Mr. Smith pulled over and dropped Mike and Rachael off at the entrance of the alleyway leading to their school.
As he drove away with his wife, the duo walked side by side toward the school gate, enveloped in an uncomfortable silence.
"Are you really planning to keep what happened between you and Christina yesterday locked away forever?" Rachael broke the silence.
Mike nodded vigorously, his eyes darting around cautiously. "Absolutely," he replied with a hint of amusement. "I'm taking this secret to my grave. I'm sure Stefan would be even more curious than you are."
Just then, the sound of an approaching vehicle caught Mike's attention. He turned back and flashed a smile.
"Speak of the devil, here he comes," he said, nodding toward the car.
Rachael followed his gaze and spotted Stefan stepping out of his parents' car a short distance away.
As Stefan caught sight of them, a mischievous grin spread across his face, and he hurried over.
"Hey, buddy! What's up?" he said, his smile still in place.
"Cool as a cucumber, thanks for lending me your sweater," Mike replied, handing the garment back.
Stefan accepted the sweater. "You're welcome. Just make sure you don't ruin that new uniform with those mysterious wings of yours."
"So, what really went down between you and Christina yesterday?" he pressed.
Mike shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a conversation, a disagreement, and we parted ways. That's all." He continued down the alleyway, trying to deflect further inquiry.
"What kind of conversation and disagreement?" Stefan pressed further.
"The kind that's none of your concern," Mike replied. "Let's just say it's a secret." He quickened his pace.
"Come on, guys, let's hurry or we'll be late," Rachael intervened.
"No matter how hard you try to keep your secret hidden, you know I'll eventually find out," Stefan called out.
"I promise you won't uncover this one. Trust me," Mike replied over his shoulder.
As he walked, he passed a suspicious-looking man sitting in a car. The man quickly averted his face, attempting to conceal his identity.
But Mike didn't seem to notice.
"Target is heading to school with his sister and friend. Over," the man muttered into his receiver, his eyes scanning the area.
Suddenly, he lost sight of Mike. The man's head whipped around, frantically searching through all the windows. His eyes darted back and forth, but Mike had vanished.
Just as he turned right, his face met Mike's, separated only by the car window. His eyes widened in terror.
"Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed, gasping for breath.
Mike was staring at his reflection, a sly smile spreading across his face. He winked, pretending not to notice the spy.
He pivoted and jogged off toward Stefan and Rachael, who were already several meters ahead.
The spy let out a deep sigh of relief as he watched Mike disappear into the distance.
"That was a close call," he whispered, lightly thumping his chest. "He scared the hell out of me."
"What were you doing lingering near that car?" Rachael asked when Mike neared her. "Are you intentionally trying to draw attention to yourself?"
"Were you aware of the person inside the car?" Mike asked.
"Of course," Rachael nodded affirmatively. "That's precisely why I ignored you. I didn't want to raise any suspicion."
"Wow, that's really smart of you," Mike said, a small smile on his lips.
"Can't you just pretend you didn't see him?" Rachael suggested.
Mike shook his head. "I did pretend I didn't see him, so you should rest assured that I didn't do anything to raise suspicion," he replied.
"What's going on? What are you guys talking about?" Stefan, curious about the hushed conversation, intervened.
"There was a spy in the car that Mike approached earlier," Rachael informed him. "I suspect it's one of the NPS agents we encountered at the hospital yesterday. They must have deployed their agents to monitor Mike and verify whether he poses a threat. Moreover, one of them is stationed outside our house."
Stefan's eyes widened in alarm. "Are your parents aware of this?" he asked.
Rachael shrugged. "I don't think so, but Mike advised us to keep this under wraps," she said. "However, it's only a matter of time before my mom discovers the truth. She might already know and simply choose not to disclose it," she replied.
Stefan pondered this. "If she's aware, she would have taken drastic measures to safeguard her family. Mike mentioned she's exceptionally intelligent and perceptive," he said.
