The next day, Aria couldn't shake the events of the school fair from her mind. Jackson's uncanny strength, the way Bianca and Serena obeyed him without question, the strange intensity in his eyes, the sonic hearing—it all left her feeling unsettled. But the thing that she most wondered about was how she could hear a whisper from Jackson from a distance and how he knew that she was able to hear him. She thought to herself, 'In what world is that normal?'
As she walked into the school library during lunch, she spotted Jackson sitting alone at a corner table, a book in his hands. The sunlight streaming through the windows didn't quite reach him, as if he had chosen the seat deliberately to avoid it.
This was her chance. She wasn't going to let him brush her off this time. Before she could approach Jackson, a male figure pulled the seat across from him, making Jackson look up to see who it was. She was shook to her core when she saw the male figure talking to Jackson—It was Lucas.
Aria's heart skipped a beat. Lucas? What's he doing here? She hid behind the nearest bookshelf, watching as the two spoke in hushed tones. Their expressions were serious, brows furrowed, and Jackson occasionally glanced around as if ensuring no one was listening.
Aria bit her lip, torn between walking away and satisfying her growing curiosity. It seemed like Jackson and Lucas were talking about something serious, they both had this serious look on their face like something was not right. She was unable to read their lips so, she tried to do the thing she did before, wherein she was able to eavesdrop from a distance.
She tried to focus and closed her eyes, imagining the place of the library where Jackson and Lucas were located. At first, all she heard was the hum of the library—pages turning, pens scratching, distant whispers.
Then, slowly, their voices became clearer.
"…She doesn't remember," Lucas was saying, his tone low.
"She can't remember," Jackson replied sharply, his words laced with an urgency that sent a shiver down her spine. "It's too dangerous if she does."
Aria froze. Who's 'she'? What don't she remember?
Lucas leaned forward, his voice barely audible. "You're playing with fire, Jackson. If she finds out who she really is—"
"Then she'll run again," Jackson cut him off, his voice tight. "You don't understand. I'm trying to protect her. This is what Elara wanted."
The name hit Aria like a thunderclap. Elara. She didn't know why, but it sent a chill through her body.
Her concentration broke, and the voices faded. She ducked back behind the shelf, her heart racing. Elara? Who the hell is Elara?
When she glanced back, Lucas was gone, and Jackson was calmly reading his book, as if the conversation had never happened.
Taking a deep breath, she marched over to him. "Jackson, we need to talk," she said firmly, pulling out the chair across from him and sitting down.
He looked up surprised to see Aria in front of her like she came out of nowhere, his expression unreadable. "About what?"
"Don't play dumb," she said, leaning forward. "What happened yesterday with Bianca and Serena? They practically fell over themselves to apologize to me. And the way you said it—it was like they didn't have a choice. Like you hypnotize them or something. What did you do to them?"
Jackson's eyes flickered with something she couldn't quite place—nervousness, maybe. He closed the book and set it aside, leaning back in his chair. "They were being cruel. I just… helped them see the error of their ways."
"Helped them?" Aria repeated, narrowing her eyes. "No, it was more than that. It was like they were under some kind of spell."
Jackson let out a soft sigh, rubbing the back of his neck, tugging his left ear, unconsciously. "Aria, I think you're reading too much into this. People can change their minds when they're called out for their behavior."
"No," Aria snapped, her frustration boiling over. "This isn't just about yesterday. It's everything. The hammer strike and arm wrestling? The strength you have, And…" She hesitated, lowering her voice. "how I was able to hear your whisper from a distance, and how did you know I could hear you? It-It's not normal, Jackson," Aria sighed heavily while brushing her palms on her face. Or—" She paused, her voice dropping. "Who the hell is Elara?"
His reaction was immediate—a flicker of shock, quickly masked, but not fast enough. He leaned back in his chair, his hands curling into fists on the table.
"You heard us," he said, more a statement than a question.
"Yes, and don't even think about denying it. Who is Elara? And why are you so scared she'll remember' something?"
Jackson stared at her for a long moment, the tension between them palpable. Then he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You're asking questions you're not ready to hear the answers to, Aria."
"Don't patronize me," she snapped. "If it's about me, I have a right to know."
"It's not that simple," he said, his voice softening. "I'm trying to keep you safe."
"Safe from what?" she demanded. "From you? From Lucas? Or from whoever this Elara person is?"
His gaze sharpened, his tone darkening. "Safe from the things Elara was running from. Things she wanted to leave behind."
Aria blinked, stunned. "You think I'm her, don't you?" she whispered.
Jackson flinched but didn't deny it.
"Jackson," her voice wavered. "I'm not Elara. I don't even know who that is."
"But you are her," he said quietly, his words tinged with both frustration and sadness.
"You just don't remember yet. And I—I can't let you remember. Not if it means putting you back in harm's way."
Aria stared at him, her mind spinning. "This is insane. I'm not her. I'm me. And if you think I'm someone else, then maybe you're the one who doesn't know who I am."
Before Jackson could respond, the bell rang. He stood abruptly, avoiding her gaze. "I'm sorry, Aria," he said, his voice tight. His jaw tightened, and he looked away, as if debating whether to say anything at all. "But this is bigger than you think. Bigger than either of us. I have to go," he said, his voice strained, not looking back at Aria, avoiding eye contact because if their eyes met, he knew she could never lie to her.
"Jackson!" Aria called after him as he walked away, but he didn't turn around. People started looking at her with annoyance, as if to remind her that she wasn't the only one in the library, there were other people studying. So, she should be mindful of others.
On the other hand, she did not know that Lucas and Jackson know each other. Lucas did not mention anything nor Ava. She was just caught off-guard because she feels like something's going on.
—
That night, Aria lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind raced with unanswered questions, and her frustration grew with every passing minute. She couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was fundamentally wrong. The memory of Lucas and Jackson had spoken replayed in her mind and who the hell was Elara? Somehow, it felt familiar—but she couldn't place why.
'What are you hiding, Jackson? And What is happening to me?' she thought.
Suddenly, a heavy sensation filled the air, like an invisible weight pressing down on her chest. She sat up, her gaze darting to the window.
She looked outside of her window, under the faint glow of the moon. There was barely a shadow behind the tree that she caught from her peripheral vision. She tried to do the x-ray vision thing but she was not successful in doing it, no matter how hard she tried. Her breath caught as she strained her eyes to see more, but the figure disappeared.
Unbeknownst to her, Jackson stood outside her house, cloaked in the shadows of a nearby tree. His sharp eyes watched her bedroom window, his mind filled with conflicting emotions. He had always tried to keep his distance, to protect her from the truth, but Aria's determination to uncover his secrets was pulling them closer together.
He clenched his fists, his thoughts a whirlwind. 'She is getting too close. If she finds out what I am and who she was…especially the news I heard from Lucas…,' Jackson muttered to himself.
But another part of him—the part that cared deeply for her—whispered a different thought. Maybe it's time she knew. He brushed off that thought because he knew it would be risky for him, especially for her.
Little did he know, Aria heard everything he said. It is only a matter of time before she finds out about everything.