บท 11: Echoes of Loss
First, Dr. Manhattan made him a pet in Clark's childhood, and now he is placed in this timeline.
But why?
The little alien boy, Clark, was now 17 years old.
It felt like he had blinked, and the child he had raised was suddenly all grown up.
Soren wondered what Clark was up to now.
Was he harvesting corn in the fields, feeding calves in the barn, shoveling grain outside the silo, or maybe plowing the land?
Soren knew he had to find Clark, and fast.
The Hargreaves couple had kindly left him alone to rest in his new room.
Soren lay on the bed for a bit before suddenly sitting up with urgency on his face.
He rushed into the bathroom.
Something wasn't right.
Soren hurried to the mirror, staring at his reflection.
The face staring back at him was all too familiar.
Golden blonde hair, soft and slightly wavy, framed his face like gentle waves.
His eyes were a bright baby blue, large with long double eyelids that curved upward slightly, giving his gaze a naturally warm and cheerful look.
Although his cheeks still had a bit of baby fat, his chin was starting to show the sharp features of his future self.
That face… it was his own.
Soren felt a heavy weight in his chest.
After the experience of turning into a cat, he had assumed he would be inhabiting another unfamiliar body.
But Dr. Manhattan had rebuilt his original body instead.
It didn't seem like a big problem.
His body, after thousands of years of human evolution and genetic improvement, would be stronger than people from the Old Earth.
But there was a downside.
The biggest issue with human genetic enhancement was that without a gene suppressor, the genetic disorders from their redesigned genes were likely to show up.
These genetic diseases could trouble someone's life until death.
A gene suppressor, a tiny chip with the size of a button, could permanently fix the problems caused by genetic diseases.
In Soren's hometown, everyone received a gene suppressor at birth.
This meant they could enjoy enhanced physical abilities and a longer life, thanks to advanced technology.
But—clearly, Dr. Manhattan hadn't included a suppressor when he rebuilt Soren's body.
He didn't feel anything unusual on the back of his neck.
So now, in this Old Earth that hadn't yet gone through its fifth genetic revolution, where could he find a gene suppressor?
Soren was worried about this.
Fortunately, genetic issues usually only become noticeable when a person reaches adulthood.
Estimating his current age, he had two or three years before he reached adulthood.
He still had some time.
Soren settled down in the Hargreaves home.
He had always been good at reading people.
Once he understood the role he needed to play, he started trying to make the Hargreaves happy.
He told them jokes, acted clumsy and silly to make them laugh, sincerely complimented Charlie's fishing skills, and praised Renee's crochet projects to the skies.
One night, he even tried calling them "Dad" and "Mom" at the dinner table.
When Mrs. Hargreaves heard Soren call her "Mom," she was deeply touched and her eyes quickly filled with tears.
She nearly dropped her fork and knife, her hands trembling, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Her child, the one she had lost, had once called her "Mom" in the same sweet way too.
She tried to stay kind in front of Soren but couldn't stop her sadness and pain, and she ended up covering her face and crying.
Soren stopped, looking distressed, and said "I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"It's not your fault," Charlie said while putting down his utensils and rushing to comfort Renee, "My kid, you don't need to apologize. Mom isn't upset because of you. We're very happy, very happy..."
While comforting Renee, Charlie also reassured Soren, his handsome face slightly reddened.
He gritted his teeth and gently patted Renee's back, calming his sobbing wife, "Renee, calm down, take deep breaths…"
Soren watched them, feeling helpless.
He stood up nervously, his soft, pale hands twisting together in front of him, like a child who had made a mistake.
Charlie looked pained and quickly told Soren, "Kid, Mom is feeling a bit unwell. Why don't you go back to your room and rest? Dad will come to see you later, okay?"
Soren nodded his head and obediently ran upstairs, he glancing back with his deep blue eyes at the couple one last time.
He remembered seeing a newspaper clipping in the house.
The headline photo showed a boy about his age, being lovingly hugged by the Hargreaves.
The boy had golden hair and a sweet, cheerful smile that was very endearing.
However, the story in the article was very harsh.
The Hargreaves were wealthy New York socialites who had one child named Benjamin Hargreaves.
Their fourteen-year-old son was tragically killed by a drunk and drugged driver who had hit him on the sidewalk.
Unfortunately, the driver escaped to Gotham City and faced no punishment, as he was protected by the Falcone family.
Gotham City was infamous for its crime and corruption.
The Falcone family had a tight grip on the city, making it impossible for New York police to pursue the criminal further.
They were forced to give up, allowing the offender to remain free in Gotham City.
Mrs. Hargreaves had been deeply mourning her son for years, she was constantly in tears and needing long-term psychological help to cope with her grief.
Mr. Hargreaves, who had been a successful CEO at Stark Industries, gradually found it hard to maintain his high-pressure job and began to consider stepping down.
Soren had overheard the couple's conversation before.
The Hargreaves were planning to end their life in New York, the city that had become a nightmare for them.
They intended to move to a place that was completely unrelated to New York and try to escape the painful memories of the past.
It seemed that the Hargreaves were determined to start a new chapter in their lives.
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