A'ishah's POV

After leaving the prison, I stood outside for a moment, my hands gripping my phone tightly. Alverson’s words echoed in my head, refusing to quiet down. Go back to the cabin.

I exhaled sharply and scrolled through my contacts. There was only one person I could trust with this. One person who wouldn’t question why I needed to do this. Who would just be there, and help me uncover the truth.

I tapped on Jana’s name and pressed call. It rang once. Twice. Then she picked up.

“A’ishah?”

I cut straight to the point. “Are you free?”

A pause. “Depends. What’s going on?”

I hesitated, but I had no time to dance around it. “I need to go back to the cabin. The one in Baguio.”

The silence that followed was heavy. When she finally spoke, her voice was cautious. “A’ishah… are you sure about this?”

“No.” I admitted. “But I have to.”

She sighed. “Damn it… I’d go with you, but—”

I stiffened. “But?”

“I was just assigned to investigate the Cobra Organization. Higher-ups are all over this case, and I can’t just walk away.” She sounded genuinely frustrated. “Believe me, I’d rather go there with you.”

I closed my eyes, inhaling slowly. I understood. The Cobra Organization wasn’t something to take lightly. And if Jana was put to lead the case, it meant things were getting worse.

Still, disappointment twisted inside me. I had no one else.

“A’ishah.” Her voice softened. “You can’t go alone.”

“I don’t have a choice.”

“Yes, you do.” She lowered her voice. “Listen, if you’re dead set on going, at least let me pull some strings. I can send someone—”

“No.” I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “I can’t trust just anyone with this.”

She sighed. “You really think there’s something there?”

“Alverson does.”

“That bastard—” Jana let out a dry chuckle. “You went to visit him. Why?”

“I just…”

“Do you actually trust him more than Maxine?” Her voice sounded so disappointed.

“No.” My voice cracked. “I never did.”

Jana went quiet at that, and for a moment, the only thing I could hear was my own breathing… shaky, uneven. I pressed my fingers against my temple, forcing the ache in my chest to subside, but it didn’t. It never did.

“A’ishah…” Her voice was softer now, cautious. “What’s going on?”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “I don’t know anymore.”

“A’ishah—”

“I don’t know, Jana.” My voice broke, and suddenly, everything I had been holding in collapsed inside me. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. I don’t know if I’m making the right choice. I don’t know if I can keep doing this.”

Jana said nothing, but I heard her breathing on the other end, steady, waiting. Letting me speak.

And Gosh, I needed to.

“For months… I’ve been fighting. I’ve been clawing through every piece of evidence, every witness, every damn report.” I felt my throat tighten, but I kept going. “I’ve been trying to hold it together, trying to be strong because that’s what I’m supposed to do. I’m supposed to serve justice. I’m supposed to fight for Nicole.”

I inhaled sharply. My chest burned. My hands trembled.

“But how the hell am I supposed to do that when the person I’m fighting against is the person I love?”

My voice cracked, and my eyes burned.

“How do I do that, Jana?”

Silence.

And then, gently, she said, “You don’t have to.”

I shook my head. “Yes, I do. Because if I stop now, if I hesitate, if I let my feelings for Maxine get in the way, then what kind of lawyer am I? What kind of friend am I to Nicole?”

I sucked in a breath, but it came out in a sob. “She was always there for me, Jana. Always. When my father left. When my mom barely looked at me. When I had no one, she was there. And now, I—” My voice choked. “She’s gone. And I couldn’t do anything.”

Tears blurred my vision. I hadn’t cried. Not once. Not through the arraignment. Not through the accusations. Not even when Maxine, my Maxine looked at me like I was the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

But now… I was breaking.

“I love them both.” I whispered. “I loved Nicole like a sister. And I loved Maxine like—” I stopped, my breath catching. “Like she was my forever.”

Jana exhaled. “A’ishah…”

“I don’t know what to do,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because if I’m wrong about Maxine, if she didn’t do it, then I’ve spent the last year destroying the only person I’ve ever truly loved. And if she did—” My breath hitched. “Then I have to face the fact that the person I gave my heart to… was capable of killing my best friend.”

The weight of my words crushed me. And for the first time in so long, I let myself fall.

I buried my face in my hands and sobbed. Not just for Nicole. Not just for Maxine. But for me.

