A/N: Hey! So, if you've read In the Eye of the Beholder, you've probably seen a couple of "alternate timeline" extra chapters in there. As it turns out, there's a lot of potential behind those alternate timelines and viewpoints, enough that I think they deserve their own little corner so as to not clog up the main story. It would be to your benefit to read through In the Eye of the Beholder up to whatever chapter is marked at the top of each individual chapter I'll post here, but ultimately it's up to you whether or not you feel you need to.

Some of the alternates I'll be working with here are listed below:

- The "New Game+" second cycle
- Exploring all the various love interest paths, including the harem ones
- Making a different decision at critical plot points
- Different ways to die throughout the story
- Different ways of dealing with Social Links
- How other characters view the story and its events
- What if the protagonist was male, rather than female? (This one has its own version of all of the above.)

And anything else that counts! So, enough of that for now. It's time to get to the good stuff.

(Alexander arrives in Quartz - read up to Chapter 1)

August 22, 2015 – Saturday, Afternoon – Sunny

The distance from Crystal Rapids, Texas, to Quartz, Texas, was approximately 590 miles. It was never going to be a short trip, and Alexander had anticipated a lot of boredom, so he had let his music player's shuffle function act as a radio of sorts while he drove his car behind his parents' car and the moving van.

After nearly eight hours of driving, the brown-haired sixteen-year-old was beginning to grow weary of all this traveling. He looked to his right and saw his blonde-haired younger brother, Justin, leaning towards the window and looking out at the endless greenery, with an expression on his face that was either bored or sleepy or both. It was a shame that he couldn't drive yet, or else he would've made him switch off with him every few hours.

"Hey." He said to his brother. Justin looked over at him and raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"You better get that license of yours pretty soon. I'm tired of having to drive you everywhere." He shrugged.

"Same here. We're gonna be less than half an hour from Houston, right? We are not gonna be bored ever like we were back home." Justin leaned back in the passenger seat and glanced at the display on the car showing the name of the song as the currently playing song ended and another one began.

"For sure. We get to start over, make a new image for ourselves. Nothing's gonna stop us now. Hey, how much farther is it gonna be? I'm sick of driving – and we still have to unload all our crap from the moving van when we get there." Justin looked up their position on his phone and said to him,

"Says thirty miles away from Peter Street. Hey, though – looks like our new place is going to be pretty close to our new school. We might actually still be able to walk over there." Alexander looked over at him and shook his head.

"Nah. Not unless the car breaks down. The neighborhood might be good for running, though. We'll see when we get there... too bad we can't drive any faster, or else we would've been there by now." He sighed, feeling the speed limit of seventy-five miles per hour was still too slow. Either way, they'd get there. Eventually.

Saturday, Evening – Clear

Alexander flopped down on his bed belly-first, exhausted from having to move all of his things into his room. He hadn't bothered to unpack anything besides the bare essentials, and stared out of the window looking down at the street lit up by a nearby lamp.

"Finally did it. Finally... away from that damn hick town forever." He mumbled, already feeling like he was about to slip away into unconsciousness. He looked at the window and saw something flying towards it – initially he thought it was some kind of moth, but instead it was a white butterfly, coming to rest on the glass nearest his face. That it was a white butterfly was odd, but even stranger was that it looked like it was glowing, a soft white light in the darkness.

Before he could focus upon it further, the butterfly flew away, leaving as quickly as it had come. He turned his head the other way and closed his eyes.

Whatever. Probably just the light outside screwing with me. Butterflies don't glow.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was no longer in his room. He looked around and saw that he was in a vast, black abyss, alone with a spotlight on him. He looked up and saw that the source of the spotlight was impossibly far away, like a star was shining down on him from across the galaxy. He raised his hands to his mouth and shouted,

"Hey! Is there anybody out there? Hellooooooooo?" He was given no response. He turned around again to see if there was anybody, and was startled to find that there was another person – one that had appeared behind his back without a sound.

"Hello." Alexander was face-to-face with a man wearing a butterfly mask, with a black-and-white motif about his outfit. He was dressed like he was going to some kind of costume party, like he was that guy from that musical about the opera, except with a different mask. A butterfly mask, with the same contrast of black and white as the rest of his outfit, with the butterfly being the white in the center.

"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" Alexander spoke rapidly, still unsettled by the masked man's presence.

"Can you tell me who you are? What is your name?" The man spoke, in a calm and friendly manner. The sound of his voice was strangely soothing to him, like he was talking to an old buddy of his that he hadn't seen in forever. Alexander looked him in the eyes and saw an honesty and clarity in them. Maybe this was supposed to happen – he did ask if anyone was out there...

