Covered With Curiosity

"My name, my identity, my blood—everything is fake! I am not Zeyn, the name given to me by the orphanage. Don't I deserve to know one puzzle piece? My name, at least. Akira addresses me as 'My Lord.' Which Lord? The Andrews are after an orphan! Why? My life goes on in cycles where they all know my identity, but I don't. Akira, Madam Williams, and the Andrews. I am at the center of their palm; with riddles, they speak to me. Like a little child, I am. From now on, I will stand my ground. I will not let any voice speak further about myself. I will not let anyone tell me who I am. From now on, I am thin air, the leaves and water at the stream, the sky, and every imaginary thing," Zeyn declared, his voice filled with resolute determination.

Zeyn looked out over the city, his mind a whirlwind of thoughts. He knew he had to find answers, but where to start? He decided to consult Layla, a recent but crucial addition to his life. "Layla, I have gathered a lot of information in the past days. Which one must I start with—the Andrews, the pendant, where I was originally picked up as a child, or Akira?"

Layla pondered for a moment. "Hmm, let me see. For now, what is important is the pendant and the Andrews."

Concerned, Zeyn asked, "What kind of creature are you?"

Layla looked surprised. "What? You asked which I'd like to hear first, and I said I would like to hear about the pendant and the Andrews."

"So my past does not matter to you?" Zeyn's voice carried a hint of hurt.

Layla froze for a second, then responded with a warm tone, "It does."

Zeyn moved closer to Layla, his expression intense. "My pendant is still at the orphanage, and I will go fetch it today. Do you know who the presidents of Beliz City are?"

Layla looked puzzled. "Today?"

"Layla, please. I'm going to fetch it, and no one will stop me. I am tired of being told what to do, when to eat, or when to sign my documents! Again, do you know who the presidents of Beliz City are?"

Yawning, Layla replied, "Beliz City does not have a president! It has a mayor, and that is Mrs. Alia Smith."

The revelation struck Zeyn's heart. He remembered that Beliz City was operated by a mayor. He stood there in shock, feeling as if one piece of the puzzle had disappeared into thin air.

Layla, also shocked, asked, "Are the Andrews in charge of Beliz City?"

"According to my source, yes!" Zeyn replied, his frustration evident.

"Why do you look defeated then?" Layla inquired, concern in her voice.

"Do you know what this means? It means they are hidden creatures in charge of the city secretly. Finding them will be hard, especially when you are an ordinary person like me," Zeyn explained.

Layla looked into Zeyn's eyes. "Ordinary person? Zeyn! Your company is in the top ten companies of Beliz City. You are not an ordinary person."

"You don't understand. In the hidden world, I am ordinary," Zeyn insisted.

Smiling, Layla said, "From when is the Lord ordinary? And please, you are hunted by many things, even the Andrews. Normal Zeyn is ordinary, but the Zeyn with one red sparkling eye is not."

"What do you suggest the way forward be?" Zeyn asked, seeking her counsel.

"Get your pendant at the orphanage and face your fears," Layla advised.

Zeyn stood there in confusion. "It is time you collaborate with the Andrews and look for a creature with a red eye together," Layla continued.

"Huh? Do you know how dangerous that is? What if my eye turns red in front of them?" Zeyn asked, his fear palpable.

"You have to train then, Zeyn," Layla replied calmly.

Zeyn stood there, thinking of how Layla was always by his side. An ordinary girl like her was now his brains, his coach. "I heard you, Layla. For now, go do investigations on the Andrews, and I will get my pendant."

Like that, what was supposed to be a hangout ended up as a meeting with agendas and recorded minutes. The meeting was adjourned.

At the orphanage, Zeyn walked in, and every eye was on him. Memories of his childhood started to kick in as he moved, each step forward bringing up an old memory. As he moved, he pierced his heart with old memories. He made it to the door of the villain, Mr. Peterson. Zeyn entered without knocking.

With fire in his eyes, he looked at Mr. Peterson, and his eye turned red. Mr. Peterson stood there, frozen with fear and shock.

"Give back my pendant," Zeyn demanded coldly.

With trembling hands, Mr. Peterson retrieved the pendant and handed it to Zeyn. The weather outside changed, becoming unusually cold. Zeyn walked out of the office and encountered Miss Lee.

With a trembling voice and a forced smile, Miss Lee greeted, "Zeyn, my child, I am so happy to see you."

"Oh, mother. Since I left, you have always been checking on me, always replying to my greetings messages, and to top it all, you were always by my side. I thank you, Miss Lee," Zeyn responded coldly.

The situation grew tense as Miss Lee knew very well that she had abandoned Zeyn when he left the orphanage. She never responded to his greetings over the phone and never asked how he was settling outside. Embarrassment washed over Miss Lee's countenance. Having no words, she bowed and kept walking. Zeyn looked at her with pain in his heart, remembering Madam Williams' words. He knew no one in that orphanage had his interests at heart. He left, hoping never to return.

On his way to his mansion, Zeyn called Layla. "Any news on the Andrews?"

"No, not yet! Every time I ask who is in charge of Beliz City, I get the mayor's name," Layla replied.

"These are the results of a 50% pass average!" Zeyn remarked.

"Are you ridiculing my work?" Layla asked, feeling insulted.

"No, but you must ask as if there is something wrong with the city. Like, 'How is Beliz being run? Do you think there's an outside influence?'" Zeyn suggested.

"I don't have a death wish," Layla retorted.

"Change of plans. Tomorrow morning, publish a formal apology to the media and state that you lied about the photo of my eye being edited. Say that a weird creature possessed me, thus my eye turned red," Zeyn instructed.

"That's a killer card," Layla admitted.

"I know. But it will help us meet the Andrews with a common enemy!" Zeyn concluded.

Lights out.