For the girl who had lost too much, loved too deeply, and didn’t know if she had anything left to give.

Jana stayed quiet on the other end of the line, letting my sobs fill the silence. I hated that she could hear me like this. So raw, so broken. But at the same time, I didn’t have the strength to stop myself.

“A’ishah…” Her voice was firm but gentle. “I know this is hell for you. And I know you feel like you have to do this alone. But you don’t.”

I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me. “There’s no one else, Jana. You’re busy. And everyone else—” My voice caught. “Everyone else either betrayed me or hated me.”

“That’s not true.” Her voice was steady, unshaken. “You still have me.”

A fresh wave of tears burned behind my eyes.

“I’d be there in a second if I could.” She continued. “But even if I can’t, you’re not going to that damn cabin alone.”

I pressed my lips together, trying to steady my breathing. “I don’t have a choice.”

“You do.” Her voice hardened. “You just don’t want to take it.”

Frustration flickered through my grief. “And what the hell am I supposed to do, Jana? Just sit here and wait? Hope the truth magically appears?”

“No.” She said simply. “You let someone help you.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Who? Who the hell do I have left?”

Jana exhaled sharply, and I could hear her shifting, like she was pacing. “What about Jeremy?”

Images of Jeremy at the Café quickly rushed in my mind. Him, being shady and suspicious. There's no way I'll take him with me there.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Basta, no.”

She exhaled sharply. “What about Judge Clifford?”

Natigilan ako when I heard that. Right. I still have Clifford.

“You're friends, right? He looks kind, and maybe we can trust him.” Jana added.

“Yeah, you're right. He's trustworthy.”

“Then call him.” Jana urged. “Tell him everything, or at least enough so he knows how serious this is. You need someone by your side, A’ishah.”

I hesitated, gripping my phone tighter. Clifford had always been there, always looked out for me in ways I never really acknowledged. But dragging him into this? Into something that could put him in danger?

Jana must have sensed my reluctance because she sighed. “I know you don’t want to put him at risk. But you need someone you can trust, and you just said he’s trustworthy. He can handle himself, A’ishah.”

She was right. Clifford wasn’t just some random acquaintance. He was a judge, someone who had seen the worst of people and still stood firm in his beliefs. If there was anyone who could help me face the truth, it was him.

I swallowed hard and nodded, more to myself than to Jana. “Okay. I’ll call him.”

“Good.” She said, relief evident in her voice. “And A’ishah? Be careful.”

“I will.”

As soon as I ended the call, I scrolled through my contacts again, this time stopping at Clifford’s name. My thumb hovered over the call button, doubt creeping in.

I don't wanna drag him in this mess. It's dangerous, and his name will be at stake. He's an honorable judge, and to have him investigate with me will be degrading.

But I also knew I couldn't do this alone. If I wanted to find the truth, if I wanted to make sure I wasn't condemning the wrong person, I needed someone I could trust.

I took a deep breath and pressed the call button.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Until he picked up.

“A’ishah?” Clifford’s voice came through, calm as always, but there was an edge of concern underneath. “This is a surprise. Is everything alright?”

No. Nothing was alright. But I couldn’t break again. Not now.

“I need your help.” My voice came out steadier than I expected. “And before you say anything, I know this is asking a lot. But I don’t have anyone else.”

There was a beat of silence, then a quiet sigh. “Tell me what you need.”

I exhaled, pressing a hand to my forehead. “I need to go to the cabin where Nicole—where it happened. There’s something there. Something I missed.”

Clifford didn’t hesitate. “I’ll come with you.”

I blinked. “You… you will?”

“You’re right, this is dangerous. And if there’s something you missed, it means the case isn’t as solid as it seems.” His voice was firm. “I won’t let you do this alone.”

Emotion swelled in my chest, but I pushed it down. “Thank you.”

“When do we leave?”

I glanced at the clock. Midnight. The roads would be empty, and if anyone was watching me, I’d have a better chance of slipping away unnoticed.

“Now.” I said.

Clifford sighed again, but there was no hesitation in his tone. “Alright. I’ll meet you at your place in thirty minutes.”

I ended the call and stared at my reflection in the window. My face was pale, my eyes red-rimmed. I looked like hell.

But I wasn’t stopping now.

I grabbed my keys, took one last breath, and walked out the door.

