Hero and Jade didn't stop running until the hotel lights were far behind them. The streets of Manila were dark and almost empty, only the sound of tricycles and distant cars echoed through the night. Hero's chest hurt from running, but he refused to slow down.
"We can't go back there," Jade said, trying to catch his breath. "They'll return. And they'll bring more men."
Hero looked around, searching for any place where they could hide. "We just need somewhere safe for now."
After a long walk through alleys and side streets, they reached an old storage house near the port. The door creaked when Jade pushed it, but the inside was quiet. Dust covered the shelves, and the smell of wood and rust filled the air. It wasn't comfortable, but it was safe.
Hero sat on a stack of boxes and held the bag close to him.
"We're wasting time," he said quietly. "If we want answers, we need the map."
Jade placed both hands on his waist. "Don't say it. You're thinking of going after the gang, aren't you?"
Hero looked up slowly. "If they killed my father because of the map, then the map must be with them."
Jade shook his head hard. "No. You're not going there. The moment you come close to their base, you're dead. I promised Jack I would protect you."
Hero stood and faced him. "I don't need protection. I need answers."
Silence filled the room. Jade looked away, struggling between loyalty and fear.
In the end, he sighed. "Fine… but we go together."
They waited until the city was quiet, then headed toward the gang's hideout , an abandoned factory near the highway. The air smelled of metal and gasoline. Armed guards watched the area, pacing back and forth.
Hero and Jade hid behind barrels and climbed through a broken window. Inside, everything smelled like old oil and smoke.
Hero pointed toward a door on the upper level. "The office. Important things are always kept there."
They climbed the stairs silently. When the hallway was empty, Jade unlocked the door with a hairpin. Hero didn't waste a second and he opened drawers, thrown folders aside, moved boxes, and checked under tables.
Nothing.
His hands stopped shaking. His voice broke a little.
"It should be here, Jade… this is where it should be."
Jade checked the desk again, opening every cabinet. "There's no map… not even a trace of it."
Hero stepped back in disbelief. "My father died because of this map. If the gang doesn't have it, then where is it?"
Before Jade could answer, loud yelling echoed from below. Footsteps rushed up the stairs. They were surrounded again.
"Window!" Jade whispered.
They jumped through a side window, slid down the rusted pipes, and sprinted across the open space. Gunshots echoed behind them as Hero and Jade ran out of the abandoned factory. They dashed through dark alleys and crossed the main road without looking back. Their legs burned from running, but they didn't stop until they reached the warehouse that became their new hideout.
Inside, Hero dropped to the floor, breathing heavily. Jade locked the door behind them, listening for footsteps outside. Silence returned.
Hero's voice cracked a little.
"So the map… it was never in their base."
Jade nodded. "They were only after us. Not the map. They don't have it, Hero."
Hero leaned his head back against the wall. "Then where did my father put it?"
Jade walked closer and sat beside him. "If Jack knew the gang was coming… maybe he hid the map before they killed him."
Hero stared at the necklace around his neck and touched the compass, trying to think the way his father did.
Jade continued, "There's only one place left where your father was last seen alive… the cave." He swallowed hard. "The exact place where everything happened."
Hero didn't answer right away. He looked tired, angry, and hurt , but stronger than ever.
"We go there," he finally said. "Even if danger is waiting."
Jade nodded. "At sunrise, we move."
The warehouse became quiet again. Outside, the city lights flickered far away, but inside, Hero closed his eyes and made a silent promise.
They were waiting inside the same cave that took his father.
Tomorrow, the truth begins.