Chapter 37: The Moment She Found Her Bride
Outside the police station, a girl with short black hair lingered with hesitation. It was Mina. She had been standing out here for a solid hour, after visiting Syler in the hospital.
He'd looked awful. She and his grandmother had done their best to comfort him, but his spiraling thoughts weren't easy to stop. Mina doubted he'd truly recover until Elias was standing in front of him again, alive and well.
It broke her heart to see such a sweet boy unravel in self-hatred. Syler had always struggled with fragile self-esteem and a strong tendency toward self-blame. If only he knew how much he truly meant to her and Elias.
Back when her own life was falling apart—when her grandfather tried to force her into a political marriage and her father's betrayals kept piling up—she'd fled to the States to clear her head, to escape it all. And in that dark, uncertain time, Syler had been the light that illuminated her world.
Though she was underage, she was already a registered awakener by the age of twelve. Thanks to Aegis laws, that status came with special privileges from governments around the world. She didn't need to worry about passports or visas; every country was eager to welcome powerful awakeners.
Awakeners received benefits far beyond those of normal citizens, in exchange for occasionally assisting with things governments couldn't handle: awakened criminals, rampaging magical beasts or plants, or supernatural phenomena even regular priests and shamans couldn't resolve.
But under Aegis's strict regulations, those were the only areas where Awakeners could be legally deployed. Governments weren't allowed to use them for political gain or war. Their existence was meant to remain confidential to the general public.
Awakeners themselves were also heavily regulated. Anyone who abused their power would be marked rogue and either hunted down or forced to stand trial. Still, most agreed: the privileges far outweighed those of the average person.
So, when she entered the States at thirteen, the government welcomed her with open arms. They didn't care that she was still a child, only that she was a powerful and talented awakener.
She ended up in Everett Falls and enrolled herself in Everett Private Academy for the 7th grade. Even if she was running away, she refused to fall behind in her education.
Though it was a mundane school, she still looked down on regular humans and kept to herself. Even when other students tried to befriend her, she remained mostly indifferent. But that didn't dampen her popularity. She was a smart, foreign beauty, and everything about her demeanor screamed "wealthy, refined young lady." For shallow, curious teenagers, that alone was enough to keep her surrounded by attention, even if they knew nothing else about her.
She didn't particularly like them, but her upbringing demanded a baseline of courtesy. Her reserved attitude came off as "cool and collected," so no one seemed to mind her quiet nature.
Since she mostly kept to herself, she rarely paid attention to anything else. The only mildly interesting thing she occasionally overheard were students complaining about the local "bad luck charm," Elias Graves. Whenever he was around, someone always seemed to get injured or suffer misfortunes. Classmates would often vent about it in front of her. And because she showed a flicker of interest in their stories, they started bringing up the rumors more frequently, each time more exaggerated than the last. It became her secret guilty pleasure to listen to.
After about two weeks, she finally saw the infamous boy for herself. He was tall for his age, with dark hair, striking gray-blue eyes, and a face growing more handsome as the last traces of baby fat faded. Mina acknowledged his looks but didn't care much. Once someone awakened, their body and appearance naturally optimized. Unless you'd been completely hideous beforehand, you could easily end up plain, attractive, or even beautiful. So, handsome faces weren't rare.
What caught her attention wasn't his appearance. It was the fact that, despite being avoided, he didn't carry the gloom or bitterness she expected from someone so isolated. That intrigued her. Did he really have that much confidence to keep his head high and keep smiling?
Then she noticed he wasn't entirely alone. Two others were usually by his side. Maybe that's where his strength came from.
There was a girl who looked similar to him, his twin, as Mina eventually learned and a much smaller boy, with soft hair, big brown eyes, and a lightly freckled, adorable face. Mina had always liked cute things, and this boy hit all the right notes for her "kawaii" aesthetic.
Still, while she understood why Elias's sister stuck close, she was family, she didn't get why the other boy stayed with Elias despite his bad reputation. As someone from awakened society, Mina knew luck was a real phenomenon, even if difficult to measure. She understood that Elias's "luck" wasn't just rumors or superstition.
But rather than doubt the other boy, she felt impressed. It said a lot about someone if they could remain loyal under social pressure. She admired that kind of strength. And deep down, she envied Elias for having someone like that, someone who genuinely cared.
That quiet display of friendship stirred something bitter inside her. It reminded her of her own family, of how they constantly dismissed her feelings and clung to rules and traditions instead of showing care. The two men she missed most hadn't even bothered to call since she left. Her grandfather and father hadn't shown the slightest concern.
After a month in Everett Falls, the silence became impossible to ignore. Aside from her mother and Kaito, no one had checked in. No demands for her return. No lectures. Nothing.
Did they really not care? Was their indifference so deep they couldn't even be bothered if she was gone?
Back then, she still clung to a sliver of hope until she came to a harsh, devastating realization: no matter how rebellious she acted or how many tantrums she threw, neither her father nor grandfather would come looking for her.
