CHAPTER 8
[POV: Ivan]
Ivan stopped walking and looked around. The roadside was busy, but he didn't see Ethan or Sally anywhere. His brows furrowed. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. He started retracing his steps, scanning both sides of the road. Still nothing.
After a few minutes of searching, he sighed and pulled out what looked like a regular phone from his pocket. The screen glowed faintly as he tapped an icon — a small figure-shaped symbol. Instantly, a holographic map appeared above the screen, visible only to him.
"There you are," he said as he spotted a faint blinking light — Ethan's signal — across the next road.
Ivan put the phone away and started walking briskly. He crossed through the alley between buildings, came out on the other side, and spotted Ethan standing near a corner, deep in thought. Ivan's steps grew heavier as he approached.
---
[POV: Ethan]
Ethan stood still, lost in his own head. He was thinking about his talk with Sophia — how she smiled, how she looked so calm, how she gave him the money thinking he couldn't afford a room. He still couldn't decide if he should laugh or be embarrassed.
Then, out of nowhere, he saw Ivan marching toward him with a look that said you're in trouble. Ethan raised both hands.
"Okay, okay, I surrender!" he said quickly.
Ivan stopped right in front of him. "You know what time it is?" he snapped.
Ethan scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, I was just—"
Ivan cut him off. "Where's Sally?"
Ethan blinked. "With you, right?"
Ivan's face went blank. "With me? I thought she was with you!"
Ethan frowned. "Wait, what do you mean? I left alone!"
There was a beat of silence. Then Ivan sighed. "Then who were you with?"
Reluctantly, Ethan explained everything — how he saw the white-haired girl, how she turned out to be named Sophia, how they talked, but they did not tell him about the money incident.
When he finished, Ivan's expression darkened. "You're unbelievable."
Before he could start lecturing again, Ethan quickly said, "Anyway, we should probably find Sally before you scold me to death, yeah?"
Ivan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's move."
---
They started searching the streets and nearby corners. After half an hour, there was still no sign of Sally.
Ethan pulled out his high-tech gear — his own phone-like device — and tapped an icon showing a small animal paw. The screen blinked once, then dimmed completely. "You've got to be kidding me," Ethan groaned. "Battery's dead."
Ivan looked over. "Charge it."
"It's solar-powered. Needs sunlight." Ethan held it up to the morning light and sighed. "Guess we're taking a break."
Ivan rubbed his temple. "You're unbelievable," he repeated.
They looked around and spotted a nearby hotel. Ivan suggested they sneak in using their powers, but Ethan stopped him. "Nah, I've got this."
He pulled out a few bills from his pocket.
Ivan stared. "Where did that come from?"
Ethan smirked awkwardly. "Let's just say... I was sponsored."
After paying for the room, Ethan finally explained the "sponsorship" — how Sophia thought he was too poor to afford a place to stay and gave him money. Ivan laughed for the first time that day.
"You got charity-funded by your crush," he said, shaking his head.
"Hey, don't put it like that," Ethan said, embarrassed.
They both laughed it off, settled in, and rested.
Ethan lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He thought about Sally but didn't panic. Sally was from the Inner Zone — and dogs from there weren't just ordinary pets. When provoked, they could level a quarter of a city block. He wasn't worried about her safety — only about what might happen if someone else made her feel threatened.
Still, he trusted her. Sally had been the most docile Inner Zone pet for a reason — even winning last year's award for calmest companion. She'd be fine.
---
[Next Day]
The morning sunlight filled the hotel room. Ethan jumped out of bed and immediately checked his device. The indicator light was green again.
"Finally!" he said.
Ivan leaned over as Ethan tapped the paw icon again. A holographic map appeared, just like before, showing glowing lines and moving dots. One small red dot blinked steadily in a fixed spot.
"Got her," Ethan said.
Ivan nodded. "Only the owner's device can track their animal. Makes sense why I couldn't."
The map zoomed in on its own, focusing on a residential block. Ethan frowned as he recognized the location. "Wait... that's Sophia's house."
He looked at Ivan. "We need to go. Now."
They rushed out.
---
[POV: Sophia]
Sophia stood in her living room, staring at the mess around her. Flour on the floor, crumbs on the couch, something half-chewed under the table.
"What in the world…" she muttered. She tiptoed toward the couch — it was shaking slightly.
Then she saw the small brown-and-white dog curled up, sleeping peacefully with a kitchen towel in its mouth like a bone.
When the dog opened its eyes, Sophia froze. Sally tilted her head to the side. Sophia tilted hers too, mirroring her.
Sophia blinked. "Who are you?"
Sally just wagged her tail.
Sophia sighed. "Alright, fine. You're cute. I forgive you."
She set the dog down and cleaned the living room. When she finished, she picked up the small collar on Sally's neck and noticed the tag.
"Sally," she read.
Then she froze. "Wait... Ethan mentioned that name yesterday."
She connected the dots. Sally must've thought Ethan was inside and followed him here.
Sophia smiled softly. "So you're his dog, huh?"
She decided to take Sally outside and look for Ethan. Just as she opened the door, Ethan and Ivan appeared, hurrying down the street.
Sophia blinked in surprise. "Ethan?"
Ethan grinned. "Sally!"
He ran to her, scooping Sally up as the dog jumped into his arms. They spun around in a silly, over-the-top reunion that made Sophia laugh.
Ivan stood to the side, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous."
Sophia crouched to pet Sally. "So you're the famous Sally, huh?"
Ethan laughed nervously. "Yeah, she's... uh, kind of my partner."
Ivan introduced himself quickly as "the sound guy," earning a nod from Sophia.
"Well," she said, smiling. "Nice to finally meet the rest of the crew."
The trio — now reunited — shared an awkward but happy moment.
And that was the end of Chapter 8.