IDENTITY: TEN

ALEX POV

Sky and I were still in our so-called secret hideout, and it seemed like I had no intention of returning to the boarding house. But I had no choice but to go back. After all, my clothes were there, and I still had questions I wanted to ask Lola Vemine.

"We're leaving at 8:00. We don't want Lola Vemine to get worried," he informed me, and I nodded in agreement. I just stared at him, wondering how he survived at such a young age. Why did he hide? Why didn't he come with me then?

"Mission."

"Huh?"

"I was given a mission. That's why I'm not with you the whole time."

"A mission? But you were only eight years old back then!"

I didn't receive a response from him, so I fell silent. The room was filled with silence, and it was getting awkward.

"I followed them," he answered, catching my attention. "I followed them until we arrived at their headquarters."

Geez, this guy is quite brave.

"Then?"

"I hid. Inside."

"Why?"

"To monitor and observe. It was Dr. Carl's order. He said that to defeat them, learn about them."

"So, you decided to stay in their facility. But why did you leave?" I asked, but after a minute, he didn't answer. I was about to ask him another question when my phone suddenly notified me. I quickly picked it up and opened the message. It was a message from Tita that made me anxious. I opened the message.

***

From: Tita

10-04-19 | 7:12 pm

It's Maica.

***

******

We were on our way to Maica's house, and I couldn't stop trembling. We were using Lola Vemin's car for a faster trip. I couldn't stop moving my hands due to nervousness. My heart was racing, and I felt a chill brought on by anxiety.

"Hey, calm down." I looked at him, and he had a slightly worried look. I forced a smile and returned to being paranoid. When I noticed we were close, I straightened up in my seat and looked ahead. Red and blue lights flashed repeatedly, intensifying my anxiousness.

Upon arrival, I quickly got out. A police car was there, along with several police officers. I didn't waste time and went straight to the door as soon as I got off. I opened it and first saw the police with their backs turned. It seemed like they were talking to Tita, but I couldn't see her because people blocked my view.

But I could tell that something had happened, and for me to know that, I needed to talk to Tita. I quickly approached Tita, and when she saw me, she burst into tears.

******

We were in the living room. Sky and Lola Vemine were with me, and Sky brought Lola Vemine with him earlier. Tita lost consciousness a minute after seeing me. It seemed that her body couldn't handle the overwhelming sadness she felt. The police also left after Tita fainted, instructing us to call them once Tita woke up.

"Well, warm yourselves up first," Lola Vemine offered, placing four cups of coffee on the table before us. She also brought some bread and half of a pie she cooked.

"Thank you, Lola," I expressed my gratitude, and she responded with a smile. The things I learned about her came to mind again. I still couldn't believe that an elderly woman like her possessed a power we thought would never be real.

"You already know," Lola said, surprising me. Telepathy? "December 30, 2123. Your birthday. You completed your nine months inside the tube. We were so happy that day because we finally had a child to be with. Imagine living inside an underground facility with no kids to play with. It was so boring. But that changed when you arrived. And not just you, another one came too." She looked at Sky.

"You two were the source of our happiness back then. Watching you learn to walk and talk was amusing, especially when you learned to run, which exhausted all of us from chasing after you. We were proud when you started your training. You motivated us to continue with our tests and trials. Even my Alter likes you. We were so happy to have you, Alex, and you as well, Sky. And I am blessed to take care of you."

Suddenly, my eyes stung. Tears were starting to form, and I wiped them away. "All my life, I thought I was normal, like other kids. But when I learned who I am, it felt like... I'm... I'm complete. The fact that I finally knew my true self filled this space inside me. I felt complete and confident. But..." I bowed my head, remembering the couple who died because of me.

"It's not your fault, Alex. Protecting you is part of their job as your parents. The one to blame for their deaths is the one who killed them. So cheer up," Lola comforted me. I gave Lola Vemine a reassuring smile, which she returned.

I was about to drink my coffee when we heard Tita groaning. We quickly looked at her, noticing her slowly opening her eyes. I approached Tita and helped her stand.

"Alex?"

"Yes, Tita."

Tita sat down and wiped her face. She looked thinner now due to the loss of her daughter. She probably hasn't been eating properly. After a while, she suddenly burst into tears. "Maica, Alex."

"Why, Tita? What happened to her?" Tita couldn't answer immediately due to her intense crying. I also felt tears welling up.

"She t-texted... she texted."

Tita quickly searched for her trusted phone, which Sky handed to her. "Here."

