Chapter V - Preparations

Marcus continued to journal throughout the week, to the outside he looked like a dedicated student taking notes and this was reaffirmed when he began acing any quizzes that were thrown the student's way.

However, this was the furthest notion from the truth. Marcus was beyond bored with these works as sitting there in the courses, everything he learned in his previous life would come flooding back into his mind. He began completely spacing out the lecturers as they had nothing to teach him, he already learned it once before.

Throughout the week he had essentially filled a dozen 600 page notebooks with everything he could recall regarding The World. He had titled it "The Ultimate Guide to The World."

This was the easy part for Marcus, he had played The World religiously and knew everything inside and out. He knew the secret techniques that would give players an edge over others who did not know.

He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself, but he knew he couldn't sit back and be the meek player he once was.

Marcus decided that he was going to release small portions of the Ultimate Guide, basic parts free to build up a strong and honest reputation and then release them in more detailed and in-depth for monetary value.

It wasn't that he needed the money, his father was one of the upper billionaires of Earth at this point, but he knew this wouldn't last and he needed the capital if he was going to protect his family.

***

Marcus sat in the rear courtyard as his childhood friends, close and extended family, all sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. He had turned 16 and all that came with it. He enjoyed hanging out with his old high school friends again, he had a serious disconnect with almost all of them since he graduated as he couldn't attend the prestigious universities as them in the past.

He was feeling nostalgic more and more these days, he chuckled inwardly as he was making himself feel like an old man reminiscing back to 'the good old days.'

As the party began to wind down, he went up to his parents who were secluded in the corner of the courtyard chatting.

"Father, may I have a moment of your time?" Marcus stood straight and had a stern look on his face. This was going to be a grievous conversation and as cool as he was maintaining on the outside, inside he was sweating bullets.

He had been mulling this around in his head all week, he needed to warn his father but wanted to keep this a secret. He would sound absolutely crazy thinking he travelled into the past 10 years after being ran over by a delivery truck… His parents might have him committed!

Stephen raised his eyebrow as he cocked his head towards his son. He wouldn't admit it but he was feeling proud of what he witnessing his son transforming into, he was becoming a man. "Of course Son, meet me in my office, I'll be right behind you." Marcus nodded and went straight there.

Patricia confused "What's all this about Honey?" She asked her husband.

Stephen shrugged and shook his head "I don't know but it must be serious, I've never seen him like this before." He turned and placed his hand over his wife's holding her belly as he kissed her cheek. "I'll go find out. Take a seat and get some rest, don't overdo it." He turned around to follow his son, just as confused as his wife.

Marcus was standing with his back to the wall of windows that lead to the back staring at the large collection of volumes in his father's study.

"Find anything you like?" His father joked, but was surprised when his son had pulled a book off the shelf.

"This one seems interesting… Mind if I read it?" Marcus knowing his father, picked the one book that his father never parted with when they lost everything in his past life.

Stephen walked up to his son and placed his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "That one? You have a good eye, it's my favorite book in this entire library. Take good care of it and return it when you're done."

He patted his shoulder once more before walking around his desk and taking a seat in his large leather chair "Take a seat and tell me what's on your mind Son."

Marcus followed his instructions and took his place across from his father and took a deep breath nervous about how he could get his father to believe what he was about to tell him. He closed his eyes as his heart was pounding in his chest, it felt like it was trying to climb up his throat and run away.

"This is going to be extremely hard to believe, I wish I was joking and that none of what I'm about to tell you is true but I'm begging you, please believe every word that is about to come out of my mouth Father…" Marcus had a deathly serious tone in his voice as he stared at his father with eyes that could pierce the soul.

Stephen was taken aback, his son had never spoken like this in his entire life and was always a lackadaisical person and carefree person. The sight of his son's eyes almost gave him chills. They were not the eyes of a teenager he had ever met. "You have my undivided attention."

Marcus was feeling once more the self-doubt that had been riddling his adult life following his graduation…

Marcus looked down for a second staring at the adornment around his father's desk fighting the self-doubt, he was battling about revealing all of this to his father… He took a heavy sigh and returned his gaze to his father.

"In 9 months, you will be betrayed from inside and you will lose your company and our family will lose everything."