🥷

Talia did not see the boy she bumped into again. She thought she would have at least seen him lingering around the hallways, but it was like he had fallen off the face of the earth.

Pushing that aside, Talia was grateful to have gained two new friends. It had always been just her and April, so knowing her friend circle was expanding, even if it was just by a little bit, was something that made her day. The more the merrier.

Once school had ended, Talia had made up her mind that she was going to the library today to use their computers. Just about anything or anyone could be searched on the Internet, so there was a chance that she could find more information pertaining The Foot Clan. Or at least find something similar.

She reunited with April at the school's entrance, where hundreds of students regrouped with their friends or were waiting for the bus. The first day of school was always a pain for both entering and exiting.

"I've got some good news, Taly!" April announced as soon as the two got together. "You know the friend I mentioned who would check out the envelope? Well, he just got back to me. Turns out, he analyzed right down to the molecular level and found traces of lead paint mixed with ingredients found in fortune cookies. Weird, right? So he did his magic on his keyboard and crossed-examined to see if there were any restaurants or factories built before 1978 that sold fortune cookies. Based on the chemical compositions, he got one hit: The Fortune Cookie Factory in Chinatown."

Talia could not help but arch an eyebrow. "All the way over there?"

"It makes kinda sense. Chinatown is known for being the birthplace of some very notorious gangs. Maybe it's a long stretch, but there might be someone there who might've possibly heard about The Foot."

It was highly unlikely, but Talia was willing to take it. "We can go after the library. Tell your friend that he has been very helpful."

"Oh, I forgot to mention that he's Mikey's older brother! That's how I was able to get him to the favor. His name is Donatello."

The gears in Talia's brain screeched to a halt. She then remembered the guy she met at the library— the one who went by 'Donnie.' Having a strong hunch, she asked, "By any chance does he go by the nickname 'Donnie'?"

"Uh-huh. Why?"

"Because I met him the last time I went to the library."

Surprise slapped April's face. "You did? What did you guys talk about?"

"Just about books. Of all the times I have went to the library, not once did I see him. You did not tell him on whose behalf you called in for the favor, right?"

"Of course not. He would've figured out what he was getting himself into and would ruin the whole secret aspect of our off-the-books investigation. It's better for him to believe that he analyzed an ordinary envelope instead of some ancient ninja's clan calling card."

Talia acknowledged what her friend said. April was right. If the Foot Clan was behind this (which, she had strong reason to believe they were), she did not want to put an innocent civilian at risk just for unknowingly helping her reach one step closer to finding them.

It was just a shame she would never get to tell him how much of a great lead he gave them.

***

After the girls changed out of their uniforms, they made a beeline for the public library, all while trying to obey the laws of traffic. Talia thought that one of the upsides of living in Manhattan was that you could get just about almost anywhere without having to own a vehicle. Sometimes, however, the streets were just as bad as road traffic.

When they entered the library, Talia felt like she would never get tired of seeing the infinite amount of shelves stacked with books of all genres. The feeling was equivalent to a child seeing a palace made of gold. When she was younger, she once asked her parents if she could have a library as big and tall as Jack's beanstalk, to the point where she would need ladders to reach all her books. Her parents only laughed and told her that one day, it would come true.

Even staring above and seeing the ornate ceiling paintings made the place feel more sacred. Talia imagined angels peeking through the rosy clouds, watching her and the rest of the readers down below.

Most of the computers were already taken, so it took a little bit of time for Talia and April to find one. When searching, Talia would occasionally observe every corner, sometimes holding her gaze for too long at a table. Or she would have to go on her tippee-toes and peer ahead.

"You looking for someone?" April queried.

Talia wrung her fingers through her curls. "What? Um, no. Not at all."

"Kinda seemed like it to me."

"I. . . I just thought he would be here today."

A tiny smirk etched on April's lips. "Donnie?"

"I actually liked the conversation I had with him. But never mind. What is important at hand is finding more about The Foot."