Rachael's gaze locked onto Stefan. "He shared that with you?"
Stefan nodded. "Yes, though it's been a while," he replied.
Rachael turned to Mike, who was walking toward the road, oblivious to the danger ahead. She raised her head and her eyes widened as she saw a scooter speeding toward him.
"Mike, watch out!" she shouted, but Mike didn't respond.
"Mike, can't you hear? Get off the road now!" Stefan added urgently, but Mike seemed impervious to their warnings.
"What's wrong with him?" Stefan exclaimed.
Just as the scooter was about to collide with Mike, Stefan sprinted toward him and pulled him off the road just in time. The scooter whizzed by, and its rider hurled curses.
Passersby couldn't help but stare.
"What's wrong with him? Is he blind?" one student muttered.
"Can't he see the scooter approaching?" another added.
"Can't he at least listen to his friend's warning?"
Stefan's scolding faded as he gazed into Mike's eyes, which were glowing with an eerie orange light.
Mike's stare was vacant, and his expression was catatonic. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and Stefan could hear the faint beat of his heart.
His eyes widened in alarm as he noticed Mike's temperature rising. He staggered back in fright, his own heartbeat accelerating.
"Wh-what's wrong with you, Mike?" he stuttered.
Rachael rushed to Mike's side, witnessing his glowing eyes. Without hesitation, she covered them and slapped him repeatedly.
"Mike! Mike!! What's wrong with you? Mike!?" she called out.
Mike's eyes suddenly regained their sparkle, and the eerie orange glow that had enveloped them slowly dissipated, returning to their normal appearance.
He gasped for breath as the beads of sweat on his forehead began to trickle down his face, relieved to be free from the strange trance-like state.
"What's going on, Mike?" Rachael asked, her eyes wide with fear. "Can you see me?" She waved her hand across his face.
"Am I daydreaming now, without even sleeping?" Mike muttered under his breath, but not too low for Rachael to hear.
Rachael's gaze intensified, her brow furrowing.
"Daydreaming?" she echoed. "What are you talking about? You're scaring me, Mike. Can you even see me?"
"Of course I can see you," Mike reassured her. "But a few moments ago, I saw a place I've never been to in my life. This is the second time I'm experiencing this vision."
Stefan, now composed after the initial shock, approached Mike again.
"What vision?" he asked, curious.
"A place I've never been to, yet it felt familiar. I also heard a name echoing in my mind, and it's still resonating now."
"What name?"
"Perebia. The name sounds familiar, yet I've never heard it before. Isn't that strange?"
Stefan pulled out his phone and searched for the name online, scrolling through the results with a puzzled expression.
"There's no information on Google about 'Perebia.' Perhaps you misheard it," he suggested, looking up at Mike with a questioning gaze. "Something that looks familiar here is 'Perebea,' which is a genus of flowering plants. Are you sure you're…"
Mike shook his head firmly. "I didn't hear it wrong. Whoever bears that name probably wants me to look for them."
"Guys, the gate is about to be closed!" Rachael's urgent warning cut through the conversation.
Mike and Stefan quickly looked up to see Jude, the gateman, shutting the entrance. His hands grasped the metal bars, preparing to lock them into place.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Mike shouted, sprinting toward the gate with Stefan and Rachael close behind.
Jude, a man in his 50s with a kind face and a hint of amusement, held up his hands. "I wasn't closing it; I just wanted to hurry you along," he said with a small smile. "You shouldn't be late for class, especially since you arrived early today."
He stepped aside, allowing them to pass.
As the trio walked through the gate, they heard a familiar voice calling out from behind.
"Hey guys, are you coming in?"
They turned to see Laura pulling up in her car, the engine purring smoothly.
"Yes!" they chorused, quickly settling into the vehicle.
"Remember, no arguing today," Laura said to Mike, referencing their previous conversation.
"Thanks for the reminder; it'll go a long way," Mike scoffed.
Laura chuckled, shifting the car into gear. The car pulled away from the curb and sped off.