Mirror Crown
The morning after Christian's accident was a flurry of panic, confusion, and disarray. Christian Classic, heir to the most powerful family in the world, was nowhere to be found. His security team scoured the private resort, their faces drawn with concern as they combed every inch of the sprawling property. The island, which was meant to be a sanctuary for the spoiled heir, had turned into a place of uncertainty and fear.
Christian's body hadn't been found. No sign of his wrecked sports car, no trace of him anywhere on the roads. It was as if he had disappeared without a trace, swallowed by the vastness of the island's jungle or lost to the waves of the ocean. The security personnel, all trained to deal with the unexpected, were frantically trying to maintain some semblance of order while the anxiety amongst the staff continued to rise.
Unbeknownst to them, Xavier, one of the resort staff members, had fallen asleep in one of the guest rooms. It was a rare moment of peace for Xavier, who had been working nonstop to keep the resort running smoothly. His usual uniform—white and pressed—had been discarded for comfort, replaced by plain, ordinary clothes: a simple t-shirt and jeans, nothing out of the ordinary. He had been cleaning up one of the rooms late into the night, ensuring everything was spotless for the next set of guests, and had collapsed on the bed, exhausted. The exhaustion had won, and Xavier had drifted into an unplanned sleep, unaware that the chaos had already begun.
When Xavier woke, groggy and disoriented, he realized he had overslept. The sun had already risen, and there was a sharp urgency in the air. He hurriedly stood up, gathering his things, intending to head back to the staff quarters. But as he stepped out of the room, he was confronted by a wave of security personnel.
"Where have you been? We've been looking everywhere for him!" one of the guards shouted, his face a mask of relief as he spotted Xavier. The sight of him, a staff member they hadn't even considered, caused a ripple of confusion. To them, Xavier's unkempt appearance and his disheveled clothes were simply a side effect of his long hours, but one guard had an uncanny sense of recognition.
"Wait…" The guard hesitated, squinting in disbelief. "Is that… Mr. Classic?"
The words, spoken in a breathless whisper, hung in the air for a moment before another security officer stepped forward. "Yes… yes, that's him. It's Christian. We found him!"
The guard who had initially spotted Xavier's resemblance to Christian Classic broke into a wide grin, relief flooding over him. The tension that had gripped the entire resort seemed to dissipate in an instant.
Xavier stood frozen, blinking in confusion. He had no idea what they were talking about. Why were they looking at him like that? The security team, all convinced they had found the missing heir, ushered him along, their faces glowing with relief. They made no effort to ask him more questions. Their minds were clouded by the overwhelming need to restore order to the situation. No one could imagine the truth. Xavier, wearing casual clothes, had been mistaken for Christian Classic. The resemblance, although uncanny, was purely coincidental, a result of fate that no one could have predicted.
As Xavier was hurried down the hall, trying to piece together what was happening, he realized that no one was questioning him further. The staff around him were already whispering among themselves, relieved that their heir, who had been missing, was now found safe and sound.
Some of the resort staff watched from a distance, exchanging knowing glances. They couldn't shake the strange feeling in their stomachs—the feeling that something wasn't quite right, that there was an eerie sense of familiarity to Xavier's movements. But none dared question it. It was the heir, wasn't it?
In the security office, phones rang off the hook as news of Christian's "reappearance" was relayed to the family back home. The family of Christian Classic was informed of the miraculous discovery, their anxious hearts momentarily calmed by the news. Christian had been found, safe and alive.
What they didn't know, what no one knew, was that Christian Classic was dead. His body lay in the wreckage of his car, still undiscovered, while Xavier—an innocent bystander caught up in an improbable twist of fate—was now living in the shadow of the man he resembled. The staff at the resort, the security personnel, and even Christian's own family would soon come to accept this as the truth.
But Xavier knew nothing of this. He had no idea that he was now caught in a web of deception, his life forever entwined with the legacy of a man who was no longer alive.
For now, there was no turning back. The charade had begun, and with it came the start of a life Xavier had never imagined.