April secretly wanted to know more, but she let it drop for now. She would find out another way. The girls found a computer near the far end, but they didn't seem to find. No need to worry about other people seeing what they were researching.

"Okay, so, what do you want to look for?" April leaned forward with her hand on her hip.

"There has to be something on The Foot— even if it is whispers of rumors. If not, then maybe something related to them will pop up and from there, we can divulge more information." Talia clicked on the search bar and typed in words she believed would bring results— 'Japanese ninja clans', 'The Foot Clan', 'secret societies in the shadows'. The list went on.

Nothing helpful seemed to appear— just images of feet, shadow backgrounds, and artwork of samurais. Talia shook her head and was about to try something else, until she thought: what if it was possible that someone was aware of The Foot Clan's existence, but they were silenced through murder masked by suicide?

When Talia attempted 'person found dead after claims of secret ninja clan', one result showed up. Talia clicked on the link, which led the girls to a story covered by the same news outlet that took over Genesis's murder and scandal.

Apparently, this incident happened seven years ago, at the Manhattan Psychiatric Center. A patient (whose name was not disclosed for many reasons), claimed they were part of a powerful criminal organization named The Foot Clan, and that the world would descend into darkness. The doctors dismissed this as nonsense babbled by someone who was mentally ill. However, red flags were raised when the patient escaped the following night, killing several others as collateral damage. No one has heard from the patient since.

"That patient could be our link to finding The Foot," April declared. "All we have to do is locate whoever they are."

"That will be a little difficult," Talia frowned. "It is not like the center will give us the person's files without violating patient confidentiality."

April squinted her eyes at the article. Whatever could make an assassin go mad?

"I say we print this and come back to it later," Talia said. "But we should really get a move on. We have a hot lead to follow up."

***

Talia and April were able to find a subway that would lead them to Chinatown. They first had to give an excuse to their fathers, which was something Talia found herself uncomfortable doing so. She had never lied before in her life, but she also knew her father could never find out what she and April were doing, so she relied on the 'friends hanging out at the mall' excuse. The girls scouted a good spot to sit at, April even holding the metal pole for balance as the subway's engine came to life. An old man was seated far away from the rest, snoring heavily; a woman tried to sing a lullaby to her wailing baby; a businessman in a trendy suit was shuffling papers and stuffing them in his briefcase; and the one April felt sorry for, was a sound asleep man whose pizza had slid out of its box due to a poor grip.

"He's not gonna be happy when he wakes up," April cringed.

"I remember the first time I had my first slice," Talia laughed suddenly. "You insisted on taking me to the pizza parlor near our middle school after you found out I had never eaten pizza before. The look on your face was incredible."

"One of history's most scandalous moments," April joked. "We were just eating away like it was the end of the universe, but then we got sick and we had to miss school the next day. Not for overeating, but there was a stomach virus going on at that time and we were one- or should I say two of the lucky ones."

It was not a particularly good memory, but it was something Talia and April always looked back and laughed at.

"I really do want to say thank you, April," Talia said sincerely. "For being by my side throughout everything that has happened. You could have said no to helping me find the man who murdered my mother, but yet you agreed— despite the potential danger."

"Hey, you could try climbing the Eiffel Tower or scaling Mount Everest, and I would still go along with it," April promised. "We've been best friends since what? The 6th grade? I know it may not be that long for some people, but to me, it's like I've known you for my entire life. You can count me— just like I can count on you. Besides, this whole thing that we're doing is a great warm-up for me if I want to become an investigative journalist."

"I know you will make a name for yourself. It is what you always wanted."

"I'm gonna make it someday, Taly. And I know you will, too. We're going to change the world."

Talia noticed April's beanie was crooked, so she happily tilted it straight. "Yeah, I believe we will."

April smiled. The question was just when that day would come.

