Chapter 30- History

Page's POV:

I slowly opened my eyes and roamed it in the white room where I am right now as the smell of ethanol attacks my nose.

I closed my eyes again and then opened it. I’m at the hospital, I don’t need to confirm it, just by the smell and the looks of this room I am sure that I’m in the hospital.

“It’s good you’re now awake.”

I slowly turned my eyes to the person who spoke and closed it again after I saw who it is. I can feel the pain in my head, I know the reason why I am here, it’s still fresh, the accident happened at Saint Augustine. It feels like it just happened earlier. 

Everything’s still fresh to me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked as I opened my eyes again.

I saw in my peripheral vision when my guardian stood up from the seat that’s far from my bed, he closed the book he’s reading and walked his way near the bed.

He stood next to my bed and faced me. He raised his hands and showed me his four fingers.

“What?” I asked Yshmael with my forehead creased.

His forehead also creases. “I’m checking on you.” He said and showed me his hand with three folded fingers. “How many it is?"

I shake my head. He’s still grumpy and he has no humor at all! I want to laugh at his actions right now, but he looked so serious to what he is doing. 

He raised his eyebrow when he realized that I am not taking him seriously.

I put his hand down while shaking my head. “I’m okay, if that’s your way of asking me, and thank you by the way.”

He crossed his arms. “You’re crazy for doing that, Primo. Crazy than those years, crazier than your old self.”

I laughed without humor. I moved slowly and made myself comfortable leaning on my bed’s headboard.

He just stared at me, seriously waiting for my explanation.

“And you are still your old self, Aronzaga. Stone, cold and a monster within.”

His dark eyes met mine.

It’s been years since we last saw each other.

Years…

Well, we don’t know each other personally. We first met at the drag racing competition, we’re still both minors at that time, I think we’re fourteen years old if I remember it right.

We came from different places and schools, and our teams are mortal enemies when it comes to drag racing so I think it’s natural that we don’t get along well with each other.

It’s always me and my friends against him, Greyson and Kalvin.

An enemy, a competitor, that’s how we looked at each other and the fact that we’re both aces in our group makes it even harder for us to get along.

When I first saw him, I already saw the difference between us. From our personalities to our hobbies.

He’s stiff and cold.

There’s only one thing that is connecting us, drag racing. We know that sometimes the events are illegal, but we make sure that we still don’t miss it.

There’s a drag racing event that is held every year, but sometimes it can be three times a year and some of them are illegal, but just like the old times, we don’t miss it.

We keep seeing each other because of the same reason, drag racing and in those times were always competitors. Sometimes I win over him and sometimes he wins me over.

Since then, we treat each other as a pain in the ass, an enemy that can’t be tamed.

And the last time we saw each other, the only time where we became allies, that's also the time I found out about his identity.

The filthy things that are hiding behind their well known name.

Drag racing is just a hobby of mine, but hacking was and will always be my passion, I can do both simultaneously, so when I entered a site that’s run by the syndicates in deep web I immediately connected those little clues I saw.

For us hackers who're on the deep web, it’s just a game, a contest, but I got my victory without any problem, but unknown to the person who organized the game I just didn’t enter the site. Well, I’m a curious teenager hacker back then, I have the courage and confidence that no one will know who I am. I satisfied my curiosity.

In fact, no one can track Page Seo.

The leader of the syndicate tried to recruit me to be their hacker, they offered a big amount of money, resources and bitcoin to me, but I refused and started to distance myself from both drag racing and Yshmael Marco.

The place where he came from and his name is already enough for me to connect him to the disgusting group who’s interested in me.

It was all years ago. Three years, I think it’s been three years since we last saw each other and I don’t want to see him anymore.

I also don’t have any plans to come to this place again.

But it was all because of Maelanie. I want to protect her from this place and its people.

“What are you thinking?” 

His eyebrows furrowed and his aura got darker. 

I sighed, this is why I didn’t like him when I first saw him.

He’s intimidating, alright, and he’s also not friendly. In short, it’s boring to talk to him.

“Reminiscing the past?” I said playing innocent.

He looked at me with evident disgust on his face. Finally, I can see a reaction from his face!

“Where’s Maelanie? Is she safe? And how long did I sleep here?” I changed the subject by asking him. We’ll, that’s my concern right now, I don’t care about my condition or even for the person in front of me right now.

He sat down on the chair near my bed and looked directly in my eyes.

“She’s grounded. Her brother picked her up here yesterday, she’s safe you don’t need to worry about her and it’s your second day here.”

I nodded at him as a response and roamed my eyes around my room, finding something strange or anything.

“This room is not bugged, Primo.” Yshmael said as he followed my eyes, looking at my eyes is enough evidence for him to know what I am worrying about this room.

I looked at him. I know a lot about his name and family. I met him as my enemy, an indomitable one. 

But what caught my interest was the fact that I can trust him, without him proving himself.

“What did you do?” I asked. No more follow up questions, I know he knows what I’m talking about.

He sighed, then became serious again. “I want to make a move to know who was the person behind all these things, but I still need to think about the pros and cons of my moves."

“For the first time, you’re babbling Yshmael Aronzaga.” I cut him.

“I lied.” He answered. “I said that it’s all an accident and no one initiate what happened.” This time, he turned his gaze away from mine.

Good thing he used his smart brain, I don’t have anything to worry about.

“How about Lanie and my friends?” 

“Roleen agreed, the girls didn’t, but they agreed later on.” He's still not looking at me.

“That’s good, good thing you came up with that excuse.” I said that made him look at me. “May I know what you say so when they ask me about what happened I know what I need to say.”

He looked at me for a second, then he told me the excuse that he and Roleen agreed to give to the authorities if ever.

I stayed silent. I immediately think about the moves that I’ll do once I get out of here.

“You’re not thinking about investigating alone, right?” He said as he looked at me suspiciously. 

I gave him a grin and then looked at the white ceiling in my room. 

“I think I am crazy enough to go this far, Aronzaga.” 

He didn’t answer but I saw on my peripheral vision that he raised his eyebrow. 

"It's rare to find someone who has the same heartbeat as yours," I said out of nowhere. With a plain smile, I looked at him. "And that someone found her heartbeat's match too, but not the one who found hers, first."

He just kept looking at me. I know he got what I meant.

"I'm not the only one who's crazy. I saw you also tried to throw yourself just to protect Maelanie, Yshmael. I was just ahead, but that doesn't make you less crazy than I am. We're both crazy and we're proud of that. " I added, he smirked and shook his head.

"What are you trying to say?" He asked. "I need to let the doctor know you woke up." 

"Delay that." I said immediately. 

He just raised an eyebrow at me. The eyes he looked at me were asking.

"Maelanie's life is in danger." That was enough to get his full attention. "And I know that you're into hacking too. For sure, as you're looking for something in the hacking underworld for so long, you already know the name Invader." 

His eyes deepened.

"I don't want to trust you, your name is enough to cause Maelanie's misfortunes. But I also know that you have nothing to do with what is happening, Yshmael or should I call you, Eros?"

I could clearly see how his eyes narrowed when I mentioned his code name in the hacking world. "Who really are you, Primo? And what do you know?" 

I shrugged his scary aura off. "I was told that you're searching for me too, and I'm sure this time, we're in the same boat."

He remained silent, looking at me. Measuring the basis of what I said.

"Invader is in front of you, Eros." I mentioned my famous codename in the hacking world that many wanted to take advantage of and use in anything. "And I'm offering you an alliance."

❤