Chapter 14: The Truth Beneath the Surface

It was the anniversary of Alec’s parents' death—a day that felt heavier with each passing year. The silence in the apartment was suffocating, and Alec stood in the corner, his eyes fixated on the old photograph of his parents, a memento he kept hidden away. The pain in his chest never went away. But today, it seemed deeper, harder to ignore.

Lina, sitting on the couch, watched him with concern. She could tell he was struggling. She was always there when he needed her, but today, even her comforting presence didn’t seem to reach him.

"Hey, you okay?" Lina asked gently, her voice cutting through the silence.

Alec barely looked up, but nodded. “I just... I don’t know if I’ll ever get over this, Lina. It feels like there’s always something missing. Something I don’t understand.”

Lina wanted to say something, but she knew this was a battle Alec had to face on his own. Instead, she just stayed with him, offering the quiet support she knew he needed.

Meanwhile, in the lab, the rest of the team—Yusen included—were deep in their work, scanning and testing new technology, unaware of the emotional storm brewing outside. The mission they were working on was crucial, but Ken wasn’t fully focused. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about Yusen and his team.

Ken had spent the last few days researching, digging into their backgrounds. Everything seemed clean, except for Yusen. His file was oddly sparse, with strange gaps in the timeline that Ken couldn’t ignore. There was a sense of unease in his gut, and that unease only grew the more he watched Yusen’s interactions with Alec.

Ken needed answers, and he needed Alec’s help to figure it out.

Later that evening, Alec was still lost in his thoughts, standing by the window, staring out into the city. The team was busy in the lab, but Ken couldn’t hold back his concerns anymore. He needed to talk to Alec about Yusen, about everything that didn’t sit right with him.

Ken entered the room, his voice low but urgent. “Alec, we need to talk. I’ve been looking into Yusen and the team, and something’s off. I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s too much about him that doesn’t add up.”

Alec didn’t turn around. He was tired, exhausted from carrying the weight of his grief, and wasn’t in the mood for more problems. “Ken, not now. I don’t want to talk about Yusen. I just... I can’t deal with this today.”

Ken stepped forward, his voice becoming more insistent. “You don’t understand, Alec. This isn’t just about Yusen. This is about everything, about your safety. Something’s not right here. I can’t let you walk blindly into this.”

Alec finally spun around, his expression sharp. “You think I don’t know that? I don’t need you to tell me how to handle things. You’re acting like I’m some kind of kid that doesn’t know what’s going on.”

Ken’s eyes darkened, the weight of his frustration clear. “I’m trying to protect you! You’re not seeing the bigger picture. I’ve been trying to keep you safe from all this madness—this team, Yusen, everything—but you’re so caught up in your own grief that you’re not seeing it. I don’t know if I can keep you safe anymore, Alec.”

Alec’s fists clenched, the frustration bubbling over. “What do you mean? You don’t think I can handle it? You think I don’t know what’s going on? I’m not some helpless kid anymore, Ken!”

The argument grew heated, the words flying faster, louder. And then, in a moment of raw emotion, Alec shouted, “You want to talk about the truth, Ken? Fine. Let’s talk about the truth. I know you think I don’t know, but I remember that night. I remember everything. You want me to accept it, huh? You want me to accept that my parents died because of mu Uncle? No, Ken. You’re wrong. I was there There was a man a mysterious man there was 2 of them one brought me out of the house and that's why you don't believe me.

Ken stood there, stunned. Alec’s words echoed in the air, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. The truth Alec had just thrown at him hit harder than any punch. Ken tried to process what Alec was saying, but disbelief clouded his thoughts.

“Alec, you… you can’t be serious,” Ken replied, his voice low and strained, as if trying to rationalize the situation in his mind. “I know what you’re going through, I do. But this isn’t some fantasy you’ve cooked up. There’s no way you saw a man in your house that night. You were just a kid. Your mind was trying to cope with the trauma. It’s not real, Alec.”

Alec’s eyes flashed with anger. “You think I don’t know what happened that night? You think I don’t remember the two men, one of them pulling me out of the house while the other…” His voice faltered for a moment, the memory too painful to articulate. “The other did something to my parents, Ken. I know what I saw.”

Ken took a step forward, shaking his head in frustration. “Alec, listen to yourself. You’re grieving, and I get it, I do. But that doesn’t mean everything you remember is the truth. This isn’t something you should be holding on to.”

“You think I want to believe this? You think I want to think that someone else caused their death? But I can’t ignore what I saw, Ken!” Alec’s fists clenched again, his whole body trembling. “I was there. I saw him. And you keep dismissing me like I’m some crazy kid. You think I don’t want to know the truth? But no one will believe me!”

Ken’s jaw tightened, the weight of Alec’s words sinking in. “Alec, I’m not dismissing you. I’m just trying to protect you. I don’t want you chasing shadows, digging up things that’ll just hurt you more. If I could help you get answers, I would. But not like this. This… this isn’t healthy.”

“Then what do you want me to do, huh?” Alec shot back, the frustration and grief making his voice crack. “Just pretend I don’t remember? Pretend it never happened? What if it’s the key to everything? What if this Yusen guy is somehow connected to it? What if it’s not just about my parents? What if it’s about me?”

Ken paused, the severity of Alec’s words hitting him hard. “I don’t know what it’s about, Alec. All I know is, we need to be careful. I’ve been in this long enough to know when something isn’t right, and Yusen—he’s part of that feeling.”

Alec’s eyes narrowed. “You’re still focused on Yusen, aren’t you? You can’t see beyond your own suspicion. You think he’s hiding something. But maybe it’s not him. Maybe it’s all of us. Maybe we’re the ones who are blind to what’s really going on.”

Ken clenched his fists, his own anger bubbling up. “Don’t you dare accuse me of being blind. I’m trying to protect you, Alec. I’m trying to keep you from making a mistake you’ll regret. You’re not thinking straight.”

The tension between them was unbearable, the room heavy with words left unsaid. Alec took a deep breath, his voice low but full of conviction. “I don’t need protection, Ken. I need answers. And if you won’t help me, I’ll find them myself. I’m not going to let my parents’ death stay buried under all these lies.”

Ken stared at him, unsure of what to say next. He could see the resolve in Alec’s eyes, the fire that had ignited in him. And as much as he hated it, Ken knew there was no stopping Alec now.

“Fine,” Ken said finally, his voice quieter, resigned. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Alec didn’t respond. He simply turned, walking away from the argument, leaving Ken standing there, lost in his thoughts. The weight of the conversation hung over both of them, each processing the unresolved tension in their own way.

Meanwhile, Lina had been watching from the doorway, feeling the distance between them growing with every word spoken. She knew that Alec was determined to find the truth about his parents’ death, but she also knew that chasing after the truth without understanding the consequences could be dangerous. She approached Ken, her voice gentle yet firm.

“Ken… I understand what you’re trying to do. You want to protect him. But you can’t make decisions for him. Alec needs to figure this out on his own, even if it means making mistakes along the way.”

Ken’s expression softened, but there was still a trace of concern in his eyes. “I just don’t want him to get hurt.”

Lina placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know. But sometimes, the only way forward is to face the things we’re afraid of. Alec’s already facing his past. We can’t shield him from it forever.”

Ken nodded, though doubt still lingered in his eyes. “I hope you’re right. I hope we’re not making a huge mistake.”