NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

"Kyle?!" he screeched, only to have the rest of his words muffled by Kyle's hand.

"Sssssh," Kyle said, "Your parents are asleep, you know."

"But - why - how ..." Ali stammered, then looked aghast at his smashed phone at his feet. Dang, another one bites the dust.

Kyle didn't answer, but walked over to the balcony railings again and waited until Ali came to stand beside him. Ali just stared at Kyle curiously, his mind not fully processing yet that Kyle was right there.

The moment Kyle started talking, Ali's brain went into overdrive.

?.?.?.?

It had been several minutes since Kyle stopped talking. During the entire time, Ali had kept silent. He was slowly processing the multitude of information that seemed to overload his brain.

MIB. Team Zero's true capabilities. Randall. Kyle leaving.

One after another, as the bombshell dropped, Ali literally felt like the floor beneath him had opened up and he had fallen through. He still felt like he was falling.

He stood next to Kyle, not looking at him but towards the horizon. The sky was dark, the night was silent save for the sounds of the guard walking below and the occasional sounds of cars zooming by.

"Do the others know?" Ali finally asked, his face not showing any expression.

"Yes," Kyle answered simply.

"So, again, I am the last to know?" Ali said, unable to let the bitterness out of his voice.

"It's not intentional, Ali," Kyle said, trying to explain.

"I know it's not, but it doesn't make me feel any better," Ali replied with a sigh, "I'm not blaming you. Really."

Ali continued to look into the distance, not sparing a glance at Kyle at all.

"It's just that among the four of us guys, it seems as if I'm the only odd-one out. Sam is your PA so it's natural that he knows. Xing Han is your BFF, so well, duh. Of course, he would know. As for me?"

Ali looked at Kyle in the eye, "Where do I fit in this Elite Five of ours? I know I'm like a brother, but the others have their own unique identities to you other than just being part of the Elite Five."

"I will always be the last to find out because it's the natural order of things. I feel like I'm a part of you guys but yet, am not," Ali said, "It's frustrating. It's also equally annoying that there's nothing wrong with it and it's nobody's fault but I still can't help but feel left out!"

Kyle didn't have an answer to that.

"In my heart, you are one of my brothers," Kyle said slowly, "From the moment you risked your life to save Kay, I swore to myself that I'd do anything for you."

"But I also understand what you're saying, Ali. It's never been something planned, nor was I ever consciously shutting you out. These were secrets that I held since young and it wasn't something I could just casually bring out."

"At first, I didn't want to tell any one of you as it's my burden, my secret," Kyle said, "It's a life of mine that no one is privy to."

"Slowly, that changed and I wanted to tell but there didn't seem to be the right time. It just got harder and harder to find the opportune time," Kyle tried to explain.

"It wasn't that I didn't trust you. Despite how it looks like. I can't explain it."

Ali kept quiet, "I know. I can't either. I need time to process this. Perhaps you leaving is the best for all of us."

In his Faith, it is believed that everything that you encounter is for a specific reason and it is always for growth. The hurdles are there for you to overcome and grow, improve. It depends entirely on how you react to the situation that is important.

Ali could wallow in anger and resentment towards Kyle for what he was going to do, or, he could use this chance to forge a path for himself. Kyle (and the Elite Five) always had his back so he was rather complacent.

"For the first time, the Elite Five is going to be broken," Ali said softly.

"No," Kyle disagreed, "Apart, but not broken."

"Do you think our bond will never break?" Ali asked.

Kyle looked at him, and said, "All I can say is, I hope not. I have faith in all of the Elite Five in that no external factor can ever come between us."

Kyle clenched his hands together tightly, "It is only us who can break us apart."

"The human heart is fragile and the mind is weak. This separation will truly test all of us," Kyle said softly.

Ali nodded, agreeing, "May God Help us all."