Chapter 37: When power speaks
"W-What?" Eiden asked, desperation flickering in his eyes. Ding! "As I said, I was just getting your hopes up." System-chan’s smug voice echoed in his mind like a slap to the face.
Eiden stood there silently, expression unreadable. Without saying a word, he grabbed his bag and left the house, heading for college. The walk felt heavy, his mind too cluttered to acknowledge anything around him. A hollow silence wrapped around him as he tried to piece everything together. Where the hell is the damn pendrive...?
He squinted, recalling that day clearly—the day Linda rejected him, the day his mood was in shambles.
I had the pendrive in my bag then... I didn’t take it out afterward. So how the hell is it gone? Then a sudden flash of memory. Wait a minute... That was also the day I climbed that stupid tree for the cat!
His heart skipped a beat. Could it have fallen when I slipped and fell down? Without another thought, he broke into a sprint, heading straight toward that location.
But as he turned the corner, close to where the incident had happened, he abruptly halted. A strange scene froze him in place Sasha and Crysty, surrounded by four unfamiliar guys. Something about it was off.
Eiden narrowed his eyes. What the hell is going on...? He walked closer cautiously.
That’s when he heard Sasha’s voice, furious and fiery. "I said I don’t know! How many times do I have to say that to get through your thick skull?!"
The guys didn’t back off. One of them reached out, about to grab Sasha’s arm. "Hey! Sasha, what’s going on?" Eiden shouted, breaking into a run. All heads turned to him. "We’re gonna be late for the project," he added quickly, forcing a calm smile as he grabbed Sasha’s hand, trying to pull her away.
But before he could get far, one of the guys grabbed Eiden’s shoulder and shoved him roughly. He staggered, almost falling, but barely managed to stay upright. "She has business with us," the guy said coldly.
"Sasha!" Eiden called, but one of the others blocked her way as she tried to reach him.