Jon stared at his reflection in disbelief. His hair was neatly cut, and his once teenage face had been replaced by the innocent features of a child. His blue eyes, wide with shock, took in the new proportions of his limbs. He wasn’t just younger—he was someone else entirely. The body was unfamiliar, and a strange, uncomfortable feeling tugged at his mind as if his very identity had been torn away.
"Triplets?" Jon whispered, still absorbing the sight of his new body.
Violet nodded. "Yes. Your siblings, Amanda and Casey, are your brother and sister now."
Jon blinked. "Wait... Mikey? You made Mikey my sister?"
Violet’s lips tightened into a thin line. "Yes. We thought it best to switch his gender—her gender, now. It was easier to disguise him this way, as Amanda."
Jon's mouth went dry. "And Zoe? What about Zoe?"
Violet hesitated for a moment, something she rarely did, and then cleared her throat. "We made an error. Your sister Zoe... well, she’s now your brother. You and your siblings are all identical triplets, but Zoe’s new identity is Casey, your brother."
Jon's stomach churned. "So... I’m a little boy, Mikey’s a girl, and Zoe is now a boy?"
"Precisely," Violet said, almost too casually for Jon's liking. "It’s all part of the plan to throw off anyone tracking you."
Jon lay back, his mind spinning. His family—his whole life—was being rewritten. He barely recognized himself, let alone the idea of his siblings. As much as the weight of everything hit him, he could see Violet wasn’t done yet. She pressed another button, and the straps around his wrists and ankles clicked loose, freeing him. He slowly sat up, still feeling the strange lightness of his new body.
"Come with me," Violet instructed.
Jon followed her, still unsure of his steps, each one smaller than he remembered. His feet barely made a sound as they padded across the cold floor. They walked into a larger room, where two other beds lay occupied. He saw two figures standing nearby, a man and a woman—his parents, though they looked different, like models out of a fashion magazine. They couldn’t have been older than their late twenties, clad in expensive designer clothes, their bodies lean and muscular.
"Mom? Dad?" Jon whispered.
His mother turned to him, her once familiar features now strikingly youthful, like a glamorous actress with long flowing hair and a glowing complexion. She smiled at Jon, a strange mix of warmth and sorrow in her eyes. His father, standing beside her, looked equally out of place, his sharp jawline and chiseled physique that of a man who had never seen a hard day in his life.
"Jon," his mother said softly, "or should I say John now?" She smiled sadly, trying to hold back tears. "We’re going to be okay, sweetie. We’re all in this together."
As Jon looked around, his eyes settled on the other two beds. Slowly, his new siblings stirred, rising from their own strange transformations. Amanda, the new version of Mikey, blinked at Jon with wide, curious eyes. Her once mischievous grin was now framed by long blonde curls, her small, delicate features making her look nothing like the younger brother Jon remembered.
Casey, or rather Zoe, who was now Jon’s identical brother, sat up next to her, rubbing his eyes. His hair was short and scruffy, matching Jon’s own new look. He seemed just as disoriented, his face filled with confusion as he glanced around the room.
"This is insane," Jon muttered under his breath.
Violet, standing by the doorway, cleared her throat. "We’ve arranged everything for your new life. You’ll be living under new identities in an upscale neighborhood. The organization has gone to great lengths to ensure your safety. From now on, you’re the Letson family—a wealthy, well-connected family living in luxury. You’ll have everything you need."