Aia's Revenge

CHAPTER 7: THE SEARCH

After their emotional conversation, Aia and Zack decided to begin their search for the truth. The dark room Aia described served as inspiration for them to work even harder to find answers to their questions.

"First, we need to find Carmen Alonzo," Zack said, his voice filled with determination. "If she's connected to our past, she might hold the key to all the mysteries."

"You're right," Aia replied, her voice laced with hope. "But how do we find her? We don't have any information about her."

"We have the ledger," Zack said, his eyes focused on the thick book. "Maybe there are clues here that can help us."

They began studying the ledger. Each page was filled with codes and names. Aia focused on the codes, while Zack searched for information about Carmen Alonzo.

As Zack read, he noticed a pattern in the names. The names seemed to be connected to a specific place. "Aia, look at this," he said, his voice filled with excitement. "The names seem to be connected to an old town in the province."

"What's the name of the town?" Aia asked, her heart pounding.

"I'm not sure," Zack replied. "But I saw a symbol near the names. It looks like an old family crest."

Aia suddenly remembered the symbol. "I know that symbol! It's the symbol of my grandmother's family!"

With that discovery, they had a direction for their search. They decided to travel to the old town to look for information about Carmen Alonzo and the secrets their past held.

After a long journey, Aia and Zack arrived in the old town. The place seemed frozen in time, with old buildings and narrow streets. The air seemed to carry the memories of the past.

They immediately began their search for Carmen Alonzo. They asked the locals, but the answer was always the same: they didn't know anything about Carmen. Some said she had disappeared long ago, while others said they didn't know if she was alive or dead.

Disappointment slowly crept into Aia and Zack's hearts. It felt like their search was an endless journey down a dark path. But they didn't give up. They continued their search, still hoping someone could help them. But after three hours, they still hadn't found any information. So the two decided to just go home for now.

Tired and disappointed, Aia and Zack decided to return to Manila. Their trip to the old town had yielded no results, and their hope of getting information about Carmen was slowly fading. While on the bus home, they sat in silence, lost in thought.

“I thought we'd find answers there,” Aia said, her voice filled with disappointment. “It’s like everyone in town doesn’t know anything about Carmen.”

“Yeah,” Zack replied. “But we shouldn’t give up yet. We still have the ledger, and maybe there’s another way to find Carmen.”

When they arrived home, they immediately noticed something strange about the atmosphere. The door was slightly ajar, and there were footprints on the floor. “Zack, someone’s inside,” Aia whispered, her voice filled with anxiety.

They slowly opened the door and stepped inside. They immediately saw a man in the living room, his back to them, seemingly busy examining something. He was wearing dark clothes, and his back seemed familiar.

“Who are you?” Zack asked, his voice firm and laced with threat.

The man slowly turned around. It was Hawthorne. His eyes seemed full of mystery and fear. He was holding the ledger that had been in their possession just moments ago.

“Hawthorne!” Aia exclaimed, her voice filled with surprise and anger. “What are you doing here? And what are you doing with our ledger?”

Hawthorne smiled, a smile filled with strange intent. “I know you’re looking for Carmen Alonzo,” he said. “And I also know where she can be found.”

“Then tell us!” Zack shouted, his fists clenched.

“I can’t just tell you,” Hawthorne replied. “You need to prove you’re worthy of knowing the truth first.”

“What do you mean?” Aia asked, her voice filled with concern.

“There’s something you need to do,” Hawthorne said. “A test that will prove your courage and determination.”

“What’s the test?” Zack asked, his eyes fixed on Hawthorne.

Hawthorne smiled. “You’ll find out in due time.” Then, he suddenly vanished in a blink of an eye. The ledger was left on the table, open to a page filled with codes and symbols.

Aia and Zack looked at each other. Their hearts were filled with wonder and fear. Hawthorne’s appearance in their home had brought a new mystery and challenge. What did the test Hawthorne mentioned mean? And what secrets were hidden in the ledger? Their search for Carmen seemed to be getting more complicated and dangerous.

A sharp heartbeat jolted Aia awake. She was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. Her hands trembled as she reached for the lampshade on her bedside table. The room was silent, only the moon illuminating her face.

Slowly, she remembered the events. The emotional conversation with Zack, studying the ledger, the trip to the old town, meeting Hawthorne, the test… It all felt like a very realistic dream.

She slowly got out of bed and went to the window. She looked outside, the trees swaying peacefully in the gentle breeze. There was no trace of the old town, the forest, or the mysterious Hawthorne. Everything seemed normal.

She returned to her bed and grabbed her phone. She checked the time. It was only four in the morning. She still had a few hours before Zack woke up.

She decided to get up and make some coffee. As she brewed it, she kept replaying her dream in her mind. The details were so vivid, as if it had actually happened. The disappointment in the old town, the shock of Hawthorne’s arrival, the mysterious test… it all felt real.

She returned to her room and looked at her bedside table. The ledger was still there. She closed it and held it tightly. The dream seemed to have left something with her, a feeling of worry and curiosity.

After finishing her coffee, she sat down at her desk and opened the ledger. She started reading the codes and symbols, as if searching for something forgotten. As she read, she noticed a strange symbol on one page. It looked like… a symbol of a place. A place that seemed familiar to her.

She suddenly stopped. She remembered the dream. The place in the dream seemed to be the place the symbol represented. A feeling of fear washed over her.

She no longer knew what was real and what was a dream. The events in her dream seemed to be connected to her real life. The search for Carmen, the mystery of the ledger, Hawthorne’s appearance… it all seemed to be part of a larger puzzle.

She decided to wake Zack up. She needed to tell him about her dream. They both needed to understand everything. The dream seemed like a warning, a clue to something bigger and more dangerous. Their search for Carmen wasn’t over. And the truth seemed to be getting closer.