The night air was thick with humidity as I stepped out of our house, my grip tightening around my car keys. The street was eerily quiet at this hour. No passing cars, no lingering pedestrians. Just me, the dim glow of the streetlights, and the weight of what I was about to do.

A black sedan pulled up in front of me, its headlights flashing once before turning off. The driver’s side door opened, and Clifford stepped out, looking exactly as composed as ever, but with a subtle tension in his posture. Dressed in a crisp white button-down and dark slacks, he looked like he had just left a late-night meeting, not like he was about to help me trespass into a crime scene.

“A’ishah.” His voice was calm, but his sharp gaze swept over me, taking in my drawn face and stiff shoulders. “Are you okay?”

I let out a dry laugh. “You always ask that, and I never have a good answer.”

He sighed. “Then let’s skip the pleasantries. What exactly are we looking for at the cabin?”

I hesitated. “I don’t know yet.”

Clifford frowned but didn’t press. “Then let’s go find out.”

We climbed into his car, and he smoothly pulled onto the road. For the first few minutes, the silence stretched between us, the only sound was the low hum of the engine.

“I know why you called me.”

I turned to him. “Do you?”

He kept his eyes on the road, but his voice was steady. “You don’t trust anyone else. And you don’t want anyone who has something to lose.”

I swallowed hard. “And you don’t?”

A small, humorless smile crossed his lips. “I do. But I also know you, A’ishah. If you’re calling me, it means you’re desperate.”

I looked away, my fingers curling into my lap. “I don’t know what I’m going to find.”

Clifford nodded, as if he already expected that answer. “Then let’s make sure you have someone there when you do.”

We drove in silence after that, the city lights fading as we made our way toward the outskirts. The roads became darker, emptier. My chest tightened the closer we got.

By the time we reached the forested path leading to the cabin, my heart was pounding. Clifford parked at a distance, turning off the engine.

“We walk from here.” He reached into the glove compartment, pulling out a flashlight. “Stay close.”

I nodded, stepping out of the car. The air was colder here, thick with the scent of damp earth and pine. Each step forward felt heavier.

Nicole died here. Maxine might’ve— I shut my eyes briefly, forcing my breath to steady.

One step at a time.

Clifford walked ahead, his flashlight cutting through the darkness. The outline of the cabin loomed in the distance, shadows stretching ominously under the moonlight.

But then… we heard a sound. A rustle.

I froze, my pulse spiking.

Clifford stopped, his body going rigid. He turned to me, his expression sharp. “We’re not alone.”

The rustling came from the trees to our left. Too deliberate to be the wind, too heavy to be a small animal. My breath caught in my throat.

Clifford subtly shifted his stance, stepping slightly in front of me. His flashlight beam darted toward the noise, illuminating nothing but thick undergrowth. Still, the feeling of being watched prickled at my skin.

“Who’s there?” Clifford called out, his voice steady but firm.

Silence. Then, a twig snapped.

My heart pounded against my ribs. My fingers twitched, instinctively reaching for the small pocket knife I kept in my jacket.

Clifford glanced at me before stepping cautiously toward the sound. “Stay behind me.” He murmured.

I swallowed hard but nodded. My eyes darted around, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement.

Another step. Another rustle. And then, a figure burst from the trees.

I barely had time to react before Clifford grabbed my wrist, yanking me back as the flashlight beam caught the intruder mid-stride.

A man.

Disheveled. Dirty. His clothes were torn, his face gaunt with exhaustion. He stumbled forward, his breath ragged, eyes wide with something between fear and desperation.

“Tulungan niyo ako.” He croaked, collapsing onto his knees.

Clifford and I exchanged a quick, tense glance before he cautiously approached the man.

“Sino ka?” Clifford demanded.

The man lifted his head, eyes glassy and frantic. “Parang awa niyo na.” He begged, voice shaking. “Gusto nila akong patayin.”

A chill shot down my spine.

Clifford stiffened. “Sinong gustong pumatay sayo?”

The man sucked in a shuddering breath, trying to steady himself. “I—” He stopped, clutching his side as if in pain. I took a step forward, instincts warring within me.

Then, he muttered something so low I almost missed it.

“C-Cobra…”

My blood ran cold.

Clifford’s jaw tightened. “Cobra Organization?”

The man nodded weakly. “Tulungan niyo ako, parang awa niyo na.”

