Back with the others, Beatrix had just finished her run.
After firing arrow after arrow and cutting down wave after wave of zombies, she still lost. The game had pushed her right to the end, granting her bow powerful earth and fire upgrades after defeating several earlier bosses but even that hadn't been enough.
What she thought was the final boss split apart instead, multiplying into more enemies until they overwhelmed her completely.
The screen flashed.
GAME OVER.
Felix laughed. "It's fun, isn't it?"
Beatrix scoffed. "Fun? The ending was completely unexpected. And unfair."
"You almost had it," Raze said.
After watching Beatrix play, Raze felt like he should give the game a try. He hadn't really played games much in the past. Back at his previous school, once he got home, he usually spent his time reading or learning more about awakenings and original bloodlines. Sometimes, he would just go outside and enjoy nature.
Beatrix glanced at him. "That ending was unfair. I thought it was over."
Felix smirked. "Quit sulking. You can beat it next time."
Beatrix scoffed but didn't say anything else.
"Beatrix, can you hand me the bow? I want to go next," Raze said.
She handed it over without a word.
Once the bow was in his hands, Raze decided to try out his new skill.
[Skill: Inspect]
[A digital bow linked to the game in front of you. Using it will allow you to play.]
Raze skimmed the description.
'This skill would be really useful when I need information… I wonder if I could use it on a person.'
Then something felt off.
There was a voice he hadn't heard in a while.
Raze turned to his left.
Liam was gone.
"Uh, guys…"
Felix and Beatrix both turned to him.
Felix raised an eyebrow while Beatrix crossed her arms. "Is something wrong, Raze?"
Raze nodded slowly. "I don't see Liam."
Felix frowned. "What do you mean, gone?"
"He was right here beside us," Beatrix said, already turning to look around. "If he went somewhere, why didn't he tell us?"
Raze didn't answer. He was already searching.
"Liam," Felix called, not shouting—just loud enough to carry over the noise. "Very funny."
There was no response.
Raze moved through the rows of machines, weaving past other people.
'Where is Liam? Don't tell me he left the arcade without us,' Raze thought.
As he searched, he couldn't ignore the unsettling feeling twisting in his stomach. Wherever Liam was, something was wrong. He could feel it.
Behind him, Beatrix checked the time on her wristwatch.
4:25 p.m.
She remembered glancing at it earlier—back when Felix had led them to the game she'd played. It had been 3:12 p.m. when they entered the arcade.
'That game lasted longer than I thought,' she realized.
Felix leaned closer, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Maybe Liam's in the bathroom," he said. "For all we know."
"That's possible," Beatrix replied, "but I wouldn't bet on it."
Raze returned a moment later. He hadn't gone far—just enough for Felix and Beatrix to see the look on his face.
"We should split up," Raze said.
He continued before either of them could respond. "He wouldn't just leave. Something's wrong. Check the bathrooms and staff areas. I'll take the back."
Felix nodded but couldn't help but make one joke. "Looks like you're starting to become our leader. Prince Ra–"
Beatrix cut him off. "Not enough time for that. Let's get moving."
Felix groaned but began moving anyway.
The three of them split up and began searching for Liam. They checked the bathrooms, the staff areas, and pushed through the crowds. Felix approached several people, asking if they had seen a boy named Liam and describing what he looked like, but most only shook their heads.
By the time they regrouped near the spot where Liam had disappeared, nearly thirty to forty-five minutes had passed.
Felix let out a sigh. "I'm starting to get tired of all this searching. With all the time we wasted looking for him, we could've played way more games if he hadn't just disappeared."
Beatrix scoffed. "Do you only care about games?"
Felix chuckled. "Not really. I just expected this Saturday to be fun—not playing hide-and-seek with Liam."
Raze let out a small chuckle at that.
"I'm pretty sure we checked everywhere…" He paused, something crossing his mind.
"There is one place we might've missed," he added. "Did either of you check the storage room?"
Felix's eyes widened. "How did I forget this place has a storage room?"
Beatrix was already moving but before she could get far, a voice came from behind them.
"H-hey, guys…"
They turned.
Liam stood a few steps away, waving awkwardly.
Raze immediately decided to use his skill, Inspect, on Liam.
A screen appeared beside him.
[Name: Liam Ward]
[Race: Human]
[Awakening: Level 2 Wind]
[HP: 100/100]
So far, the System was telling him that everything was fine. Liam's HP was full. Physically, there was nothing wrong.
And yet the way Liam had said hey bothered him.
"Where were you, Liam?" Raze asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Liam scratched the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh. "Uh… since Beatrix was taking so long with that game, I decided to grab a snack outside the arcade."
He lied.
Liam didn't want his friends to know the truth. Didn't want them to know what had happened to him.
Back in the storage room, after the second years had left him on the floor, he had slowly forced himself to stand.
He had felt weak. Powerless.
They hadn't even given him the chance to activate his wind awakening.
Guilt twisted in his chest as another thought surfaced—Sevrin calling Raze a weak level one trash.
Even if Raze didn't have an awakening, he was still his friend.
Felix waved a hand. "Seriously? You scared us over a snack?"
Liam flinched, just barely.
"I mean, I get it," Felix continued. "Arcade food's overpriced. Going outside makes sense."
He laughed, already turning back toward the machines. "Next time, just say something, yeah?"
"Yeah," Liam said quietly.
Beatrix didn't laugh. She watched Liam for a second longer than necessary, eyes narrowing just slightly, but she didn't press.
Raze said nothing.
Felix clapped his hands together. "Alright, crisis over. Who's up next? That plush isn't winning itself."
Nobody responded.
Felix sighed and ran a hand through his hair like he always did. "Welp… I guess we can continue this tomorrow."
The others nodded.
They walked out of the arcade together.
Felix glanced at Liam and his expression shifted.
"Liam… you've been unusually quiet," he said. The concern in his voice was clear. "You know if something's wrong, you can tell us."
Liam gulped. "Y-yeah. I know," he said, fidgeting with his fingers.
Felix didn't buy it, but he didn't push. That alone told him enough.
'I'll find out what's bothering you, Liam,' he thought.
Then a thought he didn't like crossed his mind.
Felix glanced around.
'Sevrin… it can't be him, right? Did he somehow get to Liam? That would explain why he disappeared… No. I heard he usually goes after the strong ones. It can't be him… right?'
Beatrix noticed the look on Felix's face.
"We should head back to our dorms," she said quietly. "I feel like we're being watched."
Felix didn't argue.
"Yeah… we should," Raze said.
He agreed, because he could feel it too. The same sensation. The feeling of being watched.
And unknown to them, they were right.
Someone stood across the street, partially obscured by the crowd, watching from beneath the shadow of a building.
It was Sevrin.
He wasn't close enough to hear them. He didn't need to be.
His eyes were fixed on Liam.
On the way he stood. On the way he shifted his weight. On the way he avoided looking at the others for too long.
Sevrin's gaze flicked briefly to Raze.
Just long enough.
Then he turned and walked away, blending back into the flow of the city like he'd never been there at all.
And Liam never noticed that he was being watched.