Chapter 2

Both Alex and Mark are still at the café eating breakfast.

"Why did you made me bring my laptop, anyway? Is there something wrong with yours again?" ask Mark

"Oh, nothing. I just went to- I just had something urgent to attend to." Alex simply said. "May I borrow it for the day? I'll return it to you at the party." she asks

"I thought we're going to spend the day at the carnival." Mark said

"Oh, yeah. Shoot. I'm sorry. I think we're going to cancel that one." She feels she should look first into this case. "Perhaps tomorrow, babe?" she asks, feeling Mark would be bummed about the abrupt cancellation.

"That's ok. What are you gonna do, anyway? I'll help you with."

Alex smiled at Mark. "I just have to prepare because Dad finally promoted me at the office!" Even if that wasn't the whole truth, it still wasn't a lie. She can't yet tell about the file she's seeing through the screen at the moment.

"Yeah? That's great! Congrats, babe!" He stood up and gave her a hug. "You've been really hoping for that in a long time! You deserve it." Mark kissed her forehead. "Since I know that's gonna happen, I already gave multiple designs for your office to your father. You can choose from them once he'll give them to you."

"Really? Wow! You put some effort there, didn't you?" She suddenly closed the tab on the laptop. The moment Mark hugged her, she felt grateful for having someone like him.

After breakfast, Alex told Mark she'll be at the office and she'll be at the party before dawn.

However, after they parted ways, she did go to the office but stopped at the entrance thinking she'll just use her laptop at home.

Arriving at their house, she noticed no one's home. Probably at the office, she thought.

She went to her bedroom and took a seat beside her table. She opened Mark's laptop then reached for something at the bottom but when she looked down, it wasn't there.

"Looking for this?" A man's voice was suddenly heard. She quickly stood up and looked at the man who was sitting at her bed.

"Who—- You!" She pointed at the guy knowing he was the one she had converse with last night.

"Yeah, me. I know you'll find ways tracking me, but I might as well go to you since I wanted to see you." He stood up.

"What are you doing here?" She knitted her brows.

"You probably barely remember that night, perhaps even that past part of your life. I'm sensing you almost don't know me." He slowly walks towards her.

"Well what's with the mask? I don't know you, cause you won't even show me your face." She felt angry for some reason.

"Wait. No, you do remember, well, not quite, but doesn't my eyes seem familiar to you? You always were a keen observer. I missed that about you." He smiled.

Alex felt somehow uncomfortable with the situation. She noticed he was slowly taking a step towards her so she slowly backs away heading towards the door.

"I was wrong. You do remember me." He smirked.

"Yeah, I remember the one that broke into my party last night just to show some stupid video." She responded. At the back of her mind, she could see a glimpse of an event where she saw those blue ocean eyes. She's confused whether it's a memory or just a dream.

When she notices that the man was going closer to her, she suddenly run towards the door but was held back. She uses her instinct by fighting him off.

She shakes of his hand and pushes him. She reached for the doorknob opening the door, but it was shut again by a hand behind her. She uses her elbow to jab the person behind her but the man quickly held her and turned her facing him.

Alex now faces the man. Despite being at a disadvantage, she could at least take off his mask to see her attacker's face. She shakes her hand off of his grip and manages to aim for his face and succeeded into taking off the mask.

When she wanted to see the man's face but was turned around again. She was put down on her knees and was locked.

"I'll let you show my face when I'll let you. Just be careful, now." He said through her ears. His voice sent Alex chills down to her spine.

Damnit. He's definitely not the guy at the cemetery. That one was a lot easier to handle, Alex thought.

"You may beat my brother a while back, but I'm sure you already know I'm way stronger." He said not letting her go.

She keeps struggling but eventually calms down.

"John?" That's the only thing she could think of saying since Mark said a while back that's his name.

Silence.

"So, that's really your name, huh?" She continued

She felt him sigh. "Yeah. It's John." He suddenly let her go but pinned her on the floor.

Alex felt uncomfortable of the sudden position but when she saw John's face, she experienced for the first time being speechless. Nothing came out of her mouth for nothing was on her mind but shock.

A scar was seen on his face. At the back of her mind, the scar appeared at a certain event. On that memory or dream, she saw being with that kid.

John saw Alex's shocked expression changed to confusion. "Do you remember?" he asks

Alex can't keep the sentence in place, since she keeps stuttering.

"I'll let you have space to process things. But first, like I said before, never tell anyone about the case. Not even your adopted parents. Analyze the video you saw since you have a great ability to observe." He stood up and walked out the door.

Alex was left lying on the floor.

John? Alex whispered. Tears fell on the ground.

She remembered a kid she always played with when she as young, a kid with a scar on his face and the ocean blue eyes she always looked at because she always wanted to look at the sea. The forgotten past was slowly coming back.