“Tatawag ako ng pulis. Dito ka lang.” Clifford immediately searched for his phone but the man suddenly stood up fast, startling both of us.

“Wag!” He shouted. “Wag kang tatawag ng pulis! May kasama silang pulis!”

I glanced at Clifford, seeing the same unease in his eyes that I felt in my chest. There was truth in the fear on that man’s face, but we couldn’t blindly trust him either.

“May kasama silang pulis?” Clifford repeated, but before the man could answer, another rustling sound came from the distance.

And just like that, he bolted.

“Hoy!” Clifford shouted, instinctively pulling me back. We barely had time to react before the man scrambled to his feet and sprinted into the forest.

“Shit.” Clifford muttered, frustration laced in his tone. He swept his flashlight over the ground, searching for anything the man might have dropped, but there was nothing. He vanished like a ghost, leaving only the lingering presence of fear behind.

“Are we going after him?” I asked, trying to steady my breathing.

Clifford clicked his tongue. “Damn it, this could be a trap.”

We stood there for a moment, listening. Nothing but the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.

He exhaled sharply. “He’s gone.”

I knew he was right. There was no point chasing after him blindly, not when we had no idea what we were running into.

I took a deep breath, forcing my mind to refocus. I didn’t come here for him.

“Let’s get back to the plan.” I said firmly. “Sunrise is in a few hours.”

Clifford studied me for a moment before nodding. “Fine. But we stay alert. If my gut is right, he’s not the only one in these woods.”

We turned and continued down the path toward the old cabin. With every step, the air around us seemed to grow heavier.

The dirt path beneath our feet felt colder the closer we got to the cabin. The trees around us stood tall, their shadows stretching like fingers in the moonlight. Every sound—our footsteps, the whisper of the wind, the distant rustling of leaves—felt amplified in the silence.

Clifford kept his flashlight low, sweeping it over the ground rather than ahead. “No fresh footprints.” He murmured. “No signs that anyone’s been here recently.”

I exhaled, gripping the small knife in my pocket. “Unless they know how to cover their tracks.”

The cabin loomed ahead, its wooden walls aged and weathered. The windows were dark, almost lifeless, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching us.

Clifford gestured for me to stay behind him as he approached the front door. He reached out, testing the handle and unlocked it.

My stomach clenched.

“Stay close.” He whispered, then slowly pushed the door open.

A faint creak echoed into the silence as we stepped inside. Dust hung heavy in the air, illuminated by the thin beam of his flashlight. The cabin was massive, with a few empty rooms, an old wooden table in the center and a few broken chairs scattered around. The fireplace was cold, unused for what seemed like months.

But something felt… off.

I ran my fingers along the wooden table, my skin brushing over something rough. A deep scratch. No, several of them.

Clifford moved toward the wall, inspecting a faded, peeling map tacked near the window. “This wasn’t random.” He muttered. “Someone was tracking something here.”

I turned my attention to the floor. Dust covered most of it, but near the far corner, something had been recently disturbed. I crouched, brushing my fingers over the wooden planks.

My heart pounded as I looked up at Clifford. “Help me with this.”

He knelt beside me, setting his flashlight on the floor so we could work. Together, we pried open the loose plank.

Beneath it… a metal box.

Clifford hesitated for a brief second before reaching for it. He pulled it out, setting it carefully on the ground. The lock on it was broken, as if someone had forced it open before.

Slowly, he lifted the lid.

Inside were stacks of old, yellowing papers, some of them stamped with official-looking seals. A few photographs were tucked in between them. Clifford grabbed one, angling it toward the flashlight.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. The man who ran away was in the picture. But that wasn’t the worst part.

Beside him, standing in the background of the photo, half-shadowed, was someone I never expected to see.

My entire body went cold.

“Maxine…”

Clifford stiffened beside me as the name left my lips. His fingers tightened around the photograph, eyes narrowing as he studied it closer. The image was grainy, old, but there was no mistaking it. Maxine stood in the background, half-shadowed, her expression unreadable.

“What the hell is she doing in this photo?” Clifford muttered.

My mind raced. Maxine had never mentioned anything like this, never talked about knowing the man who had just run away from us. But the way she stood in the photo, just out of focus, almost like she wasn’t supposed to be seen…

I reached for the other documents in the box, flipping through the papers. Some were heavily redacted, filled with names I didn’t recognize. Others had official-looking seals, government seals.

