Chapter 28: Ashton Kutcher, You Can Come Out, Now! (Please come out!)
Syler walked out of the bathroom, lightly pressing a hand to his stomach. The worst had passed, but his pride had definitely taken a hit. 'That wrecked my insides and took way too long. No more ice cream before hanging out with friends,' he thought with a bitter smile. 'Elias is never going let me live this down,' he grumbled inwardly as he made his way back to the arcade.
When he returned, the place was as chaotic as ever. A couple of twelve-year-olds were yelling "get wrecked!" at each other, a random forty-something who looked like he hadn't showered since the year he moved into his mom's basement was dominating a POV shooter with near-perfect accuracy, and the goth teen cashier had returned—her bored expression made it clear she wanted to ditch her post, again. However, no matter where he looked he couldn't find Elias or Hans.
'Weird. Where'd they go?' he thought.
He approached the cashier at the back. At first, she looked irritated that someone was actually bothering her—until she saw his face. Her mood flipped instantly. She had a soft spot for boys with delicate features and that soft-boy aesthetic. A faint blush touched her cheeks, though the heavy makeup made it impossible for Syler to notice.
"Excuse me," he said, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
"What can I do for you?" she replied, trying to maintain a cool, detached tone. Her voice came out slightly higher and more polite than usual, despite her best efforts to sound casual.
Syler gulped. Honestly, her looks and attitude kind of intimidated him. She came off a little scary. The girl, who was secretly swooning on the inside, had no idea her first impression had completely backfired.
"Did you see two other guys around my age? One has almost-black hair and blue eyes. The other has brown hair and thick eyebrows. Both are pretty tall—one's around six feet, and the other's maybe six-two or six-three? Do you know where they went?" he asked carefully.
She furrowed her brow, trying to recall anyone like that. But when she came back from ditching her post twenty minutes ago, the only people she'd seen were the preteen screamers—and that unwashed middle-aged creep who arrived ten minutes later. No tall, cute teens.
"I don't remember anyone like that," she said after a few seconds.
Syler scratched his cheek in confusion. "Okay, thanks," he replied, turning toward the exit.
Her face fell. She'd hoped he would stick around. With a sigh of regret, she pulled out her phone and returned to zoning out through her work shift.
As Syler left the arcade, he pulled out his phone and dialed Elias's number. He pressed it to his ear and heard:
"Hey, this is Elias," came the familiar voice.
Syler frowned. "Where the heck did you guys go? You should've told me you were—"
"Just kidding! Gotcha! This is a voicemail. Leave a message and I'll get back to ya," the rest of the recording cut in.
Syler's eye twitched as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He pulled the phone away and muttered, "This kind of voicemail belongs in a special place in hell."
He tried sending a text, but after over a minute, it still hadn't been delivered. He tried again. Same result. "The heck?" he mumbled, then redialed—but this time it went straight to voicemail.
An uneasy feeling crept into his chest.
He took off running, weaving through the crowd as he frantically scanned the mall. With one hand gripping his phone and the other swinging for balance, he continued redialing Elias's number. Every time the voicemail picked up, it sent a jolt of dread through his spine. His heart pounded louder and louder in his ears. His breaths came quick and shallow.
"Elias! Answer your damn phone!" he shouted into the receiver, voice cracking with panic.
He didn't even register the people he bumped into—ignoring the glares and confused looks. For once, he didn't care what others thought. His brain was consumed by fear.
Then—finally—he spotted a familiar figure far ahead, emerging from the hallway where he'd used the restroom earlier: Hans.
But something was off.
Was that a different outfit? His posture seemed stiffer, his expression far more irritable and cold than before. And Elias was nowhere in sight.
'Did they get in a fight? Or maybe something happened, and they had to change clothes?' Syler wondered.
He was just about to call out—when he froze.
Kevin was approaching from the opposite direction, storming over with a furious expression. He grabbed Hans by the collar and dragged him back into the hallway without even noticing Syler standing just meters away.
Syler's body tensed. Kevin's presence made him tremble, but he swallowed his fear and crept toward the hallway entrance. Peering around the corner, he watched in shock as Kevin threw Hans to the ground.
"What the hell?" Hans grunted, wincing from the impact. He looked up at the looming figure above him. "What's your problem? Was dragging me into that whole mess with the unlucky kid not enough for you? My dad's already making my life hell thanks to you. Don't think I won't fight back," he growled.
Kevin's fist smashed into his face.
Syler flinched.
