IDENTITY: SIXTEEN

MAICA POV

7:45 PM. That was the time displayed on the clock just outside the prison. I could feel the excitement building up because I'd be able to talk to Alex again, knowing that I forgot to tell him that it was him that Rick was after. He just used me as bait to lure Alex to him, so I would make sure he knows about it. Better be prepared than nothing.

"Maica?" Alex called out to me, all of a sudden, bolting me up for a proper sit.

"Yes, Alex," I whispered.

"Why are you whispering?"

"I'm afraid the guards might hear me," I explained. I need to be cautious for the success of our plan.

"Now, tell me everything in there."

"In terms of security, there are only a few guards here, but expect their numbers to increase during the festival," I said, looking towards the entrance.

"Are they armed?"

"I don't know."

"How about the security cameras?"

I surveyed the CCTV cameras within my sight. "I can only see five from where I am."

"What else do you see?"

I then looked at the boxes. "Several huge wooden crates and metal boxes." Then, there was a massive machine on the left. "And this is some kind of a machine— I'm not sure. I can't see it properly because the prison wall blocks the view."

"Okay. Uhm... how about the entrances or exits?"

I directed my gaze back to the boxes and lifted it slightly to see a pipe. "Except for the main entrance, there is this one exhaust pipe. But I don't know where it leads. I can't even tell its direction."

"It's okay. We'll take care of that."

"And one more thing, Alex, Rick wants you. I don't know why, but you're his target. And this machine right here might have something to do with you once he captures you." I finally said it!

"Thank you, Maica. Alright, we have something to finish with Sky."

"Okay, go ahead. Take care."

"You too." Alex ended the connection, and once again, I was left alone here, back to how it used to be. But unlike before, I'm hopeful now. Because I knew I had a friend who would come and get me.

******

ALEX POV

We were at the screen table with Sky, discussing the information Maica provided.

"Let's just consider that the guards are armed. We should be more prepared in case they are," I suggested, and Sky and I agreed. However, I noticed that he seemed lost in thought. "What is it, Sky?"

"Maybe I can hack the security cameras," he speculated, immediately pressing something on the screen table. A city map appeared along with a dialogue box saying, "Searching..."

Once completed, thousands of yellow dots appeared all over the map, which I assumed were CCTV cameras. Sky clicked on the plaza, and it zoomed in, accompanied by yellow dots. From thousands, it narrowed down to around thirty yellow dots. However, what caught our attention were the ten closely clustered yellow dots right in the middle of the plaza. Sky zoomed in until only ten yellow dots were on the screen. He pressed another button, and information on those cameras appeared on the right side of the monitor. All of them were active, and they were the latest models.

"These new models might be hard to hack into, but not for me," he bragged and grabbed the tablet. He pressed several buttons on the tablet, prompting a dialogue on the screen: Connecting...1% "This might take a while."

"I hope it finishes before the festival," I prayed.

Sky walked to the fridge, grabbed some veggies and meat, and it seemed like he would cook again. I left and headed towards the hideout's door.

"Where are you going?" the guy stopped me, busy putting on an apron.

"I'm going to practice. My energy wave still needs some development." I headed to my so-called training area and set up some empty soda cans as targets. I moved a few meters from the target and started stretching for warm-up. I decided to practice the psi ball first since there's something I want to try.

I held out my hand and started forming psi balls. This time, I wanted it much smaller than before but still powerful. Slowly, a psi ball the size of a ping pong ball formed in my palm. Its appearance remained the same, except for its size.

I glanced at a soda can before me and released my psi ball. The can exploded, but I noticed it was weaker than my first attempt. That meant power varies with size. The bigger it was, the more energy it stored.

I didn't try the same technique again since I already saw the result. Now, I would figure out how to twist the energy waves.

According to Sky, energy waves or shockwaves can have various results based on energy input. Additionally, their shapes could vary depending on the energy concentration and orientation. Lastly, Sky mentioned that the attack's origin could be anywhere, so I wondered if I could use my foot.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on gathering energy on the sole of my right foot. It seemed to be working based on my feelings. I could feel the heat and energy accumulating. When I felt enough power in my foot, I released it. The moment I released it, a small crater appeared on the concrete under my right foot, accompanied by a brief tremor.

"What was that?" Sky asked, surprised. But I almost laughed when I saw him holding a ladle and wearing an apron.

"I was just... you know... testing my energy waves."

"I thought it was an earthquake."

"Sorry."

"Get ready. I'm almost done," he informed me, and I nodded in response. We entered together, and I got ready for dinner. After a couple of minutes, Sky signaled for our dinner. I arranged the table, and he placed a pot of adobo he had cooked.

I stood up to get the rice still in the rice cooker. I also brought plates, spoons, forks, and glasses. After collecting everything, I quickly returned to the sofa where the food was placed.

