As Albert observed the children, he was once again amazed by their adaptive ability. Their teary faces were already replaced with bright smiles and accompanied by pleasant laughter. Not a hint of the previous outcry was present on their faces, not even a swollen eye, courtesy of the healer.
Now, having changed into beach clothes and swimmers, the children looked like the average beach goer. As if they hadn't just experienced a life threatening event. Albert didn't know whether to be impressed or worried. Impressed that they could move on so easily. Worried that they were ABLE to move on so easily.
On the other hand, he wasn't able to. Although the memories faded, the experiences remained. They were engraved in his bones, every slight touch reminding him of the fear and pain he went through. Despite being used to his family's touch, when other people even so much as touched him unaware, he'll freeze as a wave of fear rushed through, heart accelerating and pupils dilating. It was easy enough for him to understand what his lost memories contained.
However, the occasional flashback was not all fear inducing. There were a few random moments wherein he looked at a flower and remembered a time he crushed it and put it in his father's sandwich. Biological father that is. In another memory, he had grown an apple for a little boy, who rubbed it on his shirt and gingerly bit into it before crying out for he had lost his tooth to the apple.
Thinking back to those little moments, Albert knew that his life was not just made of harrowing moments, but also normalcy. Before all this, he had led a normal life, away from heroes and villains. If he asked Kin or maybe even Victoria, perhaps they would tell him where he had come from. But Albert felt adverse to the idea. He felt that if he really did do so, it would be akin to spitting the Cruz's in the face. He didn't want to seem like he was discarding his current family for one that he couldn't even remember.
This was ridiculous, of course. There was no way they would think that. It was only that Albert was thinking too much of it and worried himself pointlessly.
"You're not going to play too?" Cain inquired, pausing from his cameraman duties. The bathers, play kits and floaties were all provided by him out of his wallet. Thus, in order to make up for the lost, he thought he might as well take some photos and hope for a bonus.
"How're 'bout you? You look like you're burning up." Albert laughed, looking up and down at Cain's reddened skin.
"Ack-, I have the duty to guard from the land. Brian will be guarding the waters. We'll switch later."
Albert let out a chuckle as he watched the twins' sandcastles get washed away by the tide and a triumphant Vin smirking behind his still very much intact castle. Meanwhile, Ian was busy decorating his with seashells and didn't notice the misplaced anger in the twins' eyes. A ruthless stomp or two later and the poor boy was left squating in front of a pile of deformed sand.
"I'll go now. Have fun in the sun, Cain." Albert stood up, leaving his empty bag of fish and chips on the beach towel for Cain to deal with. He ran up to the kids, helping an upset Ian to splash the cheeky twins.
"Excuse me! Can you pass us the ball?" Albert glanced at the beach ball floating beside him and grabbed it. Not too far away were a group of kids around his age fooling around in the water. They waved at him wildly to gain his attention, calling out for the ball.
Albert decided that the ball was probably too light to throw back and opted not to embarrass himself. Instead, he walked towards them, ball in arm. "Here's your ball."
"Thanks!" The kid gleamed. "Wanna join us?"
"Yeah!" From out of nowhere, Atlas popped his head and answered in Albert's stead.
"Great! Then let's split into teams." He turned to his friends. "Hey guys! They said they'll play with us."
"Cool!" The boy speaking paused when his eyes landed on Albert's face. "Huh? Albert?"
Albert was a little shocked. "Yes?"
The boy made big splashes as he rushed through the water and made his way towards Albert. "You're Albert right? I'm Kyle, remember? Dolly Primary school, we were in the same class!"
Albert took a step back. This person was one from his lost past…
"Long time no see! I heard that you went missing from a few friends but you must have just moved like I did!"
A face flashed in Albert's mind that overlapped with the overeager one in front of him. Kyle was always a friendly guy, nice and bubbly, the centre of attention. When he moved away, the whole class had come together to throw him a farewell party and tearfully wrote him a goodbye card with their wonky handwriting and limited vocabulary.
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but I think you've mistaken something. They may share the same name but this Albert and the Albert you're referring to are different people." Brian cleared his throat and dealt with the situation before it got out of control. He may not be privy to much but he was at least aware that their young master Albert was dead on paper and thus, his previous identity must not be exposed.
"Really? Sorry!" Kyle blushed and apologised upon realising his 'mistake'. "You look so similar that I thought…"
Albert smiled gently with his regained composure. "It's alright. I don't mind."
"Really, sorry." Kyle apologised once more and the topic was dropped. Quickly, they formed even teams, with Albert and Kyle coincidently being in the same team. Albert was still admittedly a little shaken up so throughout the game, he kept up his mask and continued to smile.
Seeing this, Kyle spoke with realisation. "You really aren't him, the Albert I knew, I mean. That guy never really smiled like this."
"Excuse me?"
"Well, just between us but he was a little weird. The only time he smiled was when he was teasing someone." Kyle looked left and right as if he were gossiping. "There was this kid that would follow him around and he always got bullied! But he was so dumb that he didn't even realise and would forgive him as soon as Albert gave him a fruit."
"Pft-Cough, heh, Cough." A certain someone covered his mouth with his hand to stifle his laughter but the sounds were too obvious and much too obnoxious.
"Ah, Cain, since it's so hot, why don't you go buy some ice cream for everyone? You don't mind right?" Albert turned to face Cain with Victoria's signature smile.
"But-" Thinking of his poor wallet, Cain opened his mouth to refuse.
"Hmm?" Albert slightly narrowed his eyes.
"U-understood."
Brian slightly lit a candle for his dear comrade but did not offer to pay in his stead.
"What flavours do you guys like?" Albert turned to face the kids.
"Ah? Us?"
Albert nodded.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Since you were nice enough to invite us to play."
"T-then I'd like a mango."
"Chocolate for me!"
"I want choc-chip."
Cain took note of everyone's orders and depressingly went to fulfil his job. Meanwhile, Albert silently took a mental note of the information he learnt today. Without really knowing why, he made sure to remember all the new details about his past self.
Dolly primary, a bully, and a kid that he bullied.
Albert wondered if it was the child that lost his tooth to an apple.