"How did you know about the plane crash?" Ethan demanded, unleashing a barrage of questions. "What are these 'Pillars' you spoke about? What's your connection to Madison's family? You've been observing me since my first day at this school—why? And what the hell did you mean by my reputation preceding me?"
Jake slowly looked up, his eyes locking onto Ethan's.
"As I said before: take down the Three Pillars. Then we can talk... Code Name: Terminator."
Ethan's eyes widened. A jolt of shock ran down his spine. Terminator? How does he know?
"How do you know that name?" Ethan pressed, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Why should I even listen to you?"
Jake stood up, stepping into Ethan's personal space. He placed a heavy hand on Ethan's shoulder, leaning in until his breath brushed against Ethan's ear.
"Prove your worth by taking down the Three Pillars," Jake whispered. He stepped back, a cold, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Then, we talk."
Ethan stood frozen as Jake turned and walked away.
"Jake!" Ethan called out.
Jake stopped in his tracks but didn't turn around.
"Tell me about the Pillars," Ethan said.
Jake glanced over his shoulder. "That's your mission."
Ethan's brow furrowed. This guy is assigning me work but withholding all the intel.
"Surely, it would be a lot easier for the Terminator Mercenary to gather his own information," Jake added smoothly, before continuing down the hallway.
Ethan stood in the empty corridor, stunned. The warning bell rang, jarring him back to reality. He turned toward his classroom, his mind racing. What is up with that guy? First things first, I need to dig up whatever I can on these Pillars.
By the time Ethan walked into the classroom, the period was already ending. As the students began packing up, his gaze immediately fell on Allen.
Maybe Allen knows something.
The final bell echoed through the school, signaling the end of the day. Madison and Allen stood up to leave, but Ethan intercepted them, cutting off their path.
"Allen," Ethan called out.
Both Allen and Madison turned to face him. "Yeah?" Allen replied.
Ethan glanced at Madison, pausing for a tense two seconds before looking back at Allen. "There's something I need to talk to you about. Alone."
Allen blinked, looking at Madison and then back to Ethan. "Something you need to talk to me about?"
Ethan nodded.
Madison narrowed her eyes, sensing the sudden shift in the air. She looked between the two of them, crossing her arms. "I'll be waiting at the school gates," she said coldly, turning on her heel and marching out of the classroom.
Once she was gone, Allen turned to Ethan, his interest piqued. "What's up? You look serious."
"The Three Pillars," Ethan said bluntly. "What can you tell me about them?"
Allen frowned. "What? Is that some upcoming movie?"
"So you don't know."
Allen shook his head. "Honestly, this is my first time hearing anything like that. Why?"
"Allen, I need you to look into it," Ethan said, his tone dead serious.
Allen thought for a moment, scratching the back of his neck. "I can dig around for you. But honestly, if we used Madison's family resources, finding these Pillars would be a breeze."
Ethan shook his head slightly. "Just keep it between us for now."
"Alright, I'll see what I can find and let you know tomorrow at school," Allen promised.
With a quick nod, Allen turned and jogged down the hallway toward the school gates, where Madison was already waiting.
The moment Allen approached, Madison's eyes pierced right through him. Their car pulled up to the curb a moment later, and they slid into the backseat. Throughout the ride, Madison didn't break her glare.
"Is there something on my face?" Allen asked, shifting uncomfortably under her gaze.
"What did you two talk about?" Madison demanded.
"Oh, that?" Allen laughed, waving his hand dismissively. "Just homework. Standard stuff."
Madison noticed the faint bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Liar," she said flatly.
"What? I'm not—"
"You always smile like that when you lie," Madison cut him off.
Allen's shoulders slumped, his smile fading. "I'm sorry, Madison."
Madison took a deep breath and exhaled a long, frustrated sigh. "Why does it feel like everyone is hiding things from me lately?" she murmured, turning her head to stare out the window.
But as she watched the city buildings blur past, a sudden thought struck her. A slow, calculating smile crept onto her face.
Meanwhile, Ethan arrived home. The moment he stepped through the front door, a familiar voice greeted him. Sitting in the living room was his grandfather—someone Ethan hadn't seen in a very long time. Daisy had already made it home and was sitting close to the old man's side.
"Ethan!" His grandfather stood up, his face lighting up as he pulled Ethan into a warm, tight hug.
Ethan smiled, sitting down beside him. "Grandpa, you were gone for so long this time."
The old man nodded warmly. "Yes, business kept me away. But I didn't come back empty-handed. I bought a gift for both of you."
"Grandpa, you didn't have to trouble yourself," Daisy said, though her eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"No, no. Nothing is a trouble for my family," the old man chuckled, reaching down to present two shopping bags.
He handed Ethan a brand-new, high-spec laptop, and presented Daisy with a professional drawing pad.
"Thank you, Grandpa!" they said in unison.
Behind them, their mother stood near the kitchen doorway wearing an apron. A soft, content smile was plastered on her face as she watched her family laughing together.
"If either of you ever need money, or anything at all, you just have to ask," Grandpa said, patting Ethan's shoulder.
They sat together for over an hour, catching up and sharing stories. But in the middle of the conversation, Ethan felt a sharp vibration in his pocket.
Excusing himself, Ethan headed up to his room, carrying his new laptop with him. He pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen. It was a text message from Allen.
Allen: Can you meet up right now?
Ethan quickly typed out a reply.
Ethan: Come to the pharmacy near the park.
A second later, Allen sent back a thumbs-up emoji.
Ethan locked his phone, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the screen. Looks like Allen found something already.