Half an hour later, the girls were one of the last few people stepping off at Grand Street Station. After finishing climbing up the steps, they ran down Grand Street, knowing they were near Chinatown's border. Just hundreds of steps later, they suddenly started seeing all the stores labeled in Chinese. To Talia, she believed that this was Chinatown's charm— making her feel that she traveled from one world to another just by crossing a couple of streets.

Talia had always wanted to visited Chinatown— it was one of the many reasons why she was so excited to move to New York City. It was amazing to her how because of the gold rush, many Chinese immigrants arrived to the United States. And despite the majority moving to California, some of them settled to the East Coast- specifically New York. From there, the Chinese Community were able to construct an entire neighborhood— a whole world apart within the Big Apple.

And it was not just Chinatown that amazed her. The other bordering neighborhoods— Tribeca, Little Italy, Civic Center, and Lower East Side— were each unique in their own right.

She and April went further down their trail, and everywhere they turned, there was always a market, bakery, noodle cafe, or an herbs & medicine shop. Rows of Chinese lanterns were strung from rustic fire escapes connected to brick apartment buildings built on top of small business shops. People were advertising all sorts of things for cheap prices from their stalls: homemade dim sum, spices, miniature lucky cat statues, and counterfeit items such as handbags and makeup.

"Last week, the police raided a shop that sold counterfeit luxury items," April whispered to Talia. "The makeup products had—get this— fecal matter."

Talia looked slightly horrified. When a peddler approached her with a catalog, she politely turned her down.

People chatted in different Chinese dialects, while others walked in and out of restaurants and souvenir stores. The heavenly blend of different scents coming from exotic spices, roasted dusk, fried rice, and steamed wontons were enough to induce Talia and April into a food coma.

"I now know why everyone loves coming here," April sighed dreamily.

"No one was kidding when they said 'the smell of Chinese cuisine would knock you off your feet'," Talia laughed. If given the opportunity to go to China, this was the experience she wanted to have. She had visited many countries over the years with her parents every time summer vacation rolled around, but China had yet to be scratched off the list. For a million of reasons, she found the culture captivating and one to be admired.

"How far are we from the factory?" April asked after a few more minutes of strolling aimlessly through the streets.

"It resides in the heart of Chinatown, along with several criminal strongholds," Talia explained. "If luck is on our side, we'll find someone who will give us the information we need."

"With a place this cluttered, it's easy for 'rumors' to spread."

The duo wandered further and further away from the lively marketplace. Soon, the streets became less astir, with the buoyant chitter-chatter fading to the sound of cats yowling near trash cans.

Bars, hotels, and brothels outnumbered quaint outlets. There was not much activity for now, but Talia and April knew that would not be the case in the next couple of hours. In front of an alleyway, Talia caught glimpse of a girl handing a wad of cash to a guy in exchange for what looked like a pill bottle. They appeared to be a few years older than her- probably no more than twenty. In comparison to the guy, who was dressed like he belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, the girl's wardrobe was all black. He had no problem showing his face; she did, as a baseball cap concealed the upper section of her head. Her ponytail was perfectly looped through the closure hole.

Talia had a feeling there was nothing legal about it, but she knew she would make things worse if she stepped in. As the girl turned away, Talia saw the intricate embroidery of a dragon designed on the back of her bomber jacket.

"There it is," April proclaimed, tugging Talia's sleeve to get her attention.

In front of them stood a wide building with a traditional Chinese roof— ceramic tiles layered one on top of the other with upturned eaves. For aesthetic purposes, more Chinese lanterns dangled from the red and yellow sign above, which read The Fortune Cookie Factory. It was also translated in Chinese characters just below it.

"Nothing about it screams 'criminal," Talia stated.

"Could be a front," April guessed. "Or unless you're a gangster and this is where you get the discount for some greasy fortune cookies."

Outside the place, a man was keeping himself busy by tidying the sidewalk up with a broom. An idea came into April's head.

"Let's go." April and Talia walked over to the man, who had no interest in talking to them, until April said:

"Excuse me, but I'm looking for someone who delivers envelopes of black sand," April spoke to the man in a low voice.