"Thank you." She hurriedly opened it and went to the messages. "Where is it? It was just here a while ago!"

"Let me handle it, Tita," I offered my hand. Shaking, Tita gave me her phone, and I searched for a message from Maica. If this message was recent, it should be at the top. However, there was no message from Maica here. "I can't find it, Tita."

"Huh? That's impossible!" Tita protested in surprise. "I even showed it to the police earlier!" Tita took back her phone and searched again for Maica's message. At the same time, Sky and I exchanged glances. "It can't be lost!"

"Tita?"

"Darn it! Where could it be!"

"Tita?" I held Tita's hand to make her stop. "Tita, calm down. What did Maica say?"

Tita immediately looked at me, and I felt the fear in her eyes. Not for herself but for her daughter. "She needs help."

******

"My theory is right. Rick is in cahoots with the police," Sky declared, a statement I agreed with.

"So, what's the plan?" I asked.

"If Maica needs help, then we help her," Sky's decision pleased me.

"How, Sky? We don't even know where Maica is."

"We can track the number Maica used to send her message."

"Deleted."

Sky glanced towards the kitchen. I followed his gaze and saw Lola Vemine and Tita busy preparing food. "Not for her."

After an hour, the food was ready. Lola Vemine called us to eat, and Sky and I went to the dining table. As we arrived, the delightful aroma of the dishes greeted us.

"You cooked a lot," I commented.

"Think of this as my gift for your presence. Because of you, I never felt alone since my child disappeared." A smile appeared on Tita's face, but the overwhelming sadness in her eyes was still evident. "Okay, let's eat."

I didn't hesitate and started eating. The delicious smell assured me that I would eat a lot. An hour later, after clearing the table, we returned to the sofa and sat down.

"Alex? Take Tita away for a moment," a voice suggested. I looked at Sky, who was staring at me seriously. Was he serious? "Do I look like I'm joking?" I looked at Lola Vemine, and she nodded subtly. A sign for me to do what Sky wanted.

"Umm... Tita?" I nervously called Maica's mom.

"Yes, Alex?"

"I left a... umm..."

"Notebook."

"...notebook in Maica's room when I came here. I was planning to get it because we have exams next week, and my notes are there," I lied while smiling.

"Is that so?" Tita stood up, and I followed her, and Sky signaled for us to start. I became more nervous as we reached Maica's room. However, Tita went straight without stopping at Maica's room. She immediately paused at another door, which I guessed was her room. "I'll just get the key."

I nodded and waited in front of Maica's room. After a few minutes, Tita returned with the key. She approached the doorknob and looked for the right key for Maica's room.

"I locked it so that her things wouldn't be disturbed while she's away, just like before." And the door opened. Tita pushed it, turning on the light. Tita entered first, and I followed. As I entered, memories of our happy days with Maica flashed back. "Sorry if it's a bit dusty."

"It's okay, Tita."

"Try searching here," she suggested while opening a drawer in Maica's closet, where I remembered she used to keep the things that I left in her room. "And also here." She handed me a bag. I first went to the drawer, pretending to look for a notebook. "What does Maica mean to you, Alex?"

Tita's sudden question surprised me. I looked at her and saw her sitting on the bed, holding Maica's photo frame. "Maica, for me, is like a sister. An older sister. She's the one who defends me whenever I'm bullied. She helps me with my assignments and projects. And she's the nicest person I've ever met." Tita cried even more, which made me feel guilty. "Don't worry, Tita. We will see her. Let's pray and entrust her safety to Him."

"We're done. Let's go home."

"I just remembered that I brought my notebook after all." I forced a laugh as we left, trying to lighten the mood.

******

I was in Sky's room, watching him as he tracked the number Maica used. I learned that Lola Vemine fainted after getting the number, so we quickly left and said goodbye to Maica's mom. I really felt bad for her. Imagine a mother who carried her child for nine months, only to lose her within a day. It was every mother's fear.

"Almost there," Sky reported, still pressing the keys on his laptop. After a few seconds, a map appeared on the screen with a red dot. "Gotcha."

"Where is that?"

Sky clicked on the dot, and information about the coordinates appeared on the right side of the screen, providing data about the location. "Town Plaza."

I frowned. "Town Plaza? Are you sure?"

"One hundred percent."

"Impossible. Why would she hide in a place with many people?" I asked in confusion.

"It's because she's not above," Sky pressed something on the keyboard, and the map tilted, revealing a side 3D view of the Town Plaza. "She's underground."