Chapter 52: [52] The Real Thing
Xavier returned to the document, scrolling faster now. He skipped past sections on Dominic’s corporate sponsorships and public appearances, looking for anything unusual.
A small section titled "Personal Life" caught his attention. According to Adrian’s research, Dominic claimed to be an orphan with no known family connections. No birth records existed in any public database, and his earliest official documentation was a hunter registration form from three years ago.
"Listen to this," Xavier said. "He has no verifiable history before his first public appearance. No school records, no birth certificate, nothing."
"That’s not just unusual, it’s impossible," Calypso said, crawling closer to peer at the tablet. "Everyone in this world has records, especially after the Cataclysm. The survivor registration system is comprehensive."
Xavier nodded. "Adrian notes that too. He speculates that either records were deliberately erased or..."
"Or what?"
"Or Dominic isn’t who he claims to be." Xavier read further. "There’s a theory here that he might be using a stolen identity, though Adrian dismisses it as unlikely given the biometric verification required for hunter registration."
Calypso’s foot had stopped its annoying movement, her full attention now on the discussion. "What about physical characteristics? Anything unusual there?"
Xavier scrolled to a section with high-resolution photos from Dominic’s matches and public appearances. "Black hair, red eyes—unusual but not unheard of. Height 6’2", athletic build." He paused, reading a notation beside one image. "Wait, Adrian noticed something. In older photos, Dominic’s eyes appear brown in certain lighting, but in all recent appearances, they’re consistently red."
"Contact lenses?" Calypso suggested.
"Maybe, but why? And when did the change happen?"