The next day I woke up with a strange mental clarity. It was like overnight my brain had finished processing all the information Loki had given me the day before. The memories felt more... mine. Less like something foreign stuck to my consciousness.
╔═══════════════════════════════════╗
║ LOKI SYSTEM ║
║ User: Alleinad Gilbert ║
║ Status: Adaptation in progress ║
║ Time: 8:45 AM ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════╝
🍾「Good morning, my agent of chaos!」
🍾「How is my favorite person feeling this morning?」
"Better," I admitted, getting up and heading to the mirror. "Less confused. Though I still feel like two people in one."
🍾「That's perfectly normal!」
🍾「Complete integration takes time!」
🍾「But you're already functioning better than yesterday!」
I studied myself in the mirror. The black hair was still too recognizable, too Gilbert. I needed to change my appearance fast.
As if I'd conjured the answer to my thoughts, the phone rang. Richi.
"Alle? Bro, I got everything you asked for. Red dye, bleach, green contact lenses. I also brought some extra stuff just in case."
"Perfect. Can you come now?"
"I'm already in the hotel lobby. What room?"
"412. Fourth floor."
🍾「Excellent! The trial by fire begins!」
🍾「Remember the story I gave you!」
🍾「You studied medicine compulsively after the trauma!」
Five minutes later, Richi knocked on my door. When I opened it, he hugged me immediately, but this time the hug felt different. More necessary. Like I could finally accept the comfort he was offering.
"Bro," he murmured. "You don't know how worried I was after our call yesterday."
"I know. But I'm better, Richi. For real."
I let him in and he immediately saw the pile of medical books Loki had materialized.
"Damn, Alle. Have you been studying medicine?" He picked up one of the books. "These are advanced university texts."
My heart raced, but the answer came naturally, like I'd been practicing it.
"After... what happened, I couldn't sleep. So I started reading. Medicine, anatomy, pharmacology. It helped keep my mind busy."
🍾「Perfect! Very convincing!」
🍾「The cover story is working!」
Richi flipped through the book, noticing the marked pages and notes in the margins.
"Bro, this is med student level stuff. How much have you been studying?"
"I've done almost nothing else these past few weeks. When your family sells you to criminals, you develop a certain... motivation to understand how the human body works. Just in case."
It was a half-truth, real enough to sound convincing.
Richi nodded understandingly. "Makes sense. Knowledge is power, especially in your situation."
He spread the bags he'd brought on the bed: professional bleach, intense red dye, green contact lenses, gloves, old towels, and a complete hair coloring kit.
"Are you completely sure about this, Alle? Once we do this, there's no going back."
"More sure than ever."
╔═══════ STARTING TRANSFORMATION ═══════╗
║ Appearance change: IN PROGRESS ║
║ • Hair: Black → Intense red ║
║ • Eyes: Brown → Emerald green ║
║ • Objective: Recognition evasion ║
║ Status: IRREVERSIBLE ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════╝
🍾「Once we finish, I'll make it irreversible!」
🍾「Goodbye Alleinad Gilbert, hello new identity!」
The transformation process was long and intense. Richi, who'd watched enough YouTube tutorials to consider himself an amateur expert, worked meticulously.
First came the bleach. The chemical smell filled the hotel bathroom and made my eyes water. Every strand of black hair that lost color felt like another chain broken with my past.
"If you go bald, don't blame me," Richi joked while applying the second round of bleach.
"If I go bald, at least nobody will be looking for a bald Gilbert."
🍾「I like your attitude!」
🍾「But don't worry, everything will turn out perfect!」
🍾「I have to keep my agent presentable!」
After the bleach came the dye. An intense red, almost crimson, that completely transformed not only my appearance but also how I perceived myself. It was like each color change was accompanied by an internal change.
When I finally put in the green contact lenses, the effect was completely shocking.
I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror and saw a complete stranger. The green eyes altered the perception of my entire facial structure. The red hair changed not only my appearance but also my presence. It was like I'd summoned a completely new personality.
"Holy shit," Richi whispered, standing behind me. "Alle, you literally look like a different person."
"That was exactly the idea."
