Shadows of Identity

Chapter 20: Lines In The Sand

On the second day, a message arrived. No return address. Just a photo of Nani, walking home alone, and a note:

“You have what we want. Give us the files—or we take something else.”

Nani stared at it in silence, the blood draining from his face.

Sky grabbed the note, eyes narrowing. “They think you're MJ.”

“I’m not him,” Nani whispered, his voice breaking. “I’m not used to this—I didn’t ask for any of this—”

Sky pulled him into a hug so tight it nearly hurt. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

---

That Night…

The team gathered in the HQ's tech room. Everyone was tense.

Mark rubbed his forehead. “Whoever’s after us… they’ve got serious reach.”

“But now we know why,” Junior said, glancing at Nani. “Because of what his parents were involved in. They think he’s the last link.”

“I am the last link,” Nani muttered. “And I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do.”

The words hung heavy in the air. Nani’s breath shook. His shoulders slumped.

---

On the Rooftop....

Nani stood near the edge, the wind teasing his hair as the weight of the world bore down on his small frame. The city glittered below like it didn’t care who broke tonight. His arms wrapped tightly around himself, trembling—not from cold, but from everything he was trying not to feel.

Footsteps behind him. He didn’t need to look.

Sky.

“I told you I didn’t want to be found,” Nani murmured, voice hoarse.

“I didn’t come to find you,” Sky replied, stepping beside him. “I came to stand with you. Whether you want to speak or scream or just… exist.”

Nani turned his head slightly, the glow of the city reflecting in his teary eyes. “I feel like I’m standing in MJ’s shadow and drowning in it. I don’t know where he ends and I begin anymore. And now... these people think I’m him. Like I’m some kind of key.”

Sky let the silence settle before speaking. “You’re not a key, Nani. You’re the lock they can’t break. And the reason they’re desperate is because they know how strong you are, even if you don’t see it.”

Nani let out a shaky breath, his voice cracking. “I’m tired, Sky. I’m so tired of pretending I’m okay. I’m tired of being brave.”

Sky stepped in front of him and cupped his face gently. “Then don’t be brave. Not with me. Be terrified. Cry. Scream. Shake. And I’ll be right here, shaking with you if I have to.”

That broke something in Nani.

He leaned forward, and Sky caught him like he’d been waiting forever to do it. Nani gripped his jacket like it was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

“I don’t need you to be MJ,” Sky whispered. “I just need you to be Nani—the loud, clumsy, chaotic boy who stole my breath before he even knew it.”

Nani closed his eyes. For the first time in days, his shoulders dropped. “I don’t want to do this alone anymore.”

“You never were.”

---

In the Lab Room…

Meanwhile, Dew had wrapped his arms around Tee’s waist from behind while Tee pored over the decoded documents.

“You need sleep,” Dew murmured.

“I can’t. Not until we figure out what these people want.”

“I’m not letting you break down again,” Dew whispered, resting his head on Tee’s shoulder.

Tee’s hand slid over Dew’s. “You won’t. You always pull me back.”

Dew leaned in, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “Let’s bring them down. And then we’ll rest. Together.”

---

In the Hallway…

Junior slammed a folder down on the table, frustration written all over him.

“They’re playing with us. Watching us. MJ figured out too much and now they’re scared.”

Mark walked over, touching his arm. “Calm down.”

“I’m just—if anything happens to Nani, I’ll lose it.”

Mark stepped closer. “We’re not losing anyone.”

“I just want this nightmare to end,” Junior whispered.

Mark reached for his hand. “It will. We’ll end it together.”

And in the quiet moment that followed, their foreheads touched, eyes closed, the world outside paused.

---

But the calm didn’t last long…

The next morning, another threat arrived.

A voice message this time. A distorted voice.

“Tick tock, little ghost. Give us the data—or we spill more blood.”

Nani froze.

Everyone else did too.

And in that moment, it became clear:
This wasn’t just MJ’s fight anymore.

It was war.

---