Meanwhile,
The heavy wooden door to the dimly lit room swung open, and the masked boy stepped inside without making a sound. Jake was slouching back on a leather couch, his head tilted back in a completely relaxed posture.
"I heard you crossed paths with Beast today," the masked boy said, his voice slightly muffled beneath his fabric mask.
Jake slowly opened his eyes, a faint, lazy smirk playing on his lips. "You walked right in, and I didn't even sense your presence until you spoke? Well... it looks like I've really gotten rusty lately."
The masked boy walked over and pulled up a chair directly across from him. "How is your exam prep going?"
Jake didn't answer right away. He let the silence stretch for a full ten seconds, the tension filling the room before he finally broke it.
"I should be the one asking you that. I've stayed enrolled in this mundane high school for three straight years just so you could adapt and become familiar with a normal environment."
Jake sat up slightly, his gaze shifting to the darkened window. "Time really flies, doesn't it?"
The masked boy gave a silent, slow nod.
Jake went quiet again, lost in his own thoughts, his gaze suddenly turning incredibly cold and calculated. Detecting the sudden drop in the room's temperature, the masked boy leaned forward. "Jake... is something the matter?"
Jake turned his head slowly, his sharp eyes locking onto his companion. "A few years ago, during that incident..." Jake murmured, before abruptly stopping and leaning back.
The masked boy's eyes widened behind his mask as the pieces clicked in his head. "Something like that actually happened? Unbelievable..."
Jake remained perfectly calm. Instead of replying, he tilted his head slightly, gesturing toward the door, before relaxing into the couch once more.
The masked boy's eyes widened a second time. He understood the silent command immediately. "Looks like we have guests," he muttered, standing up in a fluid motion.
The masked boy pulled out a sleek, tablet-like tracking device and quickly pulled up the security camera feeds of the surrounding abandoned facility.
"Jake," the masked boy called out.
Jake didn't move from his spot. "What?"
"Madison is here. It looks like she followed me all the way from school," the masked boy reported, tapping the screen. "But the fun part is, she isn't alone."
Jake sat up, his interest finally piqued as he stood to his feet.
"There's another girl at the back entrance," the masked boy continued, zooming in on a specific feed. "And she has white hair."
"Looks like she came following Madison." Masked boy said.
"I'll handle Madison myself," Jake decided, walking toward the exit. "I don't think they arrived together, so you take care of the other girl."
Suddenly, Jake paused right at the threshold, looking back over his shoulder. "One more thing..."
The masked boy nodded tightly. "Understood!" he replied, already turning to slip out through the shadows.
Outside the safehouse, Madison stood near the massive, echoing entrance of the structure.
It really is this building, Madison thought, her heart hammering against her ribs. She stepped inside quietly, plunging into the oppressive darkness. I remember hearing about this place. My father declared it strictly forbidden for everyone before I was even born.
She pulled out her phone, dragging the brightness slider to the absolute maximum to use as a makeshift flashlight. She swept the beam around the vast room, but there was nothing there—just empty, dust-covered concrete.
This entire floor is empty. But if that masked boy came in here, then Jake has to be hiding somewhere, Madison calculated, quickly slipping behind a thick concrete support wall to hide. What should I do now?
Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps echoed from the darkness directly ahead of her.
Someone is coming! she panicked, holding her breath.
Then, abruptly, the footsteps ahead vanished into thin air. A second later, the distinct sound of footsteps started echoing from behind her.
What?! her mind raced, a cold sweat breaking out on her neck.
Then, everything stopped. Complete, agonizing silence for three seconds.
Suddenly, footsteps started echoing from both directions simultaneously, rapidly speeding up. The sound multiplied, filling the corridor as if multiple people were closing in and were just one single step away from grabbing her.
Madison's breath hitched in pure panic.
Click.
The harsh, blinding overhead floodlights snapped on all at once.
"Madison?"
Jake's voice cut through the air right next to her. The sudden shock sent a jolt through her system; she jumped back with a gasp, staring at him in sheer horror, her chest heaving as she breathed heavily.
Jake stood there, looking as completely calm and unbothered as if nothing had happened at all. "Is something the matter?" he asked mildly.
When she didn't answer, Jake gestured toward a dusty wooden chair nearby. "Sit down for a moment."
Still trembling, Madison cautiously sat down.
A few moments later, Jake returned, holding out a glass of clean water. Madison took it mechanically, but her eyes remained sharp, glaring up at him with deep suspicion.
Jake pulled up another wooden chair, sitting directly across from her. He leaned forward, his expression neutral. "What are you doing here, Madison?"
Madison set the glass down, finding her courage as she locked eyes with him. "I should be asking you that. What exactly are you doing operating out of a forbidden, abandoned building like this one?"