---
Four months had passed since Alex's heartfelt conversation with Lydia, and life in the district had transformed from a bewildering enigma into a place he could comfortably call home.
The labyrinthine streets, once daunting and unfamiliar, had become a network of pathways where every turn brought a familiar face, a friendly nod, or a warm greeting.
As Alex delved deeper into life in the district, he didn't just adapt to its daily rhythm. He actively shaped his own role, contributing to the community with his presence and actions, a sign of his growing integration in this new world.
He spent a good amount of time with Jeb at the treasure cove, and he didn't just learn how to guard the place; he found himself interacting with the troublemakers and eventually earned himself a newfound authority among the rowdy crowd after a few rowdy encounters.
He even lent a hand to Linda and Lydia at the school, where the children, for reasons he couldn't quite fathom, immediately warmed up to him. They pulled him around and sought his attention, their innocent enthusiasm catching him off guard and endearing him to them.
Despite his initial nervousness and awkwardness, Alex grew attached to these children and found himself making every effort to spend time with them, much to Linda and Lydia's joy.
He also spent time with various people he met within the community.
Crawson often invited him to assist with simple tasks in the district, like transporting or sorting the gains from the scavengers' hunts in the Outer, determining whether certain items were useful or not.
Aoi had been around him a few times since she first invited him to the Castle, mostly to visit Lydia on other matters. Frequently, she would tease Alex about "jumping ship from Lydia to her," earning Lydia's subtle displeasure. However, Alex learned they were childhood friends, so he just shook off the teasing as friendly banter.
Over the months, Alex also visited Scarface and Junior, occasionally participating in their training battles. This led to the formation of a friendly rivalry with Junior, making their fights a spectacle for the community.
Visiting the Elders became a routine for Alex as well. He visited them out of respect and gratitude, occasionally seeking advice and counsel whenever he faced issues. He also formed a friendship with Mira, Elder Wendigo's assistant, after he agreed to teach her how to read the various books from the Outer.
Since that last conversation with Lydia, Alex hadn't been chasing after his lost memories. He found a sense of peace and purpose in his present life, surrounded by the people who had become his new family.
Or at least, that had been the case, when the horrors of his past began to creep into his life once more...
---
Since arriving in Genesis District, Alex's nights had been relatively peaceful. In fact, except for the few nightmares that plagued him in the first few nights, he hadn't been troubled by any dream since. But this particular night was different.
When he opened his eyes, Alex instantly panicked as he found himself back in the lab, surrounded by the scientists. Their uniforms and bodies were stained with blood and wounds, the gruesome aftermath of the massacre on that fateful night. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood and the acrid tang of fear.
Perhaps conditioned by countless battles with Junior and the Psychos or just pure instinct, Alex fought back against the scientists, kicking and punching them one by one as he desperately tried to escape their grasp. Their hollow eyes and twisted grins haunted him as he struggled, their cold, clammy hands reaching for him with relentless determination.
Finally managing to break free, Alex stumbled through one of the doors and slammed it shut, locking them away. He breathed a sigh of relief, his chest heaving, but as he turned around, dread washed over him. He stood at the start of an infinitely long hallway; its design was eerily familiar, but its end was shrouded in darkness.
With no other way but forward, Alex began to walk. Each step echoed ominously in the silent corridor, and the oppressive atmosphere made his skin crawl. He wondered if he was in a dream and why it felt so vivid, so real. The shadows seemed to whisper his name, and the walls seemed to pulse with a life of their own.
Suddenly, loud, malevolent noises erupted from behind him. Alex turned back to see the hallway being devoured by an eerie, bloody darkness that encroached towards him with terrifying speed. His heart raced as he started to run, his footsteps pounding against the cold, hard floor.
The darkness closed in faster and faster, and every time Alex looked back, he caught a glimpse of a figure with blazing red eyes and a glowing red core spearheading the malevolent force that chased him.
The figure's presence was suffocating, its malevolent gaze burning into Alex's soul as he ran for his life, desperately trying to escape the nightmare that seemed all too real.
Alex began to run out of breath, his legs growing heavy and his pace slowing. In an unfortunate slip of the foot, he fell hard onto the cold, unyielding floor. Panic surged through him as he scrambled to get up, but something cold and sinister wrapped around his waist, pulling him backwards.
Looking down in terror, Alex saw a bundle of red, pulsating veins winding around his body, slowly growing on him like malevolent vines on a tree. He struggled desperately, but the veins tightened, their grip unyielding and their touch icy. The veins pulsed with a rhythmic, almost hypnotic beat, echoing the sound of a distant, sinister heart.
A cold sensation crept up his spine, and Alex knew something horrible was behind him. He continued to struggle, every muscle straining against the tightening grip, but escape seemed impossible. Bracing himself, he took a deep, trembling breath, his chest heaving with fear.
As if on cue, the bundle of veins began to rotate him around, forcing him to face the approaching figure. From a short distance, the figure loomed closer, its red eyes glowing with a malevolent light. Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the figure, watching in horror as the darkness flowed into its red core like water being sucked into a drain.
The figure reached him, and the veins, now revealed to be extensions of the figure itself, began to pull him closer. The red core pulsed with an eerie light, casting long, twisted shadows on the walls. Alex felt a deep, primal fear as he was drawn face to face with the figure, its eyes burning into his soul.
The air grew colder, and the oppressive darkness seemed to swallow all light and hope. Alex's struggles weakened, the sinister presence overwhelming his senses. The figure's cold, dark energy seeped into him, filling him with a dread unlike anything he had ever known.
Then, everything seemed to freeze in time. The flowing shadows, the red core's light rays, and even the pulsating veins. Everything was suspended in an eerie stillness. Alex's eyes were locked onto the figure's face, and its eyes stared back into his, unblinking.
After what seemed like an eternity, the figure's eyes curved up in a sinister smile. The shadows that once obscured its features began to creep away, slowly revealing its face. Alex's breath caught in his throat as horror washed over him—the figure had his own face.
The figure with Alex's face began to laugh, a chilling, distorted sound that echoed through the hallway. Black ooze seeped from its eyes and mouth, and its teeth sharpened into jagged points. The veins on its face pulsated with a grotesque rhythm, adding to the nightmarish vision before him.
"What…what are you?!" Alex screamed in fear.
In a cryptic and sinister voice, the figure began to respond, "I…am you, Alex…"
Alex struggled to speak, his voice barely whispered. "No... you're not me. You can't be me!"
The figure's smile widened, the black ooze dripping onto the floor. "You're right…not yet…you are…not ready."
The figure reached out a hand, the veins on its arm pulsing with a malevolent energy. "But soon…you will call upon me…when you do…we…shall be one…"
Just as the figure's hand was about to touch him, everything started to blur and dissolve. The darkness, the figure, the hallway—they all began to fade away.
Alex awoke with a jolt, drenched in sweat, his heart pounding in his chest. Lydia was shaking him, her eyes wide with concern.
"Alex! Alex, wake up! Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.
He looked around, disoriented, the remnants of the nightmare clinging to his mind. Taking a deep breath, he nodded slowly. "Yeah... yeah, I'm okay. Just...a nightmare. I think."
Lydia's expression softened, but the concern in her eyes remained. "You sure?"
Alex forced a weak smile, trying to shake off the lingering fear. "Don't worry, I'm fine now. Thanks for waking me."
As Alex reassured Lydia, she gave him a comforting hug, but even with the comfort, he couldn't help but feel a lingering dread. "What was that nightmare all about?"