Chapter 53: Finding Emily
That night after Miranda had left, Alex took his bath when he was done smoking and lay down to rest. It was approaching dawn and he wanted to rest for a bit.
But during the sleep, he began to feel someone’s hands caressing his bare chest. He opened his hands and saw Zia awake, her hands were on his chest.
"What are you doing?" He asked, sounding surprised.
"Captain, I am sorry but I can not help falling in love with you. Can’t I do what she did to you?" Zia asked him, referring to Miranda who had just left.
Initially, he didn’t know why she was suddenly acting strange but now, he knew why.
"Are you out of your mind?" Alex asked her. He was trying not to sound rude but the more he thought about the audacity, the more he felt like exploding.
He flung her hands away and then stood up. He exhaled, trying to calm himself down."I will not dwell much on this matter anymore but I hope that by the time I return, you must have come back to your senses. Know your position and focus on your job."
With that, Alex grabbed his pack of cigarettes, his shirt, and then left the room — the house probably.
Zia sighed, a tear dropping from her eyes. "Is it a crime to fall in love?" She muttered. "Captain..."
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Outside the apartment, Alex exhaled, puffing out a thick smoke that drifted lazily into the pale sky. His mind lingered on what had just happened—Zia’s hands on his chest, her trembling voice confessing something he never expected. Something he didn’t want.
He took another drag, the cigarette burning shorter between his fingers. The streets were silent, touched by the chill of early dawn, but the storm inside him had yet to settle.
Then his phone rang.
Alex glanced at the screen, recognizing the caller ID instantly. Without hesitation, he answered.
"I found her," the voice said on the other end. Steady and calm, but laced with urgency. "Emily Blackwood. Everything—where she’s staying, what she’s been up to, and most importantly, who she’s been meeting."
Alex straightened, his eyes narrowing. The embers at the tip of his cigarette flared before he dropped it to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot.
"Where do we meet?" he asked.
"The usual spot. Our favorite cafeteria. I’m already there."
"I’m on my way."
He ended the call, pocketed the phone, and didn’t look back.
He didn’t care if Zia cried, if she cursed his name, or if she never spoke to him again. Right now, none of that mattered. Emily Blackwood — She mattered right now. He wanted to know why Elizabeth had a twin but never told him about it. Why Emily stayed hidden for years only to appear now and it doesn’t seem like she was just being a normal girl... There was something about her that he needed to know.
Alex left his usual spot and walked faster, the wind brushing against him like a whisper of what was to come.
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The morning sun had barely touched the horizon when Alex arrived at the cafeteria. Its old wooden sign swayed slightly in the cold breeze, the same familiar creak greeting him like an old friend. He stepped inside, the bell above the door jingling softly. The scent of coffee and freshly baked bread filled the air, comforting yet distant, as if trying to remind him of simpler times he no longer had the luxury of living.
At a table tucked in the farthest corner by the large window, Peter sat, arms crossed and a cup of steaming black coffee in front of him. He looked up the moment Alex stepped in, his golden hair catching the early light like fire. Time had changed many things, but that hair—wild and striking remained the same. His eyes, however, had grown sharper, more experienced.
He wasn’t just Alex’s childhood friend anymore. Peter had seen things, fought through darkness, just like Alex.
"You’re late," Peter said, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Alex slid into the seat across from him. "You’re early," he replied.
Peter pushed a second cup of coffee toward him. Alex took it without a word, letting the warmth seep into his fingers before taking a sip.
A moment of silence passed between them, it was not awkward, but heavy with things unsaid. They were both heroes now, survivors of their own difficult paths. Their bond didn’t need words. But today, it needed answers.
"Emily Blackwood," Alex said, cutting through the silence. "Tell me everything you found out about her."
Peter leaned back in his seat and pulled out a folded file from his coat. He placed it on the table and tapped a finger on it. "This is everything I could find. She’s good at hiding, Alex, really good but not perfect." Peter smirked. "At least not for someone like me," he added.
Back then, after the death of the Dean, the Academy decided to graduate students based on their capabilities, Alex passed but unfortunately, Peter failed. But that didn’t make him not to become who he wanted to — He joined the information team, those tasked with the job of gathering informations on their target.
Over the years, Peter had successfully made it to the top and just like Alex, he had also become a captain of a team.
Alex opened the file, eyes scanning quickly. Images, reports, surveillance records—all centered on one girl. The same icy-blue hair, the same fiery orange-red eyes. She looked so much like Elizabeth that it sent a jolt through his chest. But he knew that this wasn’t Elizabeth, he knew that it was else entirely.
Peter continued, his tone low. "She goes by different names. In some places, she’s called Ember Frost. Others know her as the Ice Reaper. She’s built herself a network over the past few years—quiet, precise, dangerous. Most people don’t even realize she exists until it’s too late."
Alex’s jaw tightened as he flipped through the reports. "What’s her connection to the underworld?"
Peter nodded toward one of the documents. "She’s been frequenting the western district. That place has become a hive of chaos. Crime rates have doubled, and some of the most powerful villain gangs have either pledged themselves to her or mysteriously vanished. She doesn’t fight in the open, not usually. But the few who’ve seen her say she’s ruthless. Ice abilities like Elizabeth, but refined. Sharper. She doesn’t just freeze, she kills."
Alex paused on one photo—a blurry image of Emily walking through the ruins of an old building, trailed by shadowy figures. Her posture was confident. Like someone who knew she was being watched but didn’t care.
"Why didn’t Elizabeth ever mention her?" Alex asked, his voice strained.
Peter shrugged. "Maybe she didn’t know. Or maybe she did and had her reasons."
"She should’ve told me."
Peter gave him a pointed look. "We all have things we never talk about, Alex. You of all people should understand that."
Alex didn’t respond. He kept staring at the photo.
Peter leaned in, lowering his voice. "There’s more. Emily’s not just playing power games. She’s been meeting with people from inside the hero organization. Some of the same people who I guess were involved in what happened to your father."
That made Alex freeze.
Peter nodded slowly. "I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she showed up now. She’s not just building power—she’s looking for something. Or someone."
"You think she knows who I am?"
Peter hesitated. "Hard to say. But I think she suspects. There’s a reason she’s been careful not to engage you directly. Either she’s waiting for the right time... or she doesn’t want you dead. Yet."
Alex closed the file slowly, eyes still locked on the picture of the girl who wore Elizabeth’s face. "Then I need to find her first."
Peter frowned. "Alex, this isn’t like the portals you’ve been diving into. She’s smart. She’s careful. And she’s dangerous. If you confront her without a plan—"
"I’m not going to fight her," Alex cut in. "Not yet. First, I want to talk. I want to know what she knows. Why she’s here. Why now."
Peter exhaled through his nose. "And if she’s just like the rest of them? A threat?"
Alex stood, folding the file and tucking it under his arm. "Then I’ll do what I have to."
Peter stared at him for a long moment before nodding. "Be careful."
Alex offered a faint smirk. "Aren’t I always?"
Peter scoffed. "Not even close."
Alex turned and walked out of the cafeteria, the file pressed against his chest like a shield. The wind had picked up, colder now, sharper. The day had barely begun, but he already knew where he was going—straight into the heart of the western district.
To find Emily Blackwood and to know more about her. He wants to know what she thinks of him, if she blamed him for what happened to her sister or not.
There were many other things he wanted to find out and he was going to do so.