And then, buried underneath, I found a folder with a name scrawled across it in thick, black ink.

Alvarez.

My breath hitched.

Clifford noticed my reaction immediately. “What is it?”

I slowly turned the folder toward him, my hands feeling unnaturally cold. He took it from me, flipping it open.

Inside were several reports, their contents blurred by years of wear and smudging. But a few words stood out, words that made my stomach turn.

Espionage. Infiltration. Corporate sabotage. Elimination.

Clifford’s jaw clenched. “These aren’t just business reports. These are classified intelligence files.”

I could barely hear him over the sound of my own pounding heartbeat.

My father’s name. My last name. And somewhere in these papers, Maxine’s face.

A sharp noise outside made both of us freeze. Footsteps. Heavy, deliberate.

Clifford shut the folder. He was about to shove it back into the box but I took it. Clifford had no time to argue as the footsteps were nearing. “We need to move. Now.”

I didn’t argue. My body was already in fight-or-flight mode. We pushed the floorboard back into place, masking the box as best we could. Clifford grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the door, moving quickly but silently.

Another set of footsteps. Closer this time.

Someone was outside. And they weren’t just passing through.

They were looking for something. Or someone.

I exchanged a glance with Clifford, my pulse hammering. His expression was unreadable, but his grip on my wrist tightened slightly. A silent message to stay close.

We slipped through the cabin door and into the darkness, moving swiftly toward the tree line. The forest was thick, the undergrowth damp and uneven beneath our feet. But we didn’t stop.

We couldn’t.

Because whoever was out there…

They were coming for us.

I was already following Clifford out when something caught my eye, a small box tucked between the old furniture and a dusty shelf. It wasn’t like the others, which were worn and water-stained. This one looked newer, untouched by time.

Something about it made my chest tighten.

“A’ishah.” Clifford hissed, noticing I’d stopped. “What the hell are you doing? We need to go.”

I ignored him, stepping closer. My pulse quickened as I reached for the box, brushing off the thin layer of dust that covered it. My breath hitched when I saw the label.

Sent to: A’ishah Layla Alvarez

My own name stared back at me.

“What the—” My voice caught in my throat.

Clifford was beside me in an instant. “A’ishah, leave it.” His voice was sharp, urgent. “We don’t have time.”

But I couldn’t move.

I didn’t remember receiving this. I had no memory of ever being sent a package like this, and yet… here it was, tucked away in this hidden place as if it had been waiting for me.

Shaky fingers peeled at the edges of the box. Clifford let out a curse behind me, but he didn’t stop me. He just hovered, his entire body tense, scanning the shadows around us like we were already being watched.

The tape gave way with a soft tear.

When I open it, there's nothing there. It's empty. Someone had already got what's supposed to be inside.

I stared at the empty box, my pulse pounding in my ears. The inside was lined with brown paper, creased and slightly torn at the edges, but nothing else. Whatever had been inside, it was gone.

Clifford swore under his breath. “Damn it.” He grabbed the box from me, turning it over as if something might be hidden beneath the flaps. “Someone got here first.”

I swallowed hard. “But why leave the box behind?”

His jaw tightened. “Could be a warning. Could be a mistake. Either way, we need to go. Now.”

I took a shaky breath, nodding. But as I turned away, something in the bottom corner of the box caught my eye.

A faint smudge of ink. Writing.

I squinted in the dim light, tracing my fingers over the surface. The words had been hastily scribbled, the letters uneven as if written in a hurry, or by someone whose hands were shaking.

Too late. They're watching.

My blood ran cold.

Clifford saw it at the same time I did. His grip on my arm tightened. “We’re leaving. Move.”

This time, I didn’t hesitate.

We slipped out of the cabin, sticking close to the tree line as we made our way back toward the car. My heart hammered in my chest with every step, every crunch of leaves beneath my feet.

I kept glancing over my shoulder, expecting to see figures lurking in the shadows, but the forest remained eerily still.

Too still.

Clifford must have sensed it too because he suddenly stopped, pressing a hand against my back to push me behind a tree. I barely had time to react before I heard a faint, metallic click.

Sniper.

“Get down! ” Clifford hissed.

~~~

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