For a girl who still longed for their love, that truth shattered her. Why had she come all the way out here? To a place where she knew no one, felt isolated, struggled with a foreign culture, and had no comfort from home or her mother—only to be completely and utterly ignored by the people she needed most to care? Why?
After that bitter realization, Mina stopped going to school for over a week. Teachers came by to check on her, but she avoided them—wandering elsewhere in a fog of quiet depression. She didn't want their concern; it only reminded her of the painful truth: she was unloved. The thought sent her spiraling, haunted by the question: why couldn't her grandfather and father show even half the care that strangers did?
She drifted on like this for almost three weeks until, one day, she found herself outside a run-down gas station convenience store. The place was filthy and cheap-looking, everything she normally hated. But for once, she didn't care. She crouched in a dark corner near the wall and finally let herself process what she was ignoring.
Bitter, frustrated tears trickled silently down her face before a wrecked sob tore from her throat.
For the first time, the so-called genius of the Takayama family felt as insignificant as a bug. She had to be. How else could she explain being so completely and utterly ignored? Why else would she be crying in some dark corner in this godforsaken place?
As her sobs quieted, her sharp ears caught the sound of soft footsteps approaching. She lifted her head, ready to snap at whoever it was to get lost.
But the words caught in her throat when she saw a familiar pair of wide, brown, adorable eyes.
It was the boy she'd seen many times beside Elias. The very person that made her envious of Elias.
He looked awkward and hesitant, holding out a small bag with a bottle of milk and a giant cookie. His cheeks flushed a deep red as he met her gaze. After a brief pause, he fully extended his arm and gently set the bag beside her. She could feel the cookie's warmth through the bag against her leg and the faint smell of chocolate chips in the air.
"S-sorry," he stammered. "I'm not trying to be creepy. You were crying and… it just didn't feel right to ignore you. That's for you. The bag, I mean."
She stared, too stunned to speak.
He panicked at her silence. "Sorry, are you okay? I-I can leave! Sorry I bothered you!" Was he being too nosy?
He wasn't used to talking to girls, especially not ones as pretty as her. She probably thought he was weird, right? A total moron? He hadn't been trying to impress her or anything, but still… it was a little embarrassing to come off like a clueless dork who didn't know how to talk to girls.
Just as he started to turn away, her voice stopped him.
"Why?" she asked quietly. "You could've ignored me. Why didn't you?"
She didn't fully understand the question herself. For weeks, she'd watched him from a distance, wondering what made someone stay so loyal to an unlucky person like Elias. She couldn't even get the bare minimum from someone like her father under normal circumstances. But now, for reasons she couldn't fathom, she didn't want him to leave. She usually didn't engage with ordinary people, but right now, she wanted to talk to him. She wanted to understand his thoughts, even if he was just a regular person.
The boy turned around, wearing a confused but hesitant expression. Was he about to get trauma-dumped by a stranger? Still, looking at her tear-streaked, beautiful face, it didn't feel right to walk away. And, well, he was a normal teenage boy. Of course he didn't mind talking to a pretty girl.
"Isn't it normal to want to comfort someone who's crying?" he asked carefully, his eyes avoiding her intense gaze.
"But even family can ignore you. Or betray you," she murmured gloomily.
He stared at her for a moment. A flicker of something unreadable— bitterness, or perhaps, resentment, crossing his face. She couldn't quite place it. It didn't seem directed at her, at least.
"Yeah... you're right about that," he admitted, his throat tight. "Family… can say and do some of the cruelest things in the world."
"Then why would you, a stranger, try to comfort another stranger?" she asked, wiping her face, trying to make herself look a little less pathetic.
"Mind if I sit here first?" he asked, pointing to a spot about three feet away. "Only if you're okay with it, of course." He raised his hands in panic.
Normally, she wouldn't have agreed. But for some reason, seeing his flustered expression made her feel a little fuzzy inside. Without fully understanding why, she found herself nodding. The boy carefully sat down beside her and then continued.
"I'm not really familiar with you… so I don't know what you're going through. We're probably really different. No—definitely different. It sounds like someone you loved broke your trust. Being betrayed by people you care about hurts, but… they're not the only ones in the world. Even now, I'm sure there are still people who love you, right? It's better to focus on the ones who actually care," he said, for once looking her in the eyes.
The image of her mother, her adorable baby brother, and even Kaito came to mind. Her grandfather and father may have shown no concern, but her mother had been calling her every day to check in. She'd often hear Kaoru's sweet voice in the background, asking for his sister. And Kaito, as stuck-up as he was, had called her and even threatened to fly to the States if she couldn't be bothered to take care of herself.
She suddenly wondered why she'd been so stuck on her grandfather's and father's indifference. Maybe she hadn't been as alone as she originally thought. There were still people who genuinely cared.
"Still, that doesn't answer my question about you," she said, puffing her cheeks, unconvinced.
Mina's cute expression nearly sent the poor, shy boy's heart into orbit.