╔═══════ TRANSFORMATION COMPLETED ═══════╗
║ Appearance change: SUCCESSFUL ║
║ • Hair: Intense red ✓ ║
║ • Eyes: Emerald green ✓ ║
║ • Facial recognition: REDUCED 90% ║
║ Result: NEW VISUAL IDENTITY ║
║ Status: FULLY OPERATIONAL ║ ╚═════════════════════════════════════════╝
🍾「PERFECT! Even I had to do a double-take!」
🍾「You're completely unrecognizable!」
🍾「How do you feel with your new appearance that I just integrated into the program permanently?」
"How do you feel?" Richi asked, noticing my silence as I studied myself in the mirror.
"I feel... good," I said finally. "Like I've physically eliminated every trace of the Gilbert family. Like I killed that part of me and was born as someone completely new."
"Do you have a name in mind yet? For your new identity, I mean."
It was an interesting question. Who did I want to be now? What did I want to call myself?
🍾「Excellent question!」
🍾「What do you want to call yourself now?!」
🍾「Remember you'll eventually need fake documents!」
🍾「So choose something that sounds natural but memorable!」
"I don't know yet," I admitted. "I guess I'll know when it's time to change it."
Richi nodded understandingly. "Well, meanwhile, you're still Alle to me. No matter what you look like."
After we finished cleaning up and Richi was getting ready to leave, he asked me a question that caught me completely off guard.
"Alle, what are you going to do now? I mean, practically speaking. You can't hide in this hotel forever. You need income, you need a plan."
He was right, of course. The physical transformation was just the first step.
"I'm going to get a job," I said. "Something that pays cash, doesn't ask too many questions about background."
"What kind of job?"
🍾「Ooh! It's time to mention Jonathan!」
🍾「You need those security contacts!」
🍾「Time to make that call!」
"I have an idea. But I need to make some calls first."
After Richi left, I was alone with my new appearance. It was strange; every time I passed a mirror I was slightly startled to see this stranger with red hair and green eyes.
But it was also liberating. For the first time in weeks, I could walk through the hotel hallways without constantly looking over my shoulder. Nobody would recognize me now. I didn't even fully recognize myself.
It was time for the next phase: getting a job and a new official identity.
I dialed Jonathan's number. It was 3:00 PM, a reasonable time for a call.
"Alleinad?" His voice sounded relieved. "Shit, man, I've been worried. Richi told me you had a family emergency, but you haven't answered my calls."
"Jonathan, sorry for the mystery. It's been... complicated. But I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest with me."
"Of course, bro. What do you need?"
"You mentioned once that your family has somewhat illegal contacts. How... illegal are those contacts?"
There was a long pause. I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head.
"What kind are you looking for?"
"The kind that could help someone... start over. With a completely new identity."
🍾「Excellent! Straight to the point!」
🍾「This is going to be INTERESTING!」
Another pause, longer this time. "Alleinad, what kind of trouble are you in?"
"The kind of trouble where my life could literally depend on becoming someone who technically doesn't exist in any official records."
Jonathan was smart. He could read between the lines better than most people, and he was probably connecting dots about my "family emergency" and this new request.
"How soon do you need this?"
"ASAP."
"Give me a few hours. I'll make some calls."
That was what I always liked about Jonathan. He didn't ask unnecessary questions. He didn't ask for explanations he knew I couldn't give without compromising both of us. He just assessed the situation and got into action.
"Jonathan," I said before he could hang up. "This isn't like typical college favors. If you help me with this, you could be getting yourself into something potentially dangerous."
"Alleinad," his voice was serious but firm. "You're my friend. Friends help each other, no matter how complicated the situation gets."
🍾「Perfect! Genuine loyalty—I love those stories!」
🍾「That's going to be very useful!」
🍾「Now just wait for his call!」
After hanging up, I stayed in my hotel room, occasionally glancing at myself in the mirror and still being slightly startled by my new appearance.
For the first time in weeks, I decided to venture outside the hotel. Not far, just to the café next door, but I wanted to test how it felt to be in public with my new visual identity.
The experience was surprisingly liberating. The barista smiled at me normally, without recognition, without the tension I'd learned to associate with social interactions when you were identified as a Gilbert. To her, I was just another customer with an interesting appearance.
I sat by the window with my coffee, watching people pass by. Families, couples, students. People living normal lives, not having to worry about their own mothers selling them to criminals.
For a moment, I felt that familiar pang of envy, but this time it was different. This time, I also felt something like hope.
🍾「Look how you've changed!」
🍾「Yesterday you were depressed!」
🍾「Today you're planning your new life!」
🍾「Plus you still have a gift I'll give you later!」
"You're right," I murmured discretely. "I feel... different. More like myself, strangely."
