Chapter 32: Enjoy My Service as Your Personal Chef, Waiter, and Captor
Over at the hospital, Mina found herself in one of the most nerve-wracking situations she'd ever experienced. Syler was currently asleep in a hospital bed, a drip attached to his arm. The doctor had told her he'd passed out from dehydration and extreme stress. For now, he would remain hospitalized until he regained consciousness.
However, what truly had Mina on edge wasn't Syler's condition—it was the plump older woman sitting quietly nearby, watching her intently. Syler's grandmother.
Mina had always hoped to meet Syler's family someday, but this felt too sudden. She hadn't had any time to prepare, mentally or physically. She'd been on a plane all day, hadn't showered, and couldn't help but discreetly sniff her shirt. Did she smell? She really hoped not. Anxiously, she tugged at her bangs with her fingertips, feeling the woman's scrutinizing gaze weigh on her.
The soft beeping of the monitors was the only thing keeping the room from complete silence.
"So, you're Syler's friend," the woman finally said, breaking the tension. Zora hadn't had a chance to greet Mina earlier, too preoccupied with worry over her grandson. Now that things had calmed slightly, her curiosity kicked in. This must be the girl Syler had mentioned before. She had never met any of his friends, so she was quietly excited.
"H—yes! I'm Mina Takayama. Nice to meet you!" Mina replied with a hurried bow, nearly slipping into her native tongue from nerves.
Zora chuckled as she watched the girl stammer and flush bright red. "Ah, so you're Mina," she said with a gentle twinkle in her eye. "No need to be nervous, dear. I'm just curious about Syler's friends. He's never brought anyone home before. I've only heard a few stories. I believe he was supposed to meet up with that Elias boy? Did he make it home?"
Mina bit her lip. "No, he didn't. He... he went missing while he and Syler were hanging out. Someone kidnapped him. I think Syler blames himself for what happened. That's probably why he ended up like this. The police are still searching for him," she said bitterly.
'If only I'd gotten back sooner. Maybe I could've stopped all this... and Sy wouldn't be crying', she thought, rubbing her eyes.
Zora's face fell. "Oh my," she said in horror, turning her eyes to her sleeping grandson. Even in rest, his brows were furrowed, and tear streaks were still visible on his cheeks.
"So that's what happened..." Zora murmured, her voice heavy with regret. She had assumed all the stress from his family situation had finally worn him down. To think something so terrible had happened to his best friend...
While she had never met Elias, she'd heard about him for years, Syler talked about him often. Elias was his closest friend. Still, Syler never let his friends visit his home. Zora knew it wasn't because he was ashamed of her—he was ashamed of his origins. He feared that if his friends learned the truth, they would see him differently.
Her heart ached.
"I'm so sorry to hear about Elias. I'll pray for his safety," she said, clutching the crucifix around her neck. Then she looked back at Mina.
"And you, child… thank you for staying by my grandson's side, even so late. You're a very good girl," she said warmly, offering a gentle, sincere smile.
Mina swallowed hard and cleared her throat, trying to hide her discomfort. As the black sheep of her own family, hearing someone call her a good girl felt strange, almost laughable. If her relatives had been there, they would've scoffed. She wasn't a good girl. Not in their eyes.
But she didn't have the heart to correct the old woman.
"Thank you," she said softly, digging her fingers into her thighs.
"So… are Syler's parents working? Or are they coming by later?" she asked, hoping to shift the conversation.
Zora's smile faded.
Panic prickled in Mina's chest.
'Ugh, stupid! Of course that's a sensitive topic. Syler's never talked about his parents. Why would I bring it up?'
She wanted to sink into the floor. She knew better than most that not every family situation was neat.
"That's… something my grandson finds hard to talk about," Zora said gently. "If he hasn't told you, then it's not my place. Maybe one day he'll feel ready."
She reached over, brushing Syler's bangs aside and gently caressing his forehead.
"But please… be patient with him. He doesn't have much family to lean on—just me. And he carries more insecurities and doubts than he lets on." Her voice softened with worry. "He's far too hard on himself." Zora patted Mina's hand.
"It would bring me great comfort if he learned to lean on more people."
Mina nodded, squeezing Zora's wrinkled hand. "I'll definitely be there for him. And when Elias comes back, he will too!"
Zora smiled and rubbed Mina's hand, her gaze returning to her sleeping grandson.
Mina rose from her seat. "I have a few things to take care of. I'll probably come back later."
Zora waved her off. "It's alright. I'm here. Do what you need to, especially this late."
Mina bowed slightly. "It was truly nice to meet you." Then she turned and left the room.