I put down the rice and handed Sky the plates, spoons, and forks. Then, a memory played in my head, a movie with a similar situation. They were a couple who decided to run away to fight for their love. It's kind of romantic.

"So, what's your plan tomorrow?" he asked while calmly eating his food. Since my mouth was still full, I couldn't answer right away. I chewed my food quickly and swallowed it.

"Nothing particular. Maybe grocery shopping. Why? Is there an occasion?"

"None. I just want to train you in a more advanced method. Like an actual fight." I was surprised by his statement. A nervous feeling enveloped my entire body, but excitement replaced it once I learned what I would be taught.

"Where?"

"You'll see tomorrow after we buy your stuff." I nodded and went back to eating. The entire dinner was quiet. No one dared to talk because there was nothing significant to discuss. And because of that, we finished quickly.

I insisted on washing the dishes so that Sky could continue what he was doing. After washing the dishes, I quickly returned to the sofa to rest. I was surprised when the sound of a breaking glass suddenly echoed in the kitchen. Sky and I looked towards the kitchen and found a broken glass. The moment my eyes landed on the damage, I instantly felt eerie. A premonition that something terrible was going to happen. I didn't know what, but my instincts were strong.

"Are you okay?" Sky asked, holding the broken glass parts. He probably noticed that I felt something.

"Ye-yes. I'm fine," I lied and slumped onto the sofa with concern in my eyes.

******

It was 8:31 in the morning, and I was disappointed that I had no dream predictions. I hoped to see something to prove my instincts right from last night, but I saw nothing. Just when I needed it, it didn't show up. Life, indeed.

I just finished taking a shower while Sky was still in the bathroom. We don't go home to the boarding house much because Sky's essential stuff is here. I can't leave him alone, so I decided to accompany him.

It was our third day here, but for me, it felt like we'd been hanging out for months. We rarely go out, avoiding people who keep following me.

I was distracted by the bathroom door opening, so I couldn't help but look. Sky came out with just a towel wrapped around him. With reflex, I quickly averted my gaze and pretended to be looking at something else so he wouldn't notice that I saw his muscular body.

"What are you looking at?" he suddenly asked, which startled me a bit.

"Sp-spider," I stammered in response, trying to act like I was looking at an imaginary spider.

"You ready?" he asked, but I still didn't look at him. I kept staring at the ceiling, pretending to be looking at an imaginary spider.

"Yes."

"Then, let's go." As a hint, I was sure he was already dressed, so I finally looked at him. I was captivated by how handsome he was. A plain black shirt tucked into fitted denim jeans, complemented by brown leather shoes. His wet hair added charm, along with his bucket hat. I was speechless. I never thought this guy knew how to dress. However, I didn't let him know he got me. Who knows what he might think, and the situation might get worse.

"We're buying food, Sky, not girls," I joked.

He scratched his head. "This is the only set of clothes left in my bag." Really? I was expecting that only casual clothes were left.

"Let's just go, but don't ask me for help if something comes up because of your look," I warned, turning away from him.

"You think I'm handsome?" I froze, and my eyes widened.

Shit! I slipped!

My cheeks instantly heated up, and I'm sure I'm blushing now. "I-I mean, come on!" I replied, quickly walking out and heading up the stairs. When we reached the living room of the house, I checked if a black car was parked outside.

"We'll be using the back door," Sky suggested, and I agreed. We went out through the back part of the house, and I wondered why Sky chose this route.

"Why did we go this way?"

"This is the only way we can get to the mall."

"Why didn't we use the front door, then?"

"That would be dangerous. If they find out we left through that door, they will suspect," he explained.

"There's no parked car here," I whispered my complaint, but I knew he heard it because of his clairaudience. Why did we go through the back door? What's it for? To deceive them? To make them think we just passed through that way? Wait... is that what Sky wanted to tell me? To trick them?

I just looked at him guiltily while walking, promising myself not to complain anymore.

We reached the main road and quickly hailed a taxi. After a few minutes of travel, we reached the mall. Upon arrival, we went straight to the supermarket. As expected, many people were staring and screaming at Sky. I, on the other hand, was unfazed, just doing my thing.

"They look so good together!"

"The cutest gay couple I've seen so far. And look, they even have matching clothes! Hashtag, LoveWins!"

Did I hear it right? We have matching clothes? I discreetly looked at my shirt, and my eyes widened when I found out that we really were wearing the same shirt. Why did you have to wear black, Sky?

"This is the only set of clothes left in my bag," I remembered what he said earlier.

Tsk. Stupid excuse. He really likes to mess with me.

"We're here, Alex," he said, interrupting my thoughts. I looked at the sign, and Sky was right; we were in the supermarket.

Can we just go home already? The embarrassment! I can't handle this!