The phone rang exactly at 6:30 PM. Jonathan.
"I have news," he said without preamble. "My contacts can help you. Complete fake ID: driver's license, social security number, basic credit history, even employment references. The whole package."
My heart raced. "How much is it going to cost?"
"That's the... let's say weird part. Normally it would be extremely expensive. But it turns out they need someone for a specific job, and if you're willing to do it, they'll cover all the ID costs as part of the payment."
🍾「OOH! Mysterious job in exchange for new identity!」
🍾「This sounds PERFECTLY dramatic!」
🍾「ACCEPT! Let's see what it's about!!!」
"What kind of job?" I asked, ignoring Loki's obvious enthusiasm.
If I die again, it'll be your damn fault, Loki, I said with my thoughts. I heard his mocking smile.
"Cleaning," Jonathan said. "But not the kind of house cleaning you're thinking of. It's... more specialized."
Something in his tone made me pause. "How specialized?"
"The kind of cleaning that requires absolute and complete discretion plus evidence collection. And the kind of person who can't be easily traced if something goes wrong."
🍾「CRIME SCENES!」
🍾「They want you to clean CRIME SCENES!」
🍾「It's PERFECT for your medical AND forensic knowledge!」
🍾「It's like I planned it from the beginning!」
The realization hit me like lightning. Alleinad's forensic knowledge, Daniela's medical knowledge, the need for a new identity, a job that paid very well without asking questions about background...
It was almost too perfect to be coincidence. Then I started thinking maybe Loki... if that's the case, I wouldn't know whether to hit him or thank him.
"When would I start?" I asked.
"Tonight, if you're available. They can have your new ID ready by tomorrow morning if you accept the job tonight."
"I accept," I said without hesitation. "Where do we meet?"
╔═══ CRITICAL DECISION DETECTED ═══╗
║ New career: CRIMINAL CLEANER ║
║ New identity: IN PROCESS ║
║ System: READY FOR ACTIVATION ║
║ Status: POINT OF NO RETURN ║
╚═══════════════════════════════════╝
🍾「EXCELLENT choice!」
🍾「Get ready for your first gift from me—the first system configuration!」
🍾「Tonight is going to be EPIC!」
"They're going to pick you up at your hotel at 9:30 PM," Jonathan said. "A guy named Santos. He also mentioned they're sending a supervisor with you for the first job, just to make sure everything goes perfectly."
"A supervisor?"
"Someone with experience. To guide you through the process and make sure you don't make rookie mistakes that could be... problematic for everyone involved."
🍾「A criminal MENTOR!」
🍾「Perfect for learning the rules without dying!」
🍾「And probably very DRAMATIC too!」
"Jonathan," I said before he could hang up. "Thank you so much. I promise I'll make this up to you."
"Bro, you've done more for me than I've done for you. Take this as a gift," he replied. "Besides, this way I can see you more often."
"Haha, that would be good. Maybe we'll invite Richi," I responded, knowing Jonathan liked Richi.
After hanging up, I prepared for the meeting. I changed into darker, more practical clothes. I checked that I had everything I might need: phone, some cash, my hotel room key.
I looked at myself one last time in the mirror. The stranger with red hair and green eyes looked back at me, but now there was something more in those eyes—a determination that came from having two lifetimes of experience surviving impossible situations.
"Loki," I said to the air. "You said the program would update. Can you show me what it'll have?"
🍾「No no no, no spoilers! I'll just say it'll be very useful for you!」
🍾「My dear agent of chaos wants to cheat!」
I would never think of that, dear friend, I said sarcastically, and we both laughed.
⚠️ FINAL REMINDER ⚠️
🍾「I'll give you the reminder: NEVER mention Daniela. I repeat, NEVER!」
🍾「Your story: Alleinad studied medicine due to post-kidnapping trauma」
🍾「Knowledge appears as 'natural intuitions'」
🍾「Keep the secret or lose EVERYTHING!」
Don't worry, you won't lose your agent that easily.
At exactly 9:30 PM, I heard a soft but firm knock on my door. I opened it to find a middle-aged man with a smile—but that smile was somewhat sadistic—dressed casually but with eyes that had clearly seen too much of the world.
"Alleinad? I'm Santos. Ready for your first night of work?"
I left the hotel toward a completely uncertain future, but for the first time since the kidnapping, I didn't feel completely alone.
I had a chaos god in my head, knowledge from two different lives, and apparently, a new career that was about to begin.