Chapter 4: The Echoes of Memory (Revised)
Lysander walked slowly through the narrow paths of Ta Lo, his mind heavy with thoughts that refused to settle. The village was peaceful, the kind of place you might dream about after a long day. And yet, it only served to remind him of the world he had left behind—the real world. His world.
It had been months now, and the shock of being transported into the Marvel Cinematic Universe had not yet worn off. When he first realized where he was, it had been almost impossible to process. One minute, he had been living an ordinary life, no powers, no cosmic energy flowing through him, and the next... this. The Snap. Thanos. Half of all life wiped out in an instant. And here he was, somehow, as an **Eternal**, gifted with powers far beyond what he could ever have imagined.
But with those powers came memories—memories not just of the MCU, but of his own life before. He had lived through the Snap as a normal person, watched the chaos unfold on TV like everyone else. Except now, it wasn't just news—it was his reality. And the weight of that was starting to feel unbearable.
Lysander stopped by a small pond on the outskirts of the village, staring at the still water. His reflection wavered in the moonlight, the face staring back at him familiar but different. He looked the same, more or less—the enhancements from becoming an Eternal had made him stronger, more attractive, but the man in the reflection was still him. He wasn't sure whether that was comforting or terrifying.
The memories from his past life felt more distant with each passing day, but they clung to him, resurfacing at odd moments. A song, a scent, the way someone looked at him—all could trigger a flood of emotions that took him right back to the real world. He missed his life, his family, his friends. But that life was gone now, as unreachable as the stars.
"Are you lost in thought again?" came a calm, familiar voice from behind him.
Lysander didn't need to turn around to know it was Master Shang. The old warrior had a way of knowing when something was on his mind, and tonight was no different.
"Something like that," Lysander replied, keeping his eyes on the water. "It's hard to stop thinking about... everything."
Shang stepped beside him, following Lysander's gaze to the pond. "Your past still troubles you."
Lysander let out a quiet laugh. "Yeah, you could say that. It's hard not to think about where I came from. About the people I left behind."
Shang was silent for a moment, as though considering his words carefully. "You were not always as you are now."
"No," Lysander said softly. "I wasn't. I wasn't even from this universe."
Shang didn't react with surprise. He rarely did. "You carry two lives within you. The man you were before and the Eternal you have become. It is a heavy burden."
Lysander sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You have no idea. I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of it. One day I'm living my life—an ordinary life—and the next, I'm here. Thanos. The Snap. And now I have to figure out how to live as... this."
He gestured to himself, as if his very existence were an unsolvable puzzle.
Shang studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. "The world we are born into and the world we choose are not always the same. You did not choose to come here, but you have chosen to stay. There is strength in that."
Lysander shook his head. "It doesn't feel like strength. It feels like I'm constantly trying to hold myself together."
Shang's gaze softened. "You are adjusting to a new reality. It is not an easy path, but it is yours to walk."
Lysander took a deep breath, his eyes drifting back to the water. His reflection seemed more distant now, less real. It was strange, this feeling of being out of place. In his old life, he had watched these movies, seen these characters on screen. And now, he was part of their world, their story. But it didn't feel like his story. It felt like he was still watching from the outside, waiting for the moment when someone would wake him up and tell him it was all just a dream.
"I thought maybe, with these powers, I could make a difference," Lysander said quietly. "But it's not that simple. I can't just snap my fingers and fix things."
Shang nodded. "Power alone does not bring peace. It must be guided by purpose."
"Purpose..." Lysander echoed, the word heavy on his tongue. He had heard it before, felt its weight in the real world, and now it felt even more distant. "How am I supposed to find purpose in all of this?"
Shang smiled faintly, as if he had been waiting for that question. "Purpose is not something you find. It is something you create. You are not the first to feel lost, Lysander, and you will not be the last. But you have been given a gift, a power that can change the course of your life—and the lives of others."
Lysander looked at him, a mixture of frustration and longing in his eyes. "I don't know if I can handle that kind of responsibility."
Shang placed a hand on his shoulder, his grip firm but reassuring. "You are stronger than you know. You have already begun to shape your path. The question is, where will you take it?"
Lysander closed his eyes, feeling the weight of the words settle over him. He had spent so much time thinking about what he had lost, what had been taken from him. But maybe Shang was right. Maybe it wasn't about finding purpose but creating it. Maybe he needed to stop looking backward and start looking forward.
"I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?" Lysander said, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Shang chuckled softly. "No, you do not. But that is the beauty of it. The path ahead is yours to walk. It is not a burden, but an opportunity."
Lysander nodded, though he still felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. The past wouldn't be easy to let go of, and the future was more uncertain than ever. But maybe, just maybe, he could learn to live with the power inside him. Maybe he could find a way to use it for something good.
As they turned to walk back toward the village, Lysander glanced over his shoulder one last time at the pond. His reflection was still there, but this time, it felt different. It felt... like him.
The memories would always be there. His old life, the people he loved, the world he once knew. But now, he was part of something bigger, something he still didn't fully understand. And maybe that was okay. Maybe the answers would come, in time.
For now, he had to focus on the path ahead.