The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 944: My God

They cleaned up their battlefield of popcorn as the credits rolled, then emerged from the theater in search of dinner.

A new roasted fish restaurant caught their eye. True to form, Fresh Snow talked up her appetite while they waited, but after three bites of actual food, she declared herself stuffed. She was all bark and no bite in this regard.

The brief nap in the theater had cleared some of the fog from Gao Yang's mind. That persistent haze that had been clouding his thoughts had finally begun to lift. He suspected it might be connected to his frequent use of Psychic Armor, though he couldn't be certain.

As they finished their meal, Gao Yang stood to settle the bill and use the restroom. When he returned, Wang Zikai and Fresh Snow's seats were empty.

His heart skipped a beat. He burst out of the restaurant, only to spot Wang Zikai in line at a nearby milk tea shop.

"Wang Zikai!" Gao Yang sprinted over. "Where's Fresh Snow?!"

"Fresh Snow? Isn't she just..." Wang Zikai turned, then froze. "Where'd she go? She was right here! How did she just vanish?"

"Why did you leave without waiting for me?" Gao Yang's voice rose sharply.

"We were just getting milk tea, and the line was long." Wang Zikai's defense came out sheepish. "You could see us from the restaurant exit. How was I supposed to know she'd disappear? Oh, maybe she's in the bathroom?"

Gao Yang's glare could have melted steel. "Think about it."

"Oh. Right." Wang Zikai remembered belatedly that Fresh Snow had no need for bathrooms.

Gao Yang grabbed for his phone, then cursed. Fresh Snow had left hers at home, unused to carrying one.

Anxiety clawed at his chest. Fresh Snow might be playful, but she was always mindful of worrying him. This sudden disappearance felt wrong.

"Wait here, Wang Zikai. She might come back. I'll look for her."

“Oh, okay.” Wang Zikai got nervous because of him.

Gao Yang turned and began methodically checking every restaurant, pushing his senses to their limits. Self-loathing burned in his gut. He shouldn't have wasted Sensory during the movie. With the Talent, he could have detected Fresh Snow anywhere within three kilometers. Even if someone had taken her, they couldn't have gotten beyond that range so quickly.

Minutes stretched like hours as he searched every store on the floor. Nothing.

“Fresh Snow!”

Gao Yang ran back to the floor where the cinema was. He could no longer care about anything else. Weaving amid the crowd, he shouted, “Fresh Snow! Where are you?”

Panic rose with each call of her name. Gao Yang rushed to the information counter, words tumbling out: "Did you see a girl in a silver wig and red contacts? About 1.6 meters tall, looks seventeen or eighteen..."

"I'm sorry, sir." The staff member offered an apologetic smile. "I haven't seen anyone matching that description."

He spun toward the ticketing window. "Excuse me, did you see a girl in a silver wig—"

"Gao Yang!"

He whirled around to find Fresh Snow standing right behind him, looking up with curious eyes. "Were you looking for me?"

Two seconds passed as Gao Yang confirmed it was really her. Then his expression frosted over as he stalked toward her.

"Gao Yang, I—"

"Where did you go?!" His growl drew startled looks from passersby. "Didn't I say not to move on your own? Why did you leave mine and Wang Zikai's sight?!"

Fresh Snow stood frozen, eyes wide.

"Do you know—do you know how worried I was?! If anything happens to you, how am I, how am I going to explain to your sister..." Gao Yang's chest heaved with each word. He knew he was losing control but couldn't stop himself.

No, no, I can't do this.

Psychic—

"Gao Yang." Fresh Snow's hand found his, her touch gentle but firm, interrupting his reach for the Talent. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'll never do that again."

Gao Yang stopped short. As his calm returned, he quickly led Fresh Snow away from curious onlookers to a quieter corner.

"Fresh Snow, I'm sorry. I, I was..." The words caught in his throat. "I thought something happened to you..."

"Don't worry, Gao Yang. I'll be fine." Fresh Snow raised her hand, offering a small smile. "I promise."

"Yeah." His composure finally settled. "Where did you go?"

Fresh Snow's smile turned sheepish. "I suddenly remembered the surveillance cameras might have caught me and Stupid Kai playing in the theater. I went to check just to be safe. It's okay. The security guard was asleep. We won't get in trouble."

The revelation hit Gao Yang like ice water.

He'd noticed their supernatural display during the play-fighting. Those jumps weren’t possible for regular humans. But he had dismissed it as trivial. