We stood on a hill overlooking SanCasas, city lights twinkling below.
"What a view!" I exclaimed, but Matt seemed uneasy.
"It's kind of in the middle of nowhere," he observed.
"Come with me," Aunt Cari directed, leading us closer. She touched something, and a hidden door swung open, revealing darkness. "Matt, you seeing this?" I asked, puzzled, as Aunt Cari grinned.
"You just got body scanned," she explained casually, and the door closed behind us, casting a red glow. The elevator in front opened, and Aunt Cari assured, "No need to be scared."
As we stepped in, the elevator plunged at a crazy speed. Matt clung to me in fear, while Aunt Cari stood unfazed. Beeping signaled our arrival, and the doors opened, revealing Aunt Cari calmly stepping out.
"Wow," I gasped,taking in the breathtaking, seemingly unnatural view. It felt like we'd stepped into a place defying reality.
As soon as we entered, all eyes turned to us with strange looks. We trailed Aunt Cari, and a middle-aged woman with blonde hair approached, smiling.
"Just act natural," Aunt Cari whispered.
"Hi, I'm Lucia. Welcome to IPA, the International Protection Agency. Don't worry, you're in safe hands now," she said reassuringly.
"I know you're seeking answers; please, follow me," she said, leading us into a room. With a couple of claps, the lights flickered on.
"Nia Carmen Jackson, I'm thrilled to meet you—the first female guardian changing history," she greeted. "You're even lovelier in person," she added, and I offered a soft smile.
"Hmm, excuse me," Matt interjected, clearing his throat. "I'm Matthew," he said he introduced himself, but she shot him a stern look. "Matthew Jeremy Hawkins," she declared, clapping twice. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and a projector displayed all of Matt's information.
"You're 25, Nia's ex-boyfriend, and the CEO of Hawkins Groups.Well, I did find something interesting. It seems like someone with the username BigDaddy32 has been visiting some rather peculiar websites in your browser history .Do you want me to go further?" she asked with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"No!" Matt yelled, his face reddening in a way that I recognized as a sign of deep embarrassment.
"Oh, come on, Matt. Nothing embarrassing, just some innocent details,"I teased.Matt didn't handle teasing well.
Matt, feeling a bit uneasy, nervously adjusted his collar.His face turned a shade of crimson, and he hastily interjected, "No, no need to go further! I get it!"
"Whoa, if you could dig up info on Matt, what's the deal with X?" I inquired.
"Nia, I get you're the questioning type. I promise to spill everything, but finding X is a dead-end. Trust me, we've exhausted all options. We even attempted a locator spell, but we don't have a clue what he/she looks like," she explained.
"Wait, a locator spell? Magic is real?" I questioned in disbelief.
"There's much about the universe you don't know, Nia. Soon, you'll find out," Lucia said cryptically.
"So, nobody has ever seen X? What about the people he recruits? Have you attempted asking them for his location?" I inquired further.
"We tried. They're bound to him, won't budge unless he says so, and honestly, they don't know what he looks like. He's become more powerful since tapping into expression. Expression lets you be whoever and whatever you want. That's why you're here – to put a stop to him," she concluded.
"I can't believe you want me to stop someone when I don't even know what he looks like! Look at me, I can't even throw a punch," I said, breaking into laughter.
"That's because you haven't been initiated, Nia.Once you become a full guardian. You have to embrace it. Once you start, there's no turning back," she explained with a serious tone.
"No turning back? What do you mean?" I asked, feeling a mix of confusion and concern.
"Once you become a guardian, you're committed to fighting for justice, and DEATH is the penalty for anyone deemed a bad person. You won't be able to spare them, even if it's someone you love," she stated firmly.
"Oh oh, Nia's going to be a hero!" Matt teased with a playful grin.
"A watchful protector, just like your dad," Lucia remarked.
"Don't, don't compare me to my dad!" I exclaimed, my emotions running high.
"I understand how you're feeling, but you need to know he left to protect you," she explained.
"He abandoned me and my mom. He was supposed to fight for us, not leave us," I retorted.
"I'll be back," she said, walking out.
"Thanks for coming with me, Matt," I expressed my gratitude as he smiled, saying, "Anything for you, Nia."
Lucia returned, handing over a small box to me. "Your dad left this for you," she said.
As I reached for it, I discovered a beautiful silvery wing-like symbol necklace. "He told me to keep it until I met you," she revealed.
"It's the same symbol on my bracelet, the one I gave Sofia," I realized. "It's the last thing my mom left for me."
"You gave it to Sofia?" Lucia inquired.
"It's a guardian's symbol. We should be able to track down Sofia if she's still wearing the bracelet and she's not dead," Aunt Cari suggested.
"That's great news," I said, smiling. "I'll find Sofia," I declared, filled with hope.
"So, how do we find her?" I inquired.
"You need to get initiated first, then we locate the journal. Everything we need is in that journal," Lucia explained.
"Why did my dad even hide the stupid journal?" I questioned, frustration evident in my voice. "He abandoned me, then hides a journal for me to find," I scoffed. "What was he so scared of? Was it X?" I speculated.
"He lost his powers, so he had to hide the journal, just like the previous Jacksons," Lucia said.
"What do you mean he lost his powers?" I asked, my curiosity growing. "A guardian's power can be a blessing or a curse, depending on a good or bad deed," she elaborated.
"A curse?" I pressed further. "What curse?"
"You would lose your powers if you ever hurt an innocent person," she revealed, leaving me with a sense of realization.
"He killed someone," she confessed. I looked horrified, a flood of fear crossing my face.
"An innocent woman, she was with her son that night," she continued. "He said it was a mistake, he didn't mean to."
"What about her son, did he die too?" I asked, my voice trembling with concern.
"No, but he watched his mother die. Your dad was scared, so he fled and left. That was the night I found him," she revealed, and the weight of the truth settled in.
"Then he lost his powers. He felt remorse, and kept blaming himself," she added. The revelation hit me hard, and I felt a mix of emotions.
"Then I never heard from him again," she concluded, leaving a sense of emptiness in the air.
"Jackson was a good man, he really loved you. He always told me to watch out for you," She shared, adding a layer of warmth to the bittersweet truth.
"I don't know if nature is trying to find a balance or if it's a price you have to pay for your dad's sin," Lucia said solemnly.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, still reeling from fear and shock.
"After the incident, I traced the victim's information and found out everything about her and her son," Lucia explained.
"What about it?" I inquired.
"It's... It's..." she trailed off, her gaze fixed on mine.
"It's Armando's son, Juan," Aunt Cari revealed from behind, the weight of her words hitting me like a ton of bricks.
I felt dizzy, everything blurring as I lost my balance and staggered.
"Carmen, pull yourself together," Lucia urged.
"That's why you and that boy can't be together. He's your karma, so there's always going to be danger when you're together. There's always a price, and nature always creates balance," Lucia advised, the reality sinking in. Please, stay away from him, for your own good."