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**Daybreak Village, Astral Realm**
**Thursday, November 4th, 439 A.E.D**
**11:50 AM**
David woke up with a blank gaze and stared out of the window of his bedroom, seeing nothing but a wide forest and the sun shining outside.
"Damn it. It's that same dream again."
It had been a few days since Lysa brought David, Natasha, and Kaito into her spirit realm. It wasn’t a bad place—a beautifully designed mansion nestled in a forest filled with trees and a couple of animals, with a village nearby and its own spirit familiars to maintain the house.
Lysa, the astral spirit who granted them sanctuary, looked fairly normal at first, aside from her pale green skin and blue hair. However she had explained to them that she was much older than they were, by at least 200 years, and was the owner of the mansion they found themselves in.
From what David could see, she was nice and polite. Although she had them help with chores around the mansion for a bit, she remained friendly and allowed them some time to grieve for both Julius and Harry.
'Oh, fuck!'
The pain of their deaths surged forward in his mind.
'Yet another failure to add to my growing list. First, I fail to stop Carlos from falling into that portal, the man whose family I’m practically stealing. Now I’ve let two more of my friends die. I should have been able to stop this. Why can't I?'
"No. No..." David whimpered to himself as dark thoughts rushed in. His eyes began to tear up, and his breath became shaky. But after taking a few long, deep breaths, he calmed himself down and decided to ignore his grief for now. After all, today he was going back home…
After getting dressed, David headed downstairs to the kitchen, where he found Natasha sitting in the corner, eating some cake.
She smiled at him and gestured for him to take a seat.
After sitting down, he asked, “So, are you planning on going back home soon?”
Natasha nodded. “Yeah, I really don’t want to keep myself waiting anymore. I know they aren’t my family, but Julia’s…”
David nodded with a knowing expression and smiled sadly, aware of how she felt. Admittedly, he too recognized that his family back home wasn't truly his; they belonged to Carlos. He wasn’t sure if they would accept him, but he hoped against it.
‘After all, what use could they possibly have for a clone of their son when the original is probably still out there?’
With Julius and Harry's deaths weighing heavily on his heart, he wasn’t exactly sure he could allow himself to get close to someone again.
Kaito then walked into the kitchen, his eyes bright with mirth. “Good morning, you two! Nice to see you awake. So, are you ready to go back home?”
The two nodded in agreement, but Natasha asked, “What about you, Kaito? Don’t you want to go back home too?”
Kaito waved it off. “Eh, I’m still not ready to see my brother yet. Besides, Lysa still needs some help around the mansion and the village.”
Natasha frowned. “Kaito…”
“Hey, look, I’ll be fine. Just a few more days, and then I’ll go back to meet him. I promise,” Kaito reassured her with a smile.
Surprising both Kaito and David, Natasha grabbed his hand and said, “Well, it looks like I’m going to stay a little longer too.”
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
“Wait, what?” the two men exclaimed in unison.
“You think I’m going to leave you here after all we’ve been through? No way that’s happening.”
Kaito was taken aback but smiled in gratitude, while David said, “Huh, so looks like I’m the only one going back then.”
Natasha asked, “Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you?”
David shook his head. “Nah, it’s fine. Besides, I feel like I need to do this on my own. I just hope they at least give me the chance…”
An awkward silence settled over the kitchen until Lysa entered.
“Well, it’s nice to see everyone awake,” she said. “David, the medium is ready to take you back home. Are you ready to go?”
He glanced at Natasha and Kaito before saying, “Yeah, but can I have a minute with them?”
“Of course,” she replied warmly.
Turning to Nat and Kaito, David asked, “Are you sure you want me to go by myself? To meet your family, I mean? Wouldn’t it be better if Kaito and I came with you?”
Natasha, looking worried, pressed him.
David shook his head and explained that he felt it would be better for him to meet his family by himself. After all, the Order Keeper, Mathias, would be there to help clarify his story.
Kaito still looked hesitant but finally said, “Okay, man, but if you need help, you can come back here. Besides, you might need a few partners in crime if you decide to go superhero like your counterpart.”
David chuckled at that, already feeling a bit better. “Don’t worry. If I need help, I’ll call.”
Later, David went to the garden, wearing a disguise with a full faced mask to avoid immediate recognition when he arrived in Astea. He watched as the medium they used to travel between the spirit realm and the human world charged up with spiritual power, Lysa standing by, ready to bid him farewell.
Lysa gave him an encouraging smile while Natasha and Kaito waved goodbye, wishing him luck. Feeling more confident, David walked through the opening portal, returning to the human world.
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**November 4th, 439**
**12:10 PM**
**Astea, Opavix**
**Terravia/Earth**
David entered the human world, feeling a mix of emotions as the portal closed behind him. It was strangely nostalgic to be back. Although he had returned once during the two weeks he had been in the spirit realm, he had avoided this particular district.
He gripped his bag tightly, flooded with memories of his original self, Carlos, and looked around his surroundings. Luckily, he seemed to be alone in the alleyway, aside from a rat that scurried by.
Here he was, standing in an alleyway in the Orinthia District, one of the several major districts on Astea. It was a lively place, filled with shops, schools, theaters, and parks. His other self had some good memories here.
He kept walking until he reached his destination, Gnome Cafe, and entered. After ordering food, he settled at one of the tables, waiting for the Order Keeper to arrive.
“Is this seat taken?”
David turned to see a man sitting at his table across from him—Mathias Lockhart, the Order Keeper responsible for David's case. Mathias appeared to be in his late 20s to early 30s, with pale skin, blue eyes, and unkempt brown hair along with a beard that needed trimming.
David deadpanned, “You look like crap. What happened?”
Mathias sighed. “Nice to see you too, kid. If you must know, I’ve been stressed as hell because of the recent robberies by the Silver Crew, so they have me helping with the investigation in addition to dealing with your case.”
David blushed in embarrassment at his bluntness, scratching the back of his head. “Ah, right… sorry.”
Dealing with various clones of superhumans was tricky, especially when it came to respecting their secret identities. Fortunately, thanks to Lysa’s connections in the human world, she had been able to argue for his case, and they agreed to send Mathias to help him adjust to his new life.
Mathias’s face turned serious, and he asked David if he was sure he wanted to do this. David nodded firmly, realizing he couldn't leave his family in the dark. While he wasn’t Carlos, someone still needed to meet them and provide answers.
Rolling his eyes, Mathias said, “Alright, kid. Let’s hope this works.”
The two got up and left the cafe. David’s heart raced as they walked, uncertain of how to approach his parents or siblings. Would they even care about him, a clone using their family name?
They finally reached the Meris District, an area mostly comprised of suburban buildings, parks, and local supermarkets.
Mathias rang the doorbell of one of the houses a few times until someone finally answered. A young boy, about the same height as David's waist, appeared with shaggy black hair and gray eyes. This boy was Leonardo Hickson, David and Carlos’ little brother.
David smiled with joy, though his disguise concealed it, when he saw the young child. Mathias simply stated, “Hey kiddo, sorry to bother you, but are your parents home? I need to talk to them about some urgent business.”
The child scratched his head, confusion evident on his face, but obliged and called for his parents.
When they came out, David felt a rush of mixed emotions as he took in their familiar faces. Xiomara, a decently tall, athletic woman with long black hair, green eyes, and brown skin stood beside Fabirizo, a well-built man with black hair, brown skin, and striking gray eyes—the parents of Carlos, and by extension, David.
Xiomara looked at Mathias with concern in her eyes. “What’s going on, Officer? Do you have any news about our son?”
Mathias smiled and replied, “You could say that. We definitely have a lot to discuss.”
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