Chapter 15 : Bridging the Gap
I sat on the edge of my bed for a moment, letting the quiet of the house settle around me.
The late afternoon light filtered through the blinds, painting long stripes across the floor.
Somewhere down the hall, I could hear faint music — Wendy's playlist, upbeat and familiar.
So she was in her room now.
I took a slow breath, running a hand through my still-damp hair. The reflection in the dark monitor across from me showed the same face, the same eyes… yet something beneath them felt different. Grounded. Focused. Confident in a way I hadn't been before.
If I wanted this new life to truly be mine, I couldn't just pretend to be the old Alex.
But I didn't need to fake it either.
Not if I moved carefully — gradually.
Small changes could pass unnoticed if they were subtle enough.
And with Mind Whisper, I could make sure those changes were accepted. Not forced, not erased — just gently woven into what they already believed.
Wendy was the perfect place to start.
Not out of manipulation or control — but because she was close, trusting, and open. The smallest shift in perception would pass as natural.
I stood up, straightened my shirt, and stepped into the hallway. The soft beat of her music grew clearer as I approached her room.
Two knocks.
"Come in!"
Her voice was bright, cheerful — the same tone from the memories I'd recovered.
Wendy's room was a colorful mix of early-2000s chaos and personality — band posters and magazine cutouts covered the walls, a few CDs stacked beside a small stereo, and a lava lamp glowing faintly on the dresser. Clothes were draped over a chair, and a school bag lay half-open on the floor, papers spilling out. She sat cross-legged on her bed, flipping through a glossy teen magazine, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her brown hair that had slipped loose from her ponytail.
When she noticed me, she looked up with that easy smile of hers — bright, warm, and just a little teasing. "Hey, big bro. You feeling any better?"
"Yeah," I said, stepping inside. "Just needed some air… and a cold shower."
She tilted her head, studying me with a kind of gentle curiosity. There was a flicker of concern beneath her smile — and something else too, something unspoken.
That was my opening.
Mind Whisper wasn't about domination or control — it was suggestion, subtle influence. A nudge in the right direction. The trick was to make the idea feel like it had always belonged to them.
So I reached out — not physically, but mentally — letting my focus settle on her. My thoughts shaped themselves into a calm, steady current:
It's fine. Nothing to worry about. Seeing me naked this morning and this afternoon doesn't matter. It's normal. Nothing embarrassing.
For a brief moment, it was like sending a ripple through still water — no resistance, no pushback, just quiet absorption. Wendy blinked once, her expression softening. She turned another page of her magazine as if the thought had already drifted into her mind, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
It worked.
I hid my smile, keeping my tone easy. "So, what are you reading?" I asked, nodding toward the magazine.
She glanced down at it and shrugged. "Just some dumb quiz thing. 'What kind of guy is your type,' or whatever." She laughed softly. "Guess I already know the answer, though."
I chuckled, though my mind was elsewhere — testing boundaries, refining control. The first use of Mind Whisper had gone smoothly. Maybe it was time to try another. Something harmless. Something simple.
I focused again, shaping the thought with precision before sending it her way — light, natural, like an idle idea crossing her mind.
He likes being called Alex instead of Alexander. It just feels right. Still your big brother — just Alex now.
Wendy blinked once, her gaze unfocused for half a second before she smiled again, as if remembering something she'd always known. "By the way," she said casually, "I should probably start calling you Alex, huh? Feels more like you."
I let out a quiet breath, feigning surprise. "Yeah… I think I like that."
"Don't worry," she added with a playful grin, "you're still my big brother, no matter what name you go by."
And just like that — another seamless shift. Subtle, effortless. Mind Whisper worked perfectly.
After a few more minutes of casual conversation with Wendy — laughing, teasing, and sharing small details of her day — I finally stood up and stretched.
"Alright, I should probably get going," I said, though it wasn't really a goodbye. We'd continue this later.
I left her room quietly, closing the door behind me. The house was still bathed in the soft glow of late afternoon.
Not long after, the familiar sound of the front door opening signaled Rosalie's return from work. Time to switch gears again — and face Mom with a story that made sense.