"I-I don't know. I guess… the world's a lonely place when your family doesn't care about you, right? Wouldn't it be better to look for 'family' elsewhere? Family doesn't have to be blood-related. You can choose them. Your friends can be your family, too. And friends always start off as strangers," he rambled, trying to think of what to say. But when he turned to look at her and saw her frowning, he panicked.
"I didn't mean anything by it! You can ignore what I said!" he flailed, waving his arms. "I wasn't trying to suggest being friends or anything! Not if you think that's creepy!"
He covered his face in humiliation, wanting nothing more than to bury himself in a hole. He was definitely making things worse.
But unknown to him, church bells were ringing in the girl's ears. Doesn't what he's saying sound like an indirect proposal? Her face flushed red from her puberty induced delusions, her heart skipping a beat, a feeling she'd never experienced before. It wasn't bad.
Just when the boy was considered fading out of existence he heard Mina laugh and say, "I don't mind if we become friends. Would it really be okay? What's your name?" The boy turned to see her flashing a charming smile at him that sent his heart into hyperdrive again.
"S-Syler. It's Syler," he stammered, nearly biting his tongue. Mina smiled in a teasing manner as she watched Syler's timid expressions.
"Well Syler… I'm Mina. Please take care of me."
The two, despite an awkward start, became friends and began spending time together, much to the disappointment and bewilderment of all her admirers. She eventually started hanging out with Elias as well. He brought out a more unrestrained version of herself, helping her break free from many of the behaviors and habits ingrained in her since childhood. She welcomed the change wholeheartedly.
Even though Syler continued to hold the number one spot in her heart, she grew to appreciate Elias's laid-back attitude and easy friendship. The two of them became the new family she cared deeply about, which made her current situation all the more painful. Elias was missing and Syler was trapped in a cycle of self-hatred for not saving his friend. She hated feeling helpless, unable to do anything for either of them.
Her eyes nearly drilled holes into the entrance as she debated whether to go inside and ask about Elias, maybe the police had found something. But even if they had… would they really share it with a teenager like her? It seemed unlikely. To them, she was just a regular kid, not a powerful awakener with influence. There was no way they'd take her seriously. And besides, Aegis laws strictly forbade sharing information about awakened matters with ordinary citizens. She didn't want to go through the lengthy process of securing clearance from higher government offices. It would take too long.
She paced restlessly, fingers dragging through her hair until it became a tousled mess. Her eyes kept darting toward the entrance. Thankfully, no officers were milling around outside, otherwise, she would've looked incredibly suspicious.
Mina didn't regret leaving the Takayama family, but she couldn't deny she missed some of the perks, like instant access to their information network. Back then, even data that was normally restricted or classified had been easy to obtain under the Takayama name, even in countries like the States, where their influence wasn't nearly as dominant.
Of course, she had tried calling her cousin Kaito for a favor. But the moment she mentioned trying to find her friend Elias, he reacted like a feral cat spotting a stray dog.
"Absolutely not!" he snapped. "There's no way I'm using the family's resources for some stinky, smelly teenage boy! Forget it!"
Then he hung up on her and blocked every number she tried calling back from.
She recalled the memory with complicated feelings. She was well aware that Kaito held an innate indifference—bordering on contempt—toward ordinary people, a mindset deeply ingrained by his upbringing. She had shared those same beliefs herself until about three years ago. His disdain had only deepened after he was kidnapped by a regular yakuza member at the age of eight. For the future heir of the Takayama family, being abducted by a non-awakened criminal had been a humiliating blow to his pride.
Still, she hadn't expected it to be this bad. Elias was one of her best friends. She thought Kaito might make an exception.
She'd been wrong.
The cousin who normally bent over backwards to please her had outright refused, and with more venom than she'd anticipated.
Even though she understood his reasons and knew he didn't owe her anything, the way he talked about Elias seriously pissed her off. Sure, she clowned on Elias and made fun of him all the time, but he was still one of her best friends. She wouldn't let anyone badmouth him, not even Kaito. She swore that the next time she saw him in person, regardless of the fact that he was stronger and she had no chance of winning, she'd still beat his ass.
Kaito, meanwhile, was smugly sipping tea in his residence, convinced he had nobly stopped his cousin from misusing the family's resources on some guy he was certain she had a crush on.
He had no idea he'd just entered her shit list. Nor did he realize how badly he'd misinterpreted her relationship with Elias.
Just then, Mina's phone let out a loud, blaring tone. An amber alert.
She pulled it out with a small scowl, ready to silence the notification until her eyes caught the text on the screen:
"AMBER ALERT – STATEWIDE
Issued by: The State Police
Victim:
16-year-old male
Black hair, blue eyes
Last seen wearing a gray jacket and blue jeans
Suspect:
Unidentified male suspect
Disguised as a female
Brown hair, brown eyes
Last seen wearing a white sweater and gray pants
Suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous.
Vehicle:
Silver SUV
License Plate: V864XXXX
Most recently seen traveling northbound near Highway Exit 27
If you have any information, call 911 immediately.
Do not attempt to approach the suspect or vehicle."
Her eyes narrowed. 'Bingo.' Looked like she didn't need to barge into the police station after all.