That night, Kealin couldn't sleep as he wondered why April would do such a thing. The revelation that someone he considered a friend could be behind the disappearances of his classmates weighed heavily on his mind. He had collected the mana traces but just left them there, and since only those with supernatural abilities could see this evidence, it wasn't a problem for ordinary people to notice anything unusual.
"Chronos, what do you think I should do?" Kealin asked, rolling over in his bed. Chronos had helped Kealin out a lot lately, so whenever there was a problem, he would turn to his AI companion for advice.
"I believe we should monitor her from a distance," Chronos answered seriously. "Dream weavers are cunning, so if we act rashly, we may end up becoming her victims."
"But I still don't get why she would do something like that," Kealin said, frustration evident in his voice.
"Well, based on the information we have, it seems she's only targeting those with huge mana output," Chronos explained logically. "Her victims all showed exceptionally high levels of supernatural energy."
"And if I'm correct, her next target should be the yellow-haired girl. What was her name... ah..."
"Lena," Chronos supplied helpfully.
Kealin jolted out of his bed as he realized how dire the situation was. He had grown so close to Max and Lena over the past few weeks, and he wasn't going to let anyone harm them—even if it was April. The thought of losing his friends was unbearable.
The next day, Kealin got out of bed early, which surprised MJ greatly.
"Kea, aren't you gonna wait for breakfast?" MJ called out, but Kealin had already left the house, his backpack slung over his shoulder as he rushed out the door.
"Kids these days," MJ muttered, shaking his head as he watched his nephew disappear down the street.
******
Kealin ran through the crowded sidewalks, weaving between pedestrians with urgent determination. April could make her move anytime, and the teenager couldn't bear the thought of his friends getting hurt. He had to stop her before it was too late.
While running through the school's hallway, Kealin noticed how quiet it was compared to the usual morning chaos. As he headed for his class, he heard voices coming from within his classroom and suddenly—
"Ahhh!"
He heard a scream that caused his anxiety to skyrocket. Without thinking, he kicked the door open and rushed into the class, fully prepared for a fight, only to see Lena and April giggling while watching a video on their phone.
"Huh, Kealin?" Lena turned around and saw Kealin standing in front of the classroom door, breathing heavily and looking ready for battle.
"Whoa, someone's here early," April said, acting a little surprised by his dramatic entrance.
"Master, I wasn't a hundred percent sure back then, but I'm now certain—she's the dream weaver," Chronos confirmed in his head.
"Well, since you're here early, why don't you join us? April found the most ridiculous epic fail compilation ever," Lena said, offering Kealin a seat next to them.
"I think I'll pass," he replied, still eyeing April suspiciously.
"It's best we watch from a distance. Dream weavers can alter thoughts," Chronos warned him.
After some time, the whole school was filled with students, and even Max had arrived.
"Buenos días!" Max greeted in Spanish, his cheerful voice echoing through the hallway.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind him with a smile.
"Did you say something, Max?" Miss Vanessa asked with her fist raised in the air, having overheard his greeting.
"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!" Max shouted quickly, switching to English and causing the whole class to burst into laughter.
That's when Kealin noticed that when looking at Miss Vanessa, there was nothing particularly funny about her. She wore a wig that looked slightly too perfect, and had those huge fake eyelashes that seemed to flutter with every blink. She wore a white long-sleeve t-shirt that was tucked into tight brown trousers, showing off her athletic figure.
"Mr. Thompson, I believe my eyes are up here, or is there something you want to say?" Unconsciously, Kealin had been staring at Miss Vanessa's chest, completely missing her sarcastic comment.
Miss Vanessa then left her seat and walked up to him with measured steps, her heels clicking ominously against the floor.
"I asked you a question, Mr. Thompson. Is there something you want to say?" she repeated, her voice carrying that dangerous edge that all students recognized.
"No, ma'am," Kealin answered quickly, snapping out of his daze.
"Good," she said, but her eyes remained narrowed as she returned to her desk.
"I heard she used to be a hockey player," one student whispered.
"I heard her first boyfriend lost a tooth," another added.
After hearing the whispers, Kealin was glad that he hadn't provoked Miss Vanessa further. He could have ended up in serious trouble—or worse.
"Who knows, maybe I could have gone home with one eye," Kealin thought to himself, shuddering at the possibility.
Just as the lesson was about to begin, two cops walked into the classroom, their presence immediately silencing the chattering students.
"Max Lucas, Lena Rose," one of the cops said, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
After hearing their names, both Max and Lena stood up, confusion evident on their faces.
"We'd like to ask you two a few questions. You'll be following us to the station," the officer continued, his expression grim.
After hearing these words, Kealin's face immediately turned pale as the realization hit him like a punch to the gut.
"April's already made her move," he thought desperately, his heart racing as he watched his friends being led away by the authorities.