Outside the hospital, she walked down the hallway, then stepped through the exit doors. Once outside, she leaped high into the air, grabbed the ledge of a nearby two-story building, and flipped onto its roof with ease. She sprinted across the rooftop and leapt to the next one, the wind whistling past her ears, city lights stretching in a blur beneath her.
She was headed for the mall, the place where Elias had disappeared. It was long since closed, but she slipped inside undetected and made her way to the arcade.
Once there, she activated her heightened senses—channeling energy into her nose and eyes—and began scanning the area. She sniffed the air, searching for Elias's familiar scent, but the place reeked of sweat, spilled food and drinks, and rubber.
Her eyes locked onto a faint yellow powder on the floor. She crouched, touched it with her finger, and then licked it. A faint, familiar floral taste bloomed on her tongue.
Her expression darkened.
"Shit," she muttered under her breath.
She knew what this was: Mirage Pollen.
It came from an awakened plant known as the Mirage Vine. It was a rare vine species capable of concealing its presence from most people. Its pollen from its flowers were just as elusive, able to mask the scent of anyone who used it. Mina only knew about it because her grandfather kept one in his private garden.
Between the ages of five and eight, she developed a habit of provoking him by biting or eating his plants whenever she felt ignored or thought he'd treated her unfairly. Then, without missing a beat, she'd blame the damage on yard rodents.
The habit earned her more than a few punishments, but over time, she became familiar with the taste of many of those plants—including Mirage Pollen.
The enemy knew exactly what they were doing.
They understood her abilities, like just how dangerously sharp her senses were. They knew she was a sensory-focused awakened. Whoever these enemies were, they had a strong intelligence network.
And the people who took Elias had accounted for the possibility she might interfere.
They'd used something as rare and expensive as Mirage Pollen… just to throw her off.
They were cautious and extremely prepared.
"This person has connections to the awakened world," she muttered in frustration. Just how had her friend, a normal civilian, gotten involved with people like this?
What were they after? Could it have something to do with his parents?
Mina couldn't make sense of it. She'd been around Elias for three years. Sure, he had abnormal luck, but he was just a regular civilian. His family seemed normal enough, aside from his twin sister. Mina had already noticed Aegis making moves to bring Eve into their ranks. As far as she could tell, his parents weren't registered awakeners. It was rare, but not impossible, for ordinary parents to have an awakened child.
She knew Elias had an older brother, but she'd never met him. Whether he was awakened or not was anyone's guess.
Awakener or not, the kidnapper had someone with power backing them.
"Even if there is an awakener, I'm not afraid of any of you," she growled through gritted teeth as she turned and stormed away.
A flicker of light flashed inside the arcade, a flashlight beam sweeping across the dark interior. A security guard scratched his head, scanning the room through the locked doors. All he saw were the glowing, flickering lights of the machines.
"Could've sworn I heard something," he muttered with a shrug. "Maybe one of the games made the sound."
He shrugged again and continued his patrol.
The mall's security never realized anyone had been there.
Mina was already outside, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, her clothes and hair billowing with each jump. Her eyes were fierce, her form blurring into the night.
She would have to find another way to track Elias. It infuriated her that the enemy was already several steps ahead. She needed answers.
—-
Meanwhile, Elias was finally waking up. His heavy eyelids trembled as he struggled to open them. A dull throb pounded in his head, each pulse making him wince. He instinctively tried to rub his forehead, only to realize his hands were tied behind his back.
The ground beneath him was cold, damp soil. As his vision adjusted, he realized he was lying in front of a campfire. The flickering light stung his eyes after hours of unconsciousness. Blinking against the brightness, he scanned his surroundings. The sky above was crowded with stars—far more than he was used to seeing—and the area was encircled by tall, looming trees. He could hear the steady chirping of crickets. It was already nighttime.
Tears welled in Elias's eyes as a surge of anger, bitterness, and dread swelled in his chest. If his hands weren't tied, he would've punched something. He had let his guard down—again. For the same person! He'd fallen for the same trick twice. What was the point of raising his Intelligence and Wisdom stats if he still got fooled?
He had even offered to be that man's friend. What a huge joke. He was probably laughing as his victim walked straight into the trap, right? Elias bit his lip and blinked back his tears.
Now wasn't the time for regrets, he needed to assess his situation and figure out a way to escape. He could hate himself later. For now, he needed to get out.
Elias groaned as he tried to sit up, failing the first time. His body still felt sluggish, foreign. When he finally managed to prop himself upright, a voice called out:
"Oh, so you're finally awake. Had me worried there for a while. Thought I accidentally overdosed you on tranquilizers."
