Chapter 3: General Alexander Mercer
1518 Words
Victoria stirred from her sleep, her body aching from the previous day's events. She blinked, momentarily disoriented, as the dim light of dawn filtered through the curtains.
Slowly, she turned her head, expecting to see the mysterious man still unconscious beside her.
But he wasn’t there.
Panic surged through her as she quickly sat up, her eyes scanning the room.
Then, she saw him.
He stood at the foot of the bed, his broad back to her, staring blankly at the floor, as if lost in a world only he could see.
“Hey…” she called softly, unsure of what to say.
He turned slowly. His eyes were distant, as though he was searching for something just beyond his reach.
“Where… am I?” he muttered, his voice hoarse. “Who… who are you?”
Victoria’s heart sank. She had feared something like this.
Slowly, she stood up, keeping her movements calm to avoid startling him. “You’re safe,” she assured. “You washed up on the shore, and I… I brought you here.”
He frowned, the crease in his brow deepening as he struggled to process her words. “The shore?” he murmured, almost disbelieving.
Victoria nodded. “You were barely alive. I didn’t know who you were or what happened to you, so I just brought you here.”
He winced as he pressed a hand to his temple. “I don’t… I don’t remember.”
Her heart sank further. She had hoped he might have answers, that maybe he could explain who he was and why he had been in the sea in the first place.
But now, she realized, he couldn’t even explain that to himself.
“You don’t remember anything?”
His eyes met hers, filled with deep, aching sadness. “Nothing. Not even… not even my own name.”
Victoria’s chest tightened. “It’s okay,” she said softly, though her own voice wavered. “We’ll figure it out.”
The man’s breathing grew uneven as he tried to force memories to the surface, but the more he pushed, the harder his head throbbed.
Then, in sudden flashes, fragmented images returned to him—soldiers, dead and dying, floating around him.
He heard their cries, felt their hands reaching for him as they struggled in the shivering water, their voices calling his name as their lifeless bodies sank beneath the ruthless waves.
“Soldiers…” he whispered, eyes widening with horror. “I… I saw soldiers. Dead. So many dead.”
He pressed his hands against his temples again, groaning as the memories fought to return.
Victoria watched him, her heart breaking at his agony. She wanted to help but wasn’t sure how.
Suddenly, an idea came to her. Maybe it would trigger something.
“Wait here,” she said, quickly moving to retrieve it. “I found something in your clothes. It might help.”
She returned with a small, metallic emblem in her hand. It felt cool against her skin as she held it out to him. “Do you recognize this?”
The moment his eyes fell on the emblem, something changed. His gaze sharpened, and he reached for it with trembling hands.
As his fingers brushed against the metal, a name burst into his mind, clear and undeniable.
“Alex,” he whispered, his voice low and urgent. “My name… my name is Alex.”
Victoria’s breath caught in her throat. “Alex?” she asked hesitantly, as though testing the name.
He nodded slowly, still gripping the emblem. “Yes. Alexander…”
A wave of relief washed over Victoria, though it was brief. He still didn’t remember anything beyond his name, and the pain in his expression showed that regaining even that small piece of his past had come at a great cost.
“We need to get you help,” she said firmly. “You need medical attention. There’s a hospital in the city. They might be able to help you recover your memory, and then we can figure out who you really are.”
Alex looked at her, his eyes filled with uncertainty. “But… what if… what if I don’t want to remember?”
Victoria froze, taken aback by his words. The sadness in his voice was overwhelming, but she pushed through it. “We won’t know until we try,” she said. “You don’t have to face this alone, Alex. I’ll help you.”
His eyes softened. For a moment, the confusion and fear seemed to ease. He nodded slowly. “Alright.”
Victoria, in an effort to calm the tense atmosphere, reached for the remote and turned on the TV, hoping it would help Alex relax.
The soft hum of the news broadcast filled the room, and for a moment, it seemed like just another ordinary day. But for Alex, it was far from ordinary.
As the screen flashed with images of global conflicts and military operations, something deep within him stirred.
His eyes narrowed, focusing intensely on footage of soldiers in uniform, tanks rolling across desert landscapes, and aerial shots of strategic bases.
Fragments of memories, like pieces of a shattered mirror, started to slot into place. He saw glimpses of his past—brief, disjointed moments that blurred the line between reality and nightmare.
He remembered the weight of his military uniform, the crispness of his medals, the solemn faces of his comrades. He had been more than just a soldier. He had been a leader.
World’s top military commander. General Alexander Mercer.
He blinked, the thought hitting him hard. His body tensed as more details began to emerge, each one more disturbing than the last.
Faces from his past flickered in his mind—his fiancée’s among them, her smile once filled with love but now twisted with betrayal.
Alex’s jaw clenched as the realization gripped him. It hadn’t been an accident, nor a twist of fate that had sent him into the sea.
It had been deliberate—a calculated move to destroy him at his weakest moment, during a critical battle where his leadership had been the difference between victory and defeat.
The poison had taken hold of him just as he was about to execute a crucial strategy, leaving him vulnerable, disoriented, and ultimately leading to his fall into the icy waters below.
But why? Why would she do this? He had trusted her—loved her—and her family had power and influence.
What could they possibly gain from betraying him?
The more Alex tried to untangle the web of deceit, the more his head throbbed, as if his mind were actively fighting against the painful truths buried in his memory.
He could barely recall the specifics of the battle, but the treachery of his fiancée’s family loomed large in his fragmented recollections.
They had orchestrated this—poisoned him to either weaken him or eliminate him entirely.
But for what purpose?
Victoria, oblivious to the storm of memories and emotions raging within him, asked, “Are you okay, Alex?”
Alex forced himself to relax, pulling his gaze away from the television. He couldn’t let her know—not yet.
The memories were incomplete, and until he had a full understanding of why his fiancée had tried to kill him, he needed to be cautious.
“I’m fine,” he assured. “Just... overwhelmed.”
Victoria nodded, clearly believing him. “I’m sure it’s a lot to process,” she said gently, turning off the TV. “You don’t need to worry. We’ll get you all the help you need.”
Alex nodded, keeping his expression neutral. Inside, his mind raced. If he was truly being targeted—if his fiancée’s family had orchestrated his downfall—then it wasn’t safe for him to reveal his true identity just yet.
He needed time to piece together the truth, and more importantly, he needed to figure out why they had wanted him out of the picture.
For now, he would lay low, keeping Victoria close. She believed he had amnesia and that the nation had reported his death—a convenient cover for him to stay hidden.
He could use the time to recover fully, investigate what had happened, and, when the time was right, strike back against those who had betrayed him.
“Thank you, Victoria,” he said, his voice softer and more genuine. “For everything…”
She smiled at him. “It’s no trouble,” she replied. “And I want to thank you too, Alex, for everything.”
Alex’s gaze lingered on her for a moment.
Little did she know, she had just become an integral part of his plan. As long as she believed he had lost his memory, he could stay close, gather information, and uncover the truth behind the treachery that had nearly cost him his life.
For now, the world thought General Alexander Mercer was dead. But soon, they would realize just how wrong they really were.
For the very first time, his lips curved into a smile.
- Writer
