Secrets Part 2

"Maybe you're his son. You're Claire Mendez's son!" Layla gasped but she stopped and held her breathe midway, she probably remembered that we're in a place that needs silence.

"That doesn't make sense, what about my parents when I was a kid? I vividly remembered them and our time as a family." I whispered to Layla who took the comment seriously. Maybe she was wrong about her assumptions about me.

Layla suddenly sighed and slowly arched her body up from her crawling position before, and sat down, with her legs crossed and her eyes on the side. She sat there for quite some time, dazing off to somewhere in her mind. I could've left her there and continued to crawl on, but I realized that, without her, I may encounter trouble and will either cause unnecessary chaos and attention or get caught by the school administration and staff, or even one of those scary men with guns, I'd be putting our little detective investigation into jeopardy.

"Hey, uh, are you okay?" I questioned the still silent Layla Asperth. I decided to reach in and touched her shoulder to try and get her attention. As soon as I touched her shoulder, she was as cold as ice!

"Hey! You're as cold as ice! Are you okay? Layla?" I cried out, I wasn't able to whisper my words due to the panic and fear for my friend. As soon as I called out her name, she snapped back to reality and blinked rapidly. After a while, she slowly and steadily turned around to face me. The look on her face sends chills all over my body.

"Thank you, Zion, for saving me." She said, her voice weak and faint to hear.

"Saving you for what? What'd I do?" I questioned her. I scrunched my face, confused why she suddenly thank me all of a sudden. She smiled weakly at the sight of my confused look.

"You probably did not know this, but I actually have this problem regarding my quirk," Layla said.

I was still confused about what it was but I slowly had my suspicions on something but I did not want to assume anything. I acted as if I didn't know what she was talking about, I was about to ask her what was this "problem" all about, but I hesitated in the second, thinking I might cross a line and invade her privacy. I mean, this is probably not my business but I really want to know what it was.

"Can I know what it is? Not to be nosy but I just want to know what it is. It's okay if you don't tell me." I blabbered, completely nervous that Layla might look at me as a nosy person and this moment will turn into an extremely awkward moment that will haunt me forever in my life.

"Relax, I'm gonna tell you anyway." She replied and chuckled softly. I must've looked frantic and nervous that she managed to giggle despite her visible weakness. I sigh in relief and internally cursed at myself for being frantic and nervous every time I have a new friend.

"I was gifted with this incredible ability to manifest and control water and any liquid substances. That was why I managed to create those tentacles earlier out of thin air. This was a gift from the heavens that somehow gave me confidence and uniqueness in this boring cruel world but this incredible gift also contains its downfall." Layla started to explain, I silently sat beside her and listened to her story.

"Is this like a deadly curse somehow? Most of all are you okay?" I asked Layla who seemed a little upset reliving.

I wanted to reassure her and made her feel company and safe knowing that she has me beside her as a friend and company. It looked like a sudden despair has consumed her and now the cool, badass, Layla I knew hid into a cocoon.

"Yeah, I'm actually doing very well, I'm just upset that's all." She replied. Holding in the clearly visible tears in her eyes.

"It's okay, everyone has experience becoming upset at something in their lifetime. We just need to handle those emotions well. Don't worry I'm here for you." I assured her.

"Thanks, Zion. That means a lot." She thanked.

"Anyways, whenever I overuse my quirk it damages my central nervous system and paralyzes me for a couple of seconds, minutes, even hours and days. The only thing that can save me is when someone says my name, and I magically regain control of my body again. It's weird, I know, but not all good things come free." Layla explained.

Her explanation has put pain and guilt in my chest. I never thought of how lucky I was when I found out that I was a Hellvanian Elite and Extraordinaire, there could've been so many things that got wrong from it like discovering my ability but costs a dangerous price like what Layla Asperth has. I may have a clunky and unpredictable quirk but thankfully, I managed to have only that as a hindrance temporarily.

"Enough about me and my problematic quirk, we need to get a move on, and by the looks of it, I think we are almost at the end of this long vent," Layla commented. Trying her best to lighten up the downhearted mood.

I looked at her and gave her a reassuring look, before slowly getting up and started to crawl onwards. She suddenly grabbed my foot, making me suddenly halting to a stop thinking she might need my attention again. I glance back at her and saw her actually smiling at me.

"You know you're a good person Zion. Thank you for listening and actually letting me vent out this sudden sadness out of my self." She stated, her eyes now filled with hope and happiness.

"I'm always here for you Layla, always."

****

We both continued to crawl on the vent until we noticed a vent grate cover. Thinking it was the way out and also we were kinda tired from crawly, we slowly opened the grate cover, I peered out of the vent to see if there was anyone around. Thankfully it was just an empty hallway with no sounds of incoming footsteps either. We quickly but silently got out of the vent from above and landed on the floor below.

"What on earth is this place," Layla said, looking at the hallway with nothing in it besides a door on the left side of the hallway.

"I mean there could be hallways with only one room right?" I tried to lighten the tense mood but Layla just looked at me weirdly.

"Not if you're a total nutjob, I mean look at the sheer size of this white and well-lit hallway with just only one door?! Are they nuts? Do they know how many rooms they could create with this? This school definitely is hiding something in that door." Layla exclaimed and pointed at the metal door.

"Lady's first?" I quipped but she was not happy.

She rolled her eyes and marched towards the door to open it. Held the handle of the door for a moment but she quickly yanked her hand away from it and backed away.

"What the hell!" She exclaimed.

"Wait, what happened?" I asked her. She pointed at the door handle and looked at me.

"That door handle freaking cold to touch. I don't think I can handle touching that without getting any frostbite." She replied. I didn't believe her at first, thinking she was just lying so that I'll open the door into the unknown.

I walk towards the metal door and touched its handle. I instantly yanked my arm away from it and gasp from its coldness.

"Jesus Christ that's cold." I gasped. Behind me, I heard Layla chuckled. I turned around and looked at her, surprisingly she looked back

"Told ya." Layla quipped.

In an instant, I thought of something. I slowly turned around and looked at the metal door and its handle and immediately noticed something.

"Layla? Does this door look like something to you?" I asked her. She slowly walked towards me and stopped beside me, we now both stared at it.

"What do you mean? This looks like a normal metal door." Layla questioned, not yet seeing what I think I was seeing.

"I think this door is a freezer room's door. That's probably also why it's very cold to touch." I commented and then looked at her to see if she reacts to it. And she actually did react to it, I could see a lightbulb lighting up on her head as she finally realizes it.

"I'll cut it open," Layla said. I backed away as she stretches and walk towards the door. She held her arm straight towards the door and in an instant, a transparent liquid tentacle came out of nowhere and sliced the door into half.

"Good lord." I gasp as I see what was inside this door. I looked at Layla who was already on her knees, staring at the nightmare ahead.

Inside the metallic door was enough for me to grab Layla and hoist her up on the vent, she, later on, used her quirk to create a small water arm and that hoist me up into the vents.

"We need to get out of this place." I declared as we hurriedly crawled back to our friends to warn them.

With everything that was going on, I should've taken the lesson to never trust a single door on the school or somewhere near it. Especially what lies behind its doors.