Ethan stared at Madison, completely caught off guard. "What are you doing out here this late?"
"I just joined an MMA gym," Madison replied, giving him a small smile.
"MMA? Why the sudden interest?"
"I want to become strong," she said simply. "My dad knows gym the owner, so he hooked me up with a membership."
Madison looked him up and down. "What about you? What are you doing out at midnight?"
"Well, I got back from Ottawa, in the morning, and then slept, and I woke up now, a little earlier. Figure I'd go for a walk to clear my head."
"Have you eaten anything yet?" Madison asked.
Ethan shook his head. "What about you?"
"I'm starving."
Ethan smiled. "My treat, then."
Since most of the local spots were already locked up for the night, they wandered down a quiet alley to a small, open-air ramen stall.
As they took their seats, Ethan noticed a solitary figure sitting a few stools down, his face hidden beneath a cap. Something about the man's posture felt instantly off, sending a subtle chill down Ethan's spine.
Before Ethan could place the feeling, the stall owner slid two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. The stranger immediately stood up, left a few bills on the counter, and walked out into the night without a word.
Ethan's eyes lingered on the retreating figure.
"Ethan? Aren't you going to eat?" Madison asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Sorry," Ethan muttered, shaking his head to clear it. "Just lost in thought." He took one last glance toward the alley, but the man was already gone.
Kids nowadays, the stranger thought to himself as he walked away, a smirk playing on his lips. Bringing a heiress to a ramen stall for a date. That's Ethan for you.
Back at the stall, Madison broke the silence. "So, Ottawa... I heard two massive buildings collapsed in a really bizarre way."
Ethan flinched, nearly dropping his chopsticks. "Oh, that? Yeah... a sudden earthquake," he stammered, trying to laugh it off.
Madison offered a knowing, gentle smile. "Yes, and we both know that's a lie."
Ethan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in defeat. "Fine. You caught me. The building right behind the Canadian museum? That was the Loop's third branch. Someone swung their sword and cut both the buildings."
Madison nodded slowly, her expression softening. "I'm really sorry that Jake caused you so much trouble."
"Nah, don't worry about it," Ethan shrugged. Then came silence,
Damn, this is awkward. He thought.
For a few minutes, the only sound was the clicking of chopsticks and the slurping of noodles.
"What's the plan now?" Madison asked quietly. "Are you going to attack the other two branches?"
Ethan shook his head. "Not right now. Maybe later."
"That's probably for the best," Madison agreed. "School is starting up soon, and we're going to be busy. Can you believe we're already going to be third-years?"
"Yeah. Time flies," Ethan muttered. "Eighteen years passed in a blur, and there are still so many things I don't know."
Madison looked at him, waiting.
Ethan continued, the words slipping out before he could stop them. "Like the plane crash... why the government silenced it, what really happened to my father... and where my—" He choked back the rest of the sentence, freezing.
Madison narrowed her eyes, picking up on the sudden halt, but decided not to push. She silently turned back to her ramen.
Why did I just say that to her? Ethan thought, a wave of regret hitting him. We aren't even that close friends.
"You're right, though," Madison said softly, breaking his spiral. "There are a lot of things I don't know about my own life, either. When I was little, there was someone who used to play with me. But I have no idea who he was. No one in my family seems to remember him."
"Someone played with you and your family doesn't know him? That's definitely strange."
Madison nodded. "If I ever find him, I just want to ask him about my parents. That's all."
Ethan let out a bitter laugh. "Looks like we're both just chasing shadows."
Madison looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"
"I have another sibling," Ethan revealed. "Someone I know absolutely nothing about."
"Are you sure?" Madison asked, her eyes widened and interest piqued. "Is the intel reliable?"
"Yeah. A close friend of my father told me. And when I asked my mom about it, the look on her face confirmed everything. It's clearly something she's too terrified to speak out loud." Ethan paused, leaning in. "Daisy doesn't know any of this, by the way. So keep it between us."
Madison nodded solemnly. "So... the only person left who might actually have the answers is Jake."
"Exactly. Jake, he's the key to all of my questions. Well, not all."
"That actually makes a lot of sense," Madison murmured.
With the heavy air cleared, the tension evaporated. They quickly finished their bowls and, still hungry, ordered a second round. By the time they wiped the sweat from their brows and finished the meal, Ethan reached into his pocket for his wallet.
"No need, kid," the stall owner said, wiping down the counter. "The guy who was sitting over there, before, paid for your entire tab before he left."
Ethan and Madison exchanged a bewildered, frowning look. Who the hell was that guy?
Before they could ponder it further, the sharp glare of headlights illuminated the alley as a sleek car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down to reveal Steve.
"Madison, time to go," Steve called out. Then, his eyes drifted over to Ethan. Oh, look who it is... been a while since I last saw this kid.
"Coming!" Madison waved a quick goodbye to Ethan, slipped into the backseat, and the car sped away into the night.
Left alone, Ethan began his walk back, cutting past the alley toward the main street right in front of the new MMA gym. Lost in thought, he turned a sharp corner and slammed hard into a tall figure walking the opposite direction.
"Ah, sorry about that," Ethan muttered, falling on the ground.
"No, it was my mistake," the man replied smoothly.
Ethan froze. That voice....
"Kid, you shouldn't be out here this late." the man asked. He reached up and pulled back the hood of his sweatshirt, letting the dim streetlight illuminate his face.
Ethan's eyes widened in absolute shock, his heart skipping a beat.
Jake?