From there, the man stopped his task and darted his eyes back and forth. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"We can protect you," April promised. "We're informants."

"You look a little too young."

"Hey, the younger we look, the less suspicions we raise."

The man still did not buy it. "Show me some proof."

"If we did, that would blow our cover."

"I. . . suppose that makes sense. Okay, the person you're looking for is Mr. Jiang. He's inside and will tell you everything he knows. Now, go!"

"Did you make everything up as you went?" Talia said as she pushed open the door.

"It worked, didn't it?" April shrugged.

Inside was brightened with fluorescent lighting, with the floors emanating an odor that Talia thought was similar to Pine-Sol. The counters were greasy, and a bus boy wiped the tables and chairs clean. The walls were painted red with a wooden border; they would have been empty, had it not been for a couple of framed oil-painted landscapes and a calendar in Chinese. The girls could hear orders being barked from the kitchen.

Rows of custom fortune cookies were displayed behind a glass case on either side of the main counter. There was also a holed wooden dowel housing several plastic bags full of fortune cookies, a glass bowl filled to the brim with multiple colored chewing gum, and a tip jar.

"Maybe we should buy one?" April contemplated, surveilling the plastic-wrapped fortune cookie bundle. "So people think we actually came here for something."

Talia was about to answer her friend, but then an old man came from the back, dabbing his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Hello. How may I help you girls?" The wrinkles revealed themselves when he smiled. 

"Yes, hello. We are looking for Mr. Jiang," Talia said.

"We also would like to buy one of these, please," April pointed to the fortune cookie bag in her hand.

"I am Mr. Jiang," the old man disclosed. "And the bag will be $3.99."

Talia side-eyed April. April gave her the heads-up. "We were told that you could provide us with details. . ." Talia then murmured her next words, "about a certain black sand-filled envelope."

"No." Mr. Jiang whispered, staggering backwards. The color drained out of his face almost immediately. He looked like he was seconds away from having a heart attack.

"Where did you hear about that?" Mr. Jiang's voice was tinny.

"You've heard of it?" April said.

"Not here." Mr. Jiang shook his head. "Let's go outside."

Mr. Jiang led the girls out almost in a frantic manner. He led them to an alleyway near the factory and once he calmed himself down, asked, "I repeat: where did you hear about an envelope full of black sand?"

"My mother had it," Talia revealed. "Shortly after, I watched her be murdered. The police closed her case, but I couldn't. My friend and I's investigation led us here."

"You should have not pursued answers, child," Mr. Jiang tried all in his power not to shake. "You should have left it alone."

"Why? You know who did it?" April questioned.

Mr. Jiang felt his mouth go dry. "I cannot say."

"Mr. Jiang, please," Talia begged. All she needed was a name. "I have to find the person who murdered my mother. She deserves that much."

"Years ago, I witnessed a man open the same envelope like the one your mother received. Him and his buddies only laughed. Their laughter was drowned in blood and they knelt in pieces. It came out of the shadows."

"What came out of the shadows?" Deep down, Talia already knew, but she wanted to hear Mr. Jiang confirm it.

Mr. Jiang parted his hanfu waistcoat shirt. There was a tattoo designed on his chest. Talia and April's flesh crawled when they realized it was a ninja, wielding a katana.

"I should've died that night," Mr. Jiang recalled. His face was turning white again. "But by some miracle or curse, I survived."

"It was The Foot Clan, wasn't it?" Talia said darkly.

"Names hold power, child. All I will say is that no good will come out of this."

"But, Mr. Jiang-"

"Listen to me." Mr. Jiang grabbed Talia by her shoulders. Talia saw the first-level terror in his eyes. Whatever he had seen and went through that day, traumatized him for the rest of his life. The ominous tone of his voice provoked the chills within her. "They know everything. They see everything. Once they have you in their hands, you cannot bargain with them. You cannot reason with them. You want to know why? Because they are not human. They are demons sent straight from hell."