"You feel brave, huh? Think you can threaten me and walk away?" Kevin snarled. "You really think knowing a few of my secrets means I won't touch you? I don't take threats lightly."
'He actually threatened Kevin?' Syler blinked. 'Brave guy.'
But something didn't add up.
This Hans was completely different from the one Syler had gotten to know over the past few days.
Hans wiped blood from his lip, cupping his sore cheek. "What are you talking about? When did I ever threaten you? I barely even know you. How could I know any of your secrets? I haven't seen you since I tried throwing milk at that kid. Are you still mad about that? I said it was an accident. I'm sorry, okay?!"
Kevin gritted his teeth and punched him again.
"Don't act like you weren't at school three days ago threatening me," he hissed, raising his fist again.
Hans shielded his face. "Wait! Wait! What the hell are you talking about? My dad transferred me to another school that same day! I couldn't have seen you after that! Besides, I wouldn't have the guts to threaten you!"
To most people, it would have sounded like a weak excuse. But to Syler, those words hit like a switch flipping in his brain.
It all clicked.
Shivers ran down his spine.
Just as Kevin cocked his arm for another punch, a hand shot out and grabbed Hans by the collar. Kevin turned—and his eyes widened as he saw Syler.
For the first time, Syler was glaring at him with an expression Kevin had never seen before.
"What are you—"
"Shut up! I need to talk to him," Syler snapped, his voice sharp and cold.
Kevin blinked in surprise. For once, he actually shut up. Was this really his pushover older brother?
Syler yanked Hans upright. "You! We were just hanging out. What happened? Where is Elias?" he demanded, eyes like ice as he searched Hans, studying every micro shift in his face, for answers.
Hans looked like he was about to cry. Why was everyone manhandling him, accusing him of things he didn't do, and asking him questions he didn't understand? 'Am I being punked?!' he couldn't help thinking.
"Answer me," he heard Syler say, interrupting his thoughts.
He turned his attention to Syler's prickly gaze. For some reason, it reminded him a little of Kevin's intimidating stare. But he quickly brushed the thought aside. The two looked nothing alike—one was small and delicate, with brown hair and freckles, while the other was built like a fridge, with short blond hair and piercing blue eyes.
Why did he even think that?
"Look, I don't even know who you are," Hans complained. He didn't remember Syler being at the cafeteria that day—his memories were completely overshadowed by Elias and Kevin.
"And by Elias, do you mean that bad luck kid? Why would I hang out with him?" Hans grumbled, trying to pry Syler's surprisingly strong grip off his collar. He failed miserably. 'What the hell? Why is this twink boy so strong?' he groaned inwardly, resigning himself to his fate.
Syler's breath hitched as his fears were confirmed. He let go of Hans, letting him drop onto his back, then turned and walked away without a word.
"Dad, I take it back. I'm sorry. I won't complain about the new school anymore," Hans whimpered from the cold tile floor, eyes brimming with tears as he watched Syler walk off—with Kevin trailing close behind. "The people at that other school are insane!"
Syler rushed out, pulling out his phone to call 911. But he hesitated. What was he supposed to say? That his friend might've been kidnapped by a hardened criminal disguised as a high schooler? Would they even take that seriously? He didn't even know what the fake Hans actually looked like.
His thoughts were interrupted when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.
Kevin had caught up to him.
"You—what was that just now—" Kevin started to ask, irritated, but Syler yanked his arm free. His glare returned, sharp and cold.
Kevin froze. That expression—he'd never seen it on Syler's face, not even after all the times he'd hurt him.
"I don't have time to care about you or your antics right now, Kevin. Leave me alone," Syler growled through gritted teeth. "Elias's life might be in danger, so get the hell out of my way."
He turned and walked off, swift and determined, leaving Kevin behind with a complicated expression on his face. Kevin didn't stop him—he just watched as Syler disappeared into the crowd.
Just as Syler was about to hit the call button, a crisp voice called his name.
"SYLER!"
He turned to see a red-faced Eve running toward him, with a solemn-looking Principal Kim following closely behind.
"P-Please," Eve gasped between breaths, "please tell me Elias isn't with that Hans guy!"
Tears welled in her eyes as she grabbed Syler's arm desperately. Her hair was a mess, slipping from its earlier neat ponytail.
Guilt slammed into Syler's chest.
'It's all my fault,' he thought, heart pounding so loud it drowned everything else out.
"I'm sorry. I left to use the restroom… they were gone when I got back. I-I think Elias was kidnapped," he stammered, his voice shaking, his eyes reddening. The self-blame gnawed at him like a thousand tiny ants.
