild, right?” Olivia said. Her eyes didn’t leave Alex’s as he said, “And if this is some sort of trap, you’re going to regret pulling me into it.”

“Wait, you’re with the Guild?!” Sarah’s voice shot up in confusion.

“Stop!” Alex finally yelled, his voice booming over the chaotic voices. “Just... stop.”

Silence. Everyone froze, their eyes locked on him.

Alex took a deep breath and pulled the makeshift mask off his face. The illusion shimmered, then dissolved, as it broke. Removing it revealed the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose and the glowing, golden left eye that only Mark had seen.

The room held its breath.

Sarah gasped audibly, her hand flying to her mouth. Mark’s eyes widened in realization. Olivia raised an eyebrow, but her expression stayed neutral.

“Alex?” Sarah whispered, her voice soft, like she was afraid to hear the answer.

“It’s me,” Alex said. “I know I look different. A lot’s happened since we last saw each other. Just let me explain to you guys what’s going on.”

They all stood in stunned silence for a beat, staring at his changed appearance. Finally, Sarah stepped closer, tentatively raising a hand to his face as if she needed to touch him to believe it was really him.

“Your eye…” she murmured, her fingers grazing his cheek.

Alex glanced at Olivia out of the corner of his eye. He caught her watching the interaction with a closed-off expression. She didn't say anything, but there was a flicker of something on her face.

Annoyance? Shit, she’s folding her arms again.

“Sarah, it’s really me,” Alex repeated gently, finally stepping back from her touch. He felt the need to create some space, not just for Sarah’s sake but because Olivia was watching, and he could already feel the tension rising.

Sarah blinked and looked down. Her cheeks reddening slightly. “I—I’m sorry. It’s just... I thought you were dead, and now you’re here, and…” she trailed off.

Olivia cleared her throat. “So, can someone explain what’s going on and who she is?” she asked while pointedly avoiding looking at Sarah.

Sarah blinked at the tone in Olivia's voice. “What do you mean ‘who I am’? I’m one of his best friends. We’ve known each other for years! Who are you?” she asked, her tone defensive. “And so what if you work for the Guild? I work for the Hunter’s Association.”

Olivia’s lips twisted into a wry smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Of course you do,” she said under her breath. “That explains a lot.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sarah shot back, her brows furrowing.

Olivia rolled her eyes. “Is that where you’ve been for the last week, Alex? Double dipping? It seems like they like to keep their hands in everything.”

Good lord, why is she being so hostile? I could understand if she thought I was still an imposter, but I took the mask off.

Jealousy? This is not at all how I wanted this to go.

“Fuck, I’m tired.” he accidentally said out loud.

Sarah opened her mouth to reply, but Alex quickly stepped between them. “Enough,” he said firmly. Mark and Sarah looked at him with surprise, as the friend they knew almost never took charge of a situation. He turned to Olivia. “Olivia, I’ll explain everything later. This... this is a lot for them to take in. I should have handled this differently. I’m sorry. No I’m not working for the government; I was stuck in a Rift. Can we talk later?”

Olivia’s eyes lingered on him for a moment before she sighed, her annoyance barely concealed. “Fine. Text me when you’re ready. I’ll decide if I’m free,” she said coolly before turning on her heel and heading for the door.

Alex covered his face with his hands as she left and closed the door behind her.

“Well, that could have gone better,” He said into his hands.

“Wait, who are you?” Sarah said.

Alex lifted his head to see Sam emerge from his bedroom in clothes that were definitely too big for him.

Now that it was just Mark and Sarah, Alex was easily able to steer the conversation. The two trusted him and were desperate to hear what had happened. Alex sat them down and introduced Sam to them both. The boy nodded shyly before sitting on the floor across from them, only a few feet from Alex.

Alex began to retell the story of his time in the Rift, how he’d met Sam, and about their escape. There was some back and forth at the more tense moments, where it was clear his friends were having a hard time believing what they were being told. He had to admit that hearing the story be told, even without any embellishments, sounded like a wildly unbelievable tale.

Sarah asked more pointed questions, clearly analyzing his experience. Alex had no doubt that she was doing mental calculations of how to help him through the experience, as she normally did for veterans in her job. Once the reality settled and Alex finished his story, she sat back and let Mark and Alex go back and forth.

Alex wanted to hear about what they had done and was surprised to find that both of them had Awakened during his absence. After Sarah told Mark that he’d been Awakened and she was worried that he’d disappeared in a Rift or been attacked, Mark shut down for a bit. He had rationalized that if he had powers of his own- that if they had powers of their own, they might have been able to be with Alex or protect him.

The next day Mark had gone and found a Rift and became an Awakened on his own. The day after that, Sarah accepted an exclusive job offer through her work with veterans to accept a medical position at the Hunters Association. One of the sign-on conditions was to be Awakened or be willing to awaken after joining. They’d taken her into a Rift and helped her kill a giant rat monster to awaken her own Trait.

They talked briefly about how much the Hunters Association had been trying to recruit people to the cause and that Rift breaks were being reported more widely, though many people didn’t seem to believe what was happening despite the reports. In the last week, the Hunters Association had started to set up refuge posts and response teams in cities in case a Rift might spawn.

Alex wanted to continue talking, but he saw Sam’s head bobbing up and down from sleep exhaustion. He explained to the two what his plan was for Sam and how hectic their last week had been inside the Rift with the betrayal and assault. Promising more explanations later, he attempted to usher his friends out of the apartment.

“Oh hell, no!” Mark said. “You’re not getting rid of us. We can crash in the living room. You go get some rest and move Sam to your bed, also. It sounds like he’s had even more of a rough time than you.”

Alex smiled as Sarah nodded in agreement.

“Fine. But can you guys do me a favor if you’re going to stay?”

“Yes.”

“Duh.”

Alex’s smile widened at the immediate responses. “Will you go grab some food for us? Good food? And can you make sure to get some Oreos? I need to make Val eat one. ”

Mark and Sarah laughed before agreeing. Alex ushered Sam to the bed before returning to the kitchen for his phone. He sent Olivia a long text attempting to explain everything and asking her for a time when she’d be willing to meet and talk one-on-one.

I doubt I’ll get a quick response after that scene. Ugh.

He felt like he had one more thing to do before his friends returned or he fell asleep. He pulled up his most recent System window, deciding that he could save the other notifications for later. When his reward prompt popped up, he looked at the name of the item presented.

Congratulations Awakened. You have completed Hidden Personal Quest: Wrath of the First-born! You have one Personal Quest Reward available.

Congratulations Awakened. You have completed Hidden Personal Quest: Wrath of the First-born! You gain: 1x Rare D Rank Mana Pearl

Intrigued and confused by the item, Alex accepted the reward and watched as it materialized in the air before him. The bright light caused both Sam and Valtherion to come over, clearly interested in what was happening.

A shining white ball with a polished surface landed in his outstretched hand. Valtherion was immediately interested and sniffed around it. Alex gently pushed him away and held the orb up to the light. It appeared to be made of a ceramic-like material and was the size of a melon. It had a gentle blue sheen to his normal eye, though in his left eye, it shone brightly with mana. Alex forced himself to look at it long enough to scan the item.

D Rank Item - Luminescent Mana Pearl

Rarity: Rare Type: Material

He briefly wondered what the material might be used for. He supposed it could be for noncombat classes if there were classes like crafters for video games. He wanted to put more thought into it, but was too tired. Alex decided to put it away before Valtherion tried to eat it. He put it into a spatial pouch and slipped it into his dresser drawer.

Finally, in his own bed, Alex face planted and fell asleep within seconds.