A laugh echoed through the clearing.
Elias turned sharply toward the voice, his body freezing. Chameleon emerged from the trees, casually carrying a large, bloodied, pig slung over one shoulder, muffling his laughter with the other hand.
"Just in time too," Chameleon added with a toothy grin, his overly cheerful tone clashing with the grimness of the situation. "I caught us some dinner."
Elias glared at him, rage and resentment simmering in his eyes.
"Ooh, really scary glare you've got there," Chameleon mocked coolly as he set the pig down and began butchering it on the spot, completely unfazed by the blood splattering onto him.
Elias shivered as he watched Chameleon methodically carve up the animal, a faint smile playing on his lips. It felt like a silent warning: Don't try anything stupid.
"Heh, as long as you don't try to escape, you'll probably get a night or two to enjoy the beautiful sky one last time," Chameleon said casually, as if discussing the weather, while finishing the butchering. "I'll even cook you some great meals over the next couple of days…kind of like a last supper. I once posed as a professional chef during an assignment and got pretty good at it. Consider this my last bit of kindness."
Elias's lips trembled. He didn't want to cry in front of this man, but despair was quickly overwhelming his control.
"Are you planning to kill me?" he asked, his voice cracking.
Chameleon stared into Elias's eyes for a few moments.
"No. I need you alive for my assignment to be considered successful. But once you're handed over to my boss… you'll likely die," he said bluntly. He didn't really understand why he was even being patient enough to answer the kid's questions.
"Why? Why do I need to die?" Elias asked, his voice even rawer with fear and helplessness. A tear slipped down his cheek despite his efforts to stop it.
Chameleon paused as he prepared skewers for the meat, his brows briefly furrowing. Was he getting affected by this kid's emotions?
'No way.'
He relaxed his expression and continued threading the chunks of meat onto skewers, seasoning each one with practiced care. The air grew thick with the scent of spices.
"Because the boss wants you dead," he said simply. "You most likely have something he wants. And even if you don't, you'll still die. I'm not clear on their relationship, but Jackal, the man I partnered with before, was very valued by my boss. You didn't kill Jackal directly, but your involvement led to his death. As far as my boss is concerned, that makes you just as guilty."
He placed the skewers over the fire, watching the flames catch.
Elias's heart sank as he processed everything. So this wasn't something he could talk his way out of. He hesitated before asking more questions. The man was being surprisingly honest, but probably only because he already saw Elias as a dead man.
"So, you're obviously not Hans. Who are you?" Elias asked cautiously.
Chameleon winked. "You don't say… People know me as Chameleon. Nice to finally talk to you as myself," he said cheerfully, like a salesman greeting a regular customer rather than a kidnapper addressing his victim.
His casual tone made Elias's skin crawl. There was something deeply wrong about how cheerful he sounded.
Still, Elias pressed on. "Was the whole thing an act?"
Surprisingly, Chameleon didn't answer right away.
"A good lie always has a bit of truth, kid. If I'd grown up in circumstances like yours, I think I would've liked you. But life's a ruthless son of a bitch," Chameleon said, his voice more honest than Elias expected. After all, he had no plans of letting Elias escape.
A jolt of fury ran through Elias's chest. "Why? If you like me, why do you have to follow your boss's orders?" he snapped, rage and disbelief bubbling over. "Why not make your own choices?!"
"Oh ho ho! Angry, are we?" Chameleon sneered, nearly laughing in frustration. "Listen, kid! Unlike cushy brats like you, people like me don't get the luxury of choice. Disobeying orders means death where I come from. No matter how much I might like you, I'm not throwing my life away."
His cheerful smile suddenly vanished. Elias's breath hitched at the abrupt shift—the air around them felt like it dropped ten degrees. Chameleon's eyes gleamed with undisguised hostility, stirring the same gut-deep terror Elias had felt toward Jackal. Reminding him once, again. This man wasn't his friend.
However, Chameleon quickly composed himself, appearing completely back to normal.
But without warning, he snatched the skewers from the fire and jabbed one toward Elias, shoving a steaming, hot piece of meat into his mouth without the slightest hint of gentleness. The heat scalded Elias's tongue, and he gagged and coughed, nearly choking as he spit it out.
Chameleon watched with frigid indifference.
"Seriously, kid," he said, turning back to the fire, "the place I grew up in? It's hell on earth. You're my ticket out. It's nothing personal, it's just survival."
Tears streamed from Elias's reddened eyes as he coughed. He didn't dare ask Chameleon any more questions that night. The only sounds that remained between the two were the crackling of the fire and the steady chirping of crickets.