Rewriters [Completed]

Chapter 29: One Last Thing Before

"I remembered a lot of things last night."

Kaleo followed Lysa's gaze, which landed on a family of birds up on a tree. He nodded, letting her take her time to figure out the right words.

She turned her gaze to him. "I didn't kill my father. He... was sick, like my mother, just less noticeable. I didn't realise a thing..."

"It's not your fault," he told her gently.

Lysa nodded. "I know," she said quietly. "But it still feels like that. I didn't return home and my mother died before we could mend our relationship. My father went to find me... and he succeeded..."

"He manifested a superpower to find me."

"W-what?" Kaleo was astounded. "That's not supposed to be possible... only the residents of Vale ever developed superpowers..."

"He also told me that I have other family members here," Lysa continued. "But... I don't think they have the same family name as mine... otherwise we would have heard of it."

"I see..." He scratched his head. "Um... if you don't mind telling me, why did you come to Vale in the first place?"

"I don't know."

"Huh?"

"Well... the reason I use is that I want to attend the university in Vale, but I don't think it's the main reason," she said. "It feels like I have to go there... and a small part of it is to find a person who helped me."

"Oh... do you have that person's name?" Kaleo asked.

"Gwen Ortiz."

Upon hearing that name, he nearly choked on his own saliva, hastily drinking some water to stop his coughing fit.

She looked utterly confused. "Are you okay?"

"C-could you repeat that again?"

Maybe I was hearing things...

"Her name is Gwen Ortiz."

Okay, not hearing things.

Kaleo was so shocked that he had to sit down on a park bench, putting his hand on his head.

"What's wrong?" Lysa sounded genuinely concerned.

"N-nothing! Um... so here's the thing..." he began, laughing nervously. "She's my mother."

"Oh..." Lysa mumbled and sat down next him, as stunned as he was.

"I have no idea where my mother is... she's been away for so long," he spoke, tugging at his maroon jacket. "She's like a stranger to me... but she's very kind. I'm glad she was able to help you."

"She does seem kind."

He thought back to the letter his mother left him on his birthday. Next year... huh? I wonder how it will turn out.

"So your family name is Ortiz?" Lysa spoke up, cutting the awkward silence. "I think I heard it somewhere before."

"Yup. It's... the same Ortiz as Steven Ortiz, the CEO of Aureus Hospital... and uh, my father."

"I... thought it sounded familiar," she muttered with a dark look in her eyes. She turned back to him. "Kaleo, there's something... you should know."

It didn't sound good at all.

"Go on..."

She glanced around to check for any eavesdroppers. When he reasurred her that there was none, she spoke. "Aureus Hospital... is under the control of that organisation."