"Yeah, I'm Alexander. Alexander Melvin Black." He wasn't sure why he said his full name, but it felt proper to do so. The man nodded, and raised his hand to his mouth, thinking for a moment about his next words.

"Yes. Alexander. That's right. There are few people that can remember their name when I come to them like this. Since you have given me your name, I will now give you mine. I am Philemon, a dweller of the realm between consciousness and unconsciousness, and the one who exists as the goodness of all souls."

The dark abyss was then swept away by a multitude of colors, and Alexander found himself standing on rocky ground surrounded by tall plateaus and a river to his right. A raft was tied to a pier that had been built along the river, and he could see a familiar looking boy and girl standing nearby. The girl was wearing a pink jacket, with long brown hair and a smile on her face as she listened to the boy talk. Alexander looked at the boy and immediately recognized him as himself from about four years ago – that navy blue jacket was something he had thrown out after it had gotten too small for him.

"So if that's me, then is that Lydia..? No way, that can't be-" He was about to move closer to them when the scene shifted away from him, and he was now standing beside a different point in the river – one where it was flowing at a dangerous pace, with frothing whitecaps that were dashed to shreds against multiple large rocks. He saw the same boy he identified as his younger self clawing furiously at the dirt beside the river and sobbing, and turned away from him to glare at Philemon.

"How the hell do you know about this?! Who are you?" Philemon closed his eyes, remaining silent. In a moment, they were no longer by the side of the rapids, but instead in an endlessly long valley, one with green grass, a cloudless sunny sky, and milky white quartz deposits scattered about as far as the eye could see. Alexander waited for a response from Philemon, but he seemed to be focused on their surroundings, surveying them and nodding again, as if he had heard something Alexander did not.

"So, this is how it shall be? Very well." He spoke.

"Hello? Are you listening to me? What are you trying to do?" His eyes returned to Alexander's.

"Alexander, I have foreseen the future. At the place you now live, you will come across an ordeal set in motion by those who would desire humanity's undoing. This place we are in now will be the battleground upon which the fate of all will be decided, and you will be swept up in it and made to choose between yourself or the person you think you should become. I am here to grant to you the power you will need in order to overcome your trial. Please, give me your hands."

"Why should I trust you? How could you possibly know what happened to me – no one else was there that day, I swear!" He expected some kind of defensive reaction from Philemon. Instead, he blinked, whatever expression he might have had obscured by the mask he wore.

"I am you, and you are me. Your memories are my own. You do not have to trust me; you are free to decline my offer if that is what you truly desire. However, you will then have to face yourself alone. You may never find the healing you seek for your loss..." His eyes never left Alexander's. He noticed how much they reminded him of his own. He could see the same frustration, sadness, and anger in them that he still saw in his own from time to time, and for a moment he thought he was staring into a mirror before realizing that there probably was some truth to what he was saying.

"My loss... damn it, you do know, don't you? So if I take your power, it'll make everything better, is that it? Okay, fine. Here." Alexander put his hands out, allowing Philemon to take them in his.

"In you I bestow the power of the Beholder, whose perceptions are capable of determining the future. I grant you the ability to fashion pure and unblemished ideals, such that by your will, you will play a part in writing the destiny of man." He let go of her hands, and smiled at him.

"Very soon, you will meet with a servant of mine in the same manner you have met me. Go forth and live without regret, Alexander. The answers you seek will find you in due time." Philemon turned away from him, looking off at a point in the distance Alexander couldn't discern. His body began to glow white and shimmer, as if he was about to fade away. The valley that was around them had all of its colors drained away as the black abyss returned in its place, the illumination from Philemon's body the only light in the darkness.

"Remember that I am you, and you are me. I will always be with you, watching over from within. We will see each other again..." With those words, he dissolved into a flock of white butterflies, flying past and through Alexander, giving him the same white glow. He could see Philemon's mask briefly floating without a body before it too turned into butterflies.

August 23, 2015 – Sunday, Morning – Sunny

Alexander woke to the sensation of someone yanking his leg, and whirled around in his bed to find Justin snickering at him.

"Get up, rockhead. We gotta get dressed." Alexander groaned, looking at his nearby phone to see that it was about seven in the morning. Normally, he would've been up at that hour by himself – but after driving for nearly nine hours and having to unpack all his stuff yesterday, he would have liked to be able to sleep in for once.

"Dressed? For what?"