"Miss Kim, we got here too late!" Eve sobbed, turning to the only adult she trusted.
Miss Kim's frown deepened.
"Both of you, calm down. We'll figure this out, okay?" Her voice was firm but reassuring. She turned to Syler.
"Where and when did you last see Elias?" she asked.
"T-The arcade. About thirty to forty minutes ago," he answered.
"Got it. Have you called the police yet?" she asked, already pulling out her phone.
"I was just about to," Syler said, wringing his hands, trying to calm his breathing.
Miss Kim placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Mr. Fenley, look at me."
Syler blinked up at her through tears.
"I'll make the call. Elias will be okay. This isn't your fault—it's mine. As principal, I should've realized someone was impersonating one of our former students. But you noticed something was wrong when everyone else missed it. Thank you."
She gave his shoulder a firm squeeze.
"Go back to the arcade. Look around and see if anything jogs your memory. Here." She handed him a business card. "Call me if you find anything. Go."
Before he could respond, she gently pushed him in the direction of the arcade.
Then, she dialed and held her phone to her ear. At the same time, a surge of bronze-tier energy swept invisibly through the mall, her aura scanning everything in a wide radius.
The line picked up after two rings.
"This is Police Chief Diaz," came the voice on the other end.
"Mrs. Diaz, it's me, Choi Kim," Miss Kim said briskly. "One of my students may have been kidnapped by someone impersonating another student. You should know him well. I believe Elias Graves is in danger."
Chief Diaz's tone shifted. "Tell me everything."
Of course she remembered Elias. The kid called the station nearly every week to ask about his parents. And after his recent run-in with a violent criminal whose body and file had been stolen by a disguised madman—how could anyone forget?
Chief Diaz switched to speaker mode and signaled nearby officers to listen in.
As Miss Kim explained, Eve squatted on the ground, wiped her tears, and pulled her laptop from her bag. As she opened it, a cartoon white cat pranced across the screen, batting at a digital yarn ball.
"Oh, Eve!" it chirped. The cat sat up, blinking at her. "Why is Eve sad?"
"Milk, playtime's over. Elias has been kidnapped," she said quickly, not bothering with her usual banter. "I need you to hack into the mall's security system. Look for Elias and anyone suspicious—anyone pushing or carrying something big enough to hold a person. Start around forty to forty-five minutes ago. Prioritize tall males, over six feet. If they've left, tap into the city cams and track them."
The cartoon cat froze, fur puffed up in shock.
"Elias was kidnapped?!" it squeaked. "Don't worry, Eve! Milk is on duty!" It gave a sharp salute before the screen transformed into cascading code. A small cat-shaped loading bar appeared at the bottom.
Eve stared at the screen, eyes burning, her hands clenched tightly around the laptop.
'No one takes Elias from me and gets away with it.'
Meanwhile, Syler combed through the arcade for clues. He didn't notice the cashier watching him with dreamy eyes, sighing quietly at the sight of the cute boy returning to the scene.
Then his phone rang.
He picked it up without checking. "Elias?!"
"Eh? Elias? Do I sound like Elias to you?" teased a familiar voice. It was Mina.
Before he could answer, she laughed, "I got back here early as a surprise and called you despite my jetlag, and the first thing you do is mistake me for that guy? Shame on you, Sy."
"Mina!" Syler interrupted sharply.
She blinked. He never raised his voice at her. Ever.
"Huh?" she said, confused. "Syler?"
"Mina…" his voice cracked. "Elias got kidnapped. I—it's my fault. If I hadn't left him alone with that guy… If I hadn't gotten that ice cream… No—if I had just said something about my suspicions, even if I looked crazy, maybe this wouldn't have happened!"
The guilt poured out of him uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. Behind the counter, the cashier's eyes widened in alarm as she scrambled around, searching for tissues.
"Wait—Elias was kidnapped?!" Mina snapped. Her aura flared, iron-tier energy crackling beneath the surface. It was a good thing she was alone in her apartment—anyone nearby would've struggled to breathe under the pressure.
"Calm down, Sy! None of this is your fault. Just breathe and tell me what happened."
But in her mind, fury burned.
'Whoever took Elias… and made my Sy cry… you're about to learn what happens when you mess with the former genius of the Takayama family's friends.'
Somewhere out there, Chameleon was blissfully unaware that he'd just earned the wrath of two Awakened—and a sister willing to commit a felony to find her twin brother.