Ethan stepped out of his room and headed straight for the front door.
"Ethan, are you going somewhere?" his mother's voice called out from behind him.
"Yes, I have to meet a friend," he replied, already hurrying outside.
He broke into a sprint, cutting through the streets toward the pharmacy. When he arrived, his eyes scanned the area. Next to the pharmacy was a large superstore, and sitting just outside it on a concrete ledge was a familiar figure. It wasn't Allen. It was Madison.
She spotted him the moment he approached.
"Madison? What are you doing here?" Ethan asked, halting in front of her.
"I called you here," she said flatly.
Ethan's brows furrowed.
"I texted you using Allen's phone," she explained.
Accepting the reality of the situation, Ethan gave a slow nod. "So, how can I be of help to you?"
"What did you talk to Allen about?" Madison asked, her eyes locking onto his.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, studying her closely. Something felt off. "You look different."
"Answer," She said normally.
"I asked him to look into something," Ethan said, keeping his tone measured.
Madison nodded, digesting the answer. "What was it?"
Ethan remained calm, but his mind was racing. Should I tell her? Can I even trust her? She's Madison, not her mother.
"If you told Allen to look into something, he's going to use our family resources," Madison pressed, breaking his train of thought. "So, tell me directly."
"Madison, I'm sorry if I sound rude," Ethan said, looking down at her, "but it looks to me like you're not in your right mind today."
A faint, bitter smile touched Madison's lips. "Maybe you're right. I don't know who I can trust anymore. I feel like everyone is keeping me in the dark." She looked straight into his eyes, her gaze heavy with exhaustion, before looking down at the pavement.
Ethan's eyes softened. Instinctively, he knelt down in front of her and gently patted her head.
Madison's head snapped up, her eyes wide as she met his gaze. Up close, Ethan looked deep into her eyes, and suddenly, his heart began to hammer against his ribs. Startled by the sudden rush of emotion, Ethan quickly looked away.
What was that? he thought, trying to steady his breathing.
Noticeable of his sudden distance, Madison looked away too, focusing on the cars passing by the store.
Ethan stood up, the silence between them heavy. Looking at her, he saw a reflection of his own past struggles. He remembered how Madison's mother used to comfort him, always bringing him his favorite drink when things got tough. Deciding on a small comfort, Ethan headed over to a nearby vending machine. He slotted in some change and bought two cans of juice.
Returning, he set one down next to Madison. She was currently holding her forehead in both hands, her elbows resting heavily on her knees.
"I think no one is keeping you in the dark," Ethan said quietly.
Madison looked up at him.
"Right now, negative thoughts have taken over your mind," Ethan continued, his voice calm . "Maybe what you're thinking is false. Maybe no one is hiding anything, and everyone is actually telling you the truth."
Madison offered a small, tentative nod.
"I don't know exactly what you're going through," Ethan added, "but your mother once told me that the truth always comes out. Maybe not right now, but one day it will."
Madison sighed, the tension leaving her shoulders. "Maybe you're right," she said.
"There," Ethan said, a small smile playing on his lips. "You're back to your normal self."
Madison studied him for a second. "You want to know something, too."
Ethan was caught off guard, but he maintained his stoic expression, remaining quiet.
"You want to talk to Jake. Am I wrong?" Madison asked. "I saw you attempting to talk to him. You even went to the trouble of fighting Steve—and Steve isn't some normal guy. If that masked boy hadn't walked away, you would have fought him, too."
Ethan kept his composure, letting her speak.
"The Ethan I know wouldn't do anything reckless like attacking someone first without a good reason," Madison reasoned, her voice sharp with deduction. "But you attacked Steve, an outsider, and you were ready to fight anyone, just to get a chance to speak to Jake."
Surprised by how accurately she had pieced it together, Ethan gave a nod of acknowledgment. "You're smart."
He cracked open his juice and took a slow sip.
"You're right. There is something important I need to ask Jake. He gave me a mission, and it was about that mission that I asked Allen to look into. Once it's done, Jake will tell me everything."
"Can you tell me what it is you want to ask him?" Madison asked.
Ethan took a brief pause, his calm exterior unreadable. "It's about Russia."
Madison thought for a moment, her eyes widening slightly as a memory clicked. "That plane crash incident?"
Ethan stared at her, his voice normal. "How did you know?"
"Is that what this is all about?" she said.
Ethan shook his head. "No, but it's related. The plane crash is common knowledge—anyone can dig up that information. What I'm looking for is something connected to the crash at some degree."
Madison nodded slowly. "When you first transferred to our school, we ran a background check on you for my safety. I found that you went to Russia when you were a child. Your father died in that crash, and you were the sole survivor."
Ethan frowned, shaking his head definitely. "That's not true. My father died of unknown reasons. I remember almost all of my time in Russia and I also remember my Father, but except his face."
Madison looked stunned. "So... that was false information?"
Ethan nodded, a cold feeling settling in his stomach. "What else did you find?"
Madison took a moment to recall the details. "I found that all your previous schools, your past addresses, and the prior information you submitted to the school registry... they were all ghost locations. Places that never actually existed."
"What?!" Ethan's composure shattered, his eyes widening in shock.
"What's wrong? Did you not know?" Madison asked, alarmed by his reaction.
Regaining his grip on his emotions, Ethan forced his voice to remain steady. "As I told you, I was raised by your mother. Her firm isn't wildly famous, but it's well known. In the paperwork I submitted to the school, I explicitly mentioned that I learned everything under her care here."
Madison narrowed her eyes as the chilling realization washed over both of them.
An identical thought crossed both of their minds: Someone messed with the records. But who?