"Church. Mom and dad found one nearby that they want us to go to. Service starts in forty-five minutes and they want us down there in fifteen." Alexander yawned, sighing. He got up from his bed and began searching the boxes in his room for his clothes.

"Hope it's better than the one back home." He said, locating the box that held all of his nicer clothes.

"I think just about anything would be better than the church back home." Justin remarked as Alexander retrieved a forest green polo shirt and khaki slacks from the box.

"Yeah, you got that right. We won't be 'that family' anymore. Hey, I don't see you getting dressed. Better get to it."

"Uh huh." Justin said and left the room. Alexander finished getting dressed and looked at himself in the full-length mirror that had been sitting by the door.

"Looks good enough." He said to himself, and left his room to go downstairs.

Sunday, Evening – Clear

The church was called Lamb of God Church. The service was pretty good, and even though he and his family had gotten a bunch of attention due to being the new folks on the block, it was all positive attention – a flurry of welcomes, hellos, and recommendations for various church activities that may or may not be worth doing. His family had never been all that into the community aspect, and had been going to church back home almost purely out of obligation and no better options in the last couple of years.

Alexander stood by the window in his room, his day almost coming to an end. Today had been spent unpacking everything and getting groceries, so now his room looked more like his room instead of an empty space full of boxes. It had a pretty good-sized closet that was able to fit all of his clothes with plenty of space for more, and not having to share a room with his brother was pretty sweet as well.

So, tomorrow's going to be the first day of the rest of my life. New school, new town, new opportunities, all of them freed of the stigma placed upon me. It's actually happening. The only left thing to do today... is sleep and wake up on the other side. That reminds me – that dream I had with Philemon in it, am I going to have another one like that? I hadn't thought about it, but he said something about me meeting with a servant of his in my dreams.

Ah, who am I kidding? It's a dream. Of course nothing like that's gonna happen. That stuff's all in my head.

He laid on the bed and went to sleep, expecting to wake up on his own without his brother tugging at him this time.

However, rather than wake up in his bed, Alexander found himself sitting on a cushiony blue armchair, with wooden armrests that looked like they belonged in the study of some rich guy. He looked up and saw something that made Philemon look positively mundane: a man with a freakishly long nose and a crazy grin, staring at him with eyes wide open. Standing beside him was a young woman, dressed like she was his secretary or something with a deep blue blouse with golden ring-like shapes in it and a similarly colored pencil skirt. She had strikingly white hair for someone so young, and her eyes were an eerie golden color; she stared at him intently, as if trying to figure out something about him.

"Ah! It seems we have yet another interesting guest. Do not worry; you are still fast asleep in the real world." The man spoke, his eyes never leaving Alexander. He looked around and saw that this place was like a dressing room, with big-bulbed lights framing huge mirrors, and racks full of clothes that all looked similar to the ones the young woman was wearing.

"My name is Igor. Welcome to the Velvet Room. This place exists between mind and matter, between dream and reality. If you are here, it means that you have signed a contract, or are very near to doing so. What is your name?"

"Alexander. I don't remember signing any contract. Exists between dream and reality? That sounds like what that guy Philemon was saying about being from the space between consciousness and unconsciousness." Igor's grin widened, and he chuckled for a moment with his eyes closed. His assistant gave him a questioning look, as if she had never seen him act that way before.

"Now that is a name I have not heard in quite some time. You have met my master, it seems. I am a servant of Philemon, and if you have crossed paths with him, then he has already given you the power you need to overcome the approaching trial, and in doing so established a contract. It now falls to my assistant and I to ensure that your power is properly developed. Ada, please, introduce yourself to our guest." The young woman gave him a proper bow.

"My name is Ada. I am also a resident of this Velvet Room. It is my duty to assist you however I can while you are our guest. Also, this is the first time I've ever heard my master laugh. I'll have to remember that about you, Alexander."

"Are you going to keep a file on me, or something? You look like a secretary, I wouldn't be surprised." He responded. Ada glanced at Igor before making eye contact with Alexander.

"That won't be necessary. My memory alone should suffice." She said. Igor then took this moment to speak.

"Well, it seems we still have some time before you awaken. In that case, allow me to present you with the proof of the contract you have made. Ada, if you would."

"Right." She reached up and pulled a large, ornate key with a mask on the end out of thin air, blue light briefly shimmering around it as it materialized in front of Alexander. She gave it to him and he immediately noticed that it felt very real, its weight apparent in his hand.

"That is a key to this Velvet Room. When you return to the real world, you will come across several locations that will allow you to access this place again. Of course, you will be the only one able to see them." Igor said. Alexander inspected the key, and wondered what the doors leading back here would look like.

