Chapter IV - Rebirth

"It was just a dream…" Marcus sighed and closed his eyes, his mind must have been playing tricks on him…

He laid back down as he could swear he was feeling phantom pains all over his body as he remembered the accident.

He thought back to the mysterious figure and his heart started to race again.

"It was just a dream." He said once out loud as his pulse finally returned to normal…

His eyes jerked open as he sat up looking around the room once more confused about his surroundings. He wasn't in the small cramped space that could hardly be called a bedroom…

This wasn't his room, at least not anymore anyways, he unfolded the thick comforter off him and slipped out of bed. Taking a look around the room that was once his years ago, nostalgia took over as he surveyed his room from when he was a teenager…

He stood up and went over to the large window and peered out holding the velvet drapes. It was pitch black in the middle of the night, but the crescent moon made him think about that haunting smile from his dream…

Marcus turned around looking around the large room and was reminded back to when the room was his and he rushed to the adjacent room and turned on the light and stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He touched his cheeks and looked at a younger, smaller version of himself and screamed "HOW OLD AM I?!?!?"

Stephen and Patricia rushed into Marcus room in their night gowns, "Marcus! Marcus!!" His father yelled, frantically looking around the room.

Marcus sheepishly peeked around the corner trying to hide his younger self from his parents for whatever reason "Yes dad?"

"Are you alright? Why were you screaming? Is everything okay? Why are you hiding?" His father bombarded him with question after question.

"Yeah everything's fine, I was just startled looking in the mirror" Marcus replied as he stepped out from the washroom.

A pregnant Patricia rushed to his side as she began inspecting his entire body.

"You know your mother's condition right now, you should be more considerate son." His father said as he strolled over and placed his hand on Marcus' shoulder. "You're becoming a young man, remember to always be considerate to the ones you love."

Marcus was taken aback, it had been quite a long time since he experienced his father's soft touch, so much so that he had forgotten anything other than his jaded father.

His mother ruffled his hair and caressed his cheek with one hand as the other rest on her pregnant stomach "Are you sure you're alright sweetie?"

Marcus nodded "yes mother." He couldn't believe she was still pregnant with Vanessa, he had gone back at least 11 years. 'I'm not even 16 yet, what the hell happened?' He thought.

His parents advised him to wrap up what he was doing and get back to bed as tomorrow was a school night before saying good night and returning to their chambers.

As if he could sleep, Marcus went back to the mirror and began examining his younger self. He wasn't the tallest person, but he hit his final height by the time he was 15 and could still tower over the average height, standing at 190 cm.

His slim body a measly 86 kg, he can't believe he was over 95 kg before. His face was not too narrow but also not too wide, average, and he had messy black hair that matched his black eyes.

As he finished examining his younger self, he turned the lights off and laid back down, his mind trying to wrap itself around what had happened. He had so many questions…

How did he end up back in the past? Why was he back? Did he even go back in time? Was everything he had experienced over the last decade all a dream? Who was the mysterious figure? Why him?

It was just too much as his mind was flooded all night before falling asleep.

The following morning Marcus awoke to his bedroom door being closed, he noticed his pressed school uniform hanging to the entrance to his closet. A classic blue blazer with a red tie and tan slacks.

He went into the washroom and freshened up as he got dressed and went down stairs and went into the kitchen.

"Good morning young master, the morning meal has been prepared and is awaiting you on the table." An elderly grey haired butler bowed and dismissed himself before Marcus could reply.

How could he have forgotten about Jeeves, he had served his father since before he was born.

Marcus had picked up his father's newspaper before he had come down and was trying to get an understanding of when he was brought back to.

15, Sept. 23XX

He was dumbfounded, he couldn't believe it. It was the first day of his Junior year of high school. His birthday was in a week, his father's company had begun experiencing trouble his senior year, the Dive Visor and The World in two months, and three months after that, the Dive Pods.

He knew he had a lot of preparations to complete if he wanted to change the course of the future and prevent the ruin of his family name.

Marcus felt a sudden feeling he couldn't place, he would soon find it was his desire for revenge on the man who destroyed his father's company and took everything away from him…

Marcus was driven to school and dropped off "I'll be waiting right here after final bell young master" Jeeves stated before returning to the vehicle and departing the school grounds.

All through classes Marcus could hardly focus. He was combing through his memories and was trying to remember everything he could. It was at times like this that he praised the Heavens that he could memorize almost everything he read and could recall it when stimulated by similar information.

He began to plan what he wanted to accomplish with this gift that he was given…