A few small details had been learned from Aron when Max had first woken up, but they were far too minor to piece anything together.
At the time, Max had been way more focused on his own revenge and figuring out his new situation, rather than digging into what the old Max's life had been like.
But now it was interfering with his everyday life in this new body, and he needed to know more. Aron seemed like he had played a big part in Max's past, so how could he not know what Max had been going through?
And then there was something else Max had figured out. The video that had been left on the laptop... in the end, there was really only one person it could have been meant for, and that was Aron.
Even if Max now didn't fully trust him, it was clear the old Max had trusted Aron. Their relationship had been... complicated. Strange, even.
But before Max could deal with any of that, he needed an answer to something far more important.
"I told you the truth last time," Aron said, his voice steady but low. "We don't know any of the details. But I have had things looked into."
He paused, locking eyes with Max.
"Of course, I knew you were being bullied, Max."
It was the first time Max thought he'd ever heard Aron call him by his actual name, and strangely enough, even this Max felt like they were bridging a gap, taking a step closer to something real.
"I knew the struggles you were going through..." Aron continued, his voice weighted with emotion. "Things are difficult because of the position I'm in. I have to constantly walk the line between my personal loyalty to you... and my duty to the Stern family."
He tightened his fists slightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
"I haven't been able to find the people responsible, or figure out if there's any link to what's happening at school now. But... I'll tell you all the details I know, no matter how small they might seem."
Max leaned in slightly, holding his breath for what he was about to hear.
"You were found in Notting Hill City," Aron said. "Your body was discovered at the side of Cure Lake."
Immediately, Max's heart pounded in his chest so hard it almost hurt to breathe.
Notting Hill City... he thought, his mind racing. That's the city where I lived. Where the White Tiger Gang is based. Most likely... it's the same place they dragged my damned body to as well.
Max clenched his fists under the covers.
And the city we're in now... this is Mancur City. Could it really just be a coincidence?
Is that what happened? Max thought, his mind spinning. Was Max's body, my body dumped into that same lake at the same time? Did something happen that caused everything to switch?
He gritted his teeth, a pit growing in his stomach.
What if the other Max ended up in my old body... but that body, the one already on death's doorstep, there's no way it could've survived.
"You were found by a passerby," Aron explained carefully. "Just hanging there at the edge of the lake. And... for now, that's all we know."
Although Aron probably thought the information was insignificant, it actually helped Max more than he could put into words. It solved at least a tiny piece of the mystery that had haunted him since waking up.
"I know..." Aron's voice grew quieter. "You probably wanted more than that. Some kind of trail you could follow to punish the people responsible. But I can't give you anything else. I'm useless in all of this."
Max could see it, Aron's guilt was raw, almost painful to witness.
He understood. Given the situation at school, how could Aron have gotten involved without exposing himself or Max?
Just like what happened today, if Aron had gotten involved at the wrong time, things could've ended even worse. He could easily imagine a different scenario, one where a group had dragged him into a van and driven him all the way back to Notting Hill... and no one would've known until it was too late.
The old Max had really left no options for Aron to help at all.
"I wish... I wish you could have let me help you more," Aron said, his voice barely a whisper.
It was the second time now. Twice Max had seen how the old him left the people around him hurt, left them aching with guilt and helplessness.
"Did I tell you anything?" Max asked, his voice steady but low. "Anything about what was happening at school? Did I even give you a hint as to why I would've ended up at the lake in the first place?"
"I have my guesses about what's going on," Aron replied. "But... you didn't tell me anything directly. It's clear you didn't want me getting involved because..."
Aron trailed off. Max stayed silent, letting the air between them grow heavy. He could tell there was more, so much more, that Aron wanted to say. And eventually, it came out.
"Max," Aron said, voice tightening, "about what you mentioned before... I didn't tell you this earlier because... I thought maybe our relationship would be better without it. I thought maybe without all the baggage between us, things would be easier. But things haven't gotten better. If anything, they've just stayed the same... So..."
He stopped again, but this time, Max could see it in his eyes, Aron was ready to finally say what he had been holding back.
"Just say it!" Max shouted, frustration bubbling over. "Stop dancing around the subject! What are you even talking about with this 'relationship' stuff? None of it makes any sense to me!
"Why would I shut out my own bodyguard? Why would you claim we were close, and why the hell would I leave a damn video for you if I didn't think we were close?"
"A video?" Aron asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.
Max immediately realized he might've said a little too much. That video… sharing it could do more harm than good. Maybe Aron would really go full stalker mode if he knew. And Max couldn't afford that. Not when he had other plans, plans that needed a lot more freedom than what Aron might allow.
"Forget about the video," Max said quickly, waving his hand through the air. "I want you to tell me what you were about to say before. Right now, I need to trust you. Give me a reason to trust you, so that you can help me!
"You say you want to protect me, but you've failed so many times. So this is your chance. Tell me why I should trust you."
Finally, Aron loosened his death grip on his trousers. His face softened, and a faint, almost bittersweet smile crossed his lips as he looked at Max.
"I guess you really did forget everything, huh?" Aron said quietly. "Of course I'll always help you, Max. I'll always be by your side, not for the Stern family, not for anyone else, because you're my brother."