"But this is a dream, isn't it? Is this key supposed to be symbolic, or are you telling me I'm gonna wake up tomorrow with a key in my bed? What exactly did I get myself into when I made this contract, huh?" Alexander looked into Igor's wide open eyes, and suddenly got the feeling that as freaky as he looked, he didn't seem like such a bad guy. He'd been nothing but polite to him so far, but he sure wasn't Philemon with the whole 'I am you, you are me' stuff.

"All we ask is that your take responsibility for your actions. Your decisions will no doubt change the destinies of those around you, and seeing as how my master has deigned to give you the power of the Beholder, your perceptions of others will also influence how things will unfold. Please keep that in mind as you go forth from this place. Until we meet again..." Before Alexander could ask any more questions, the Velvet Room dissolved around him, leaving him alone in the darkness with the key and sending him back to the real world.

August 24, 2015 – Monday, Early Morning – Sunny

Alexander opened his eyes again and saw that he was back in his room, the dawn's light beginning to become visible from his spot next to the window. He sat up, tossed his covers about for the key, and watched it fly out of his bed and land on the carpeted floor.

"No way." He got out of bed and picked up the key, turning on the bedroom light to see it more clearly. It was indeed the very same key that had been given to him by the white-haired secretary Ada, with the symbol of a mask on the handle. It felt as real to him now as it did when he held it in the Velvet Room.

"This is crazy. I can't still be dreaming, right?" He pinched himself, and after waiting to see if anything changed, took the key and left his bedroom to show his younger brother. Hopefully Justin was already up – if he wasn't, he was about to get woken up anyway. Alexander went down the hall and opened his brother's door, finding him rummaging through folded t-shirts in a drawer.

"Dude, you have got to see this." Justin looked up from the pile of t-shirts and at his brother.

"What?"

"I had the craziest dream last night." He spent a couple of minutes telling his brother about both of the dreams he had experienced, and after a while got to the key that he was now holding in his hand.

"So... some dude with a long nose had his secretary give you that key in your dreams?" Justin pulled on the t-shirt he had picked out, which was red with several concentric black circles with breaks in them – it was the logo of the Alabaster Federation from his favorite third-person shooter, Spiralis.

"Seriously, this key didn't exist last night. There's no way something like this would've gotten mixed up in our stuff when we moved here. Here, hold it for yourself. It's the real deal." Alexander reversed the key in his hand so that the handle with the mask on it pointed towards Justin. Justin attempted to grab it, but found that his hand was gripping onto air where the key should've been.

"Huh?" He tried to grasp at it, and Alexander watched with incredulity as his brother's fingers literally phased in and out of the key, completely intangible to him.

"Dude. That's insane. Hold on." Alexander dropped the key, and watched it land on the ground.

"Try picking it up. Maybe only one person can hold at a time, or something." Justin bent down and tried to grab the key, but once again found that his hand went through the key like it didn't even exist.

"No... Alex, you weren't kidding. What the hell is going on here? We didn't move into a haunted house or something, did we? Is this going to turn out like all those horror movies where some spirit screws with the family before possessing one of the kids? I mean, yeah, whatever that Philemon guy told you doesn't sound like anything out of a horror flick, but this isn't a movie." Alexander picked the key up, and laughed as he realized that he was probably the only one capable of using it.

"No, I don't think this house is haunted. I seriously think something really cool is going to happen with this thing. Hey, though. Don't go blabbing about this to mom and dad – and don't tell anyone at school, either. This is just between us, alright?" Justin looked over to see if either of their parents were nearby to come get them for breakfast and saw that the hall was empty.

"Alright. What do you think it all means? The way you framed it, you made it sound like you're the Chosen One, or something. The Beholder? Beholder of what?" Alexander shrugged.

"I dunno. I was about to just pass it off as jitters or something from moving to a new place, but this key... the fact that this key is real proves to me that those dreams weren't just a coincidence."

"Yeah. Well, unless Philemon or Igor or whoever shows up to take you to some secret facility, we still have to go to school. You should go get dressed." Alexander nodded.

"Right. Hey, what was the name of the school again? Do you know?"

"Ruby J. Fulton. Looked it up last night – it's been open for five years. They're the Falcons, colors are red, white, and blue." Alexander smirked, turning around to go back to his room to get dressed.

"An all-American school if I ever heard of one. Alright. Means there's no way I can miss it. This is gonna be it, the first day of the rest of our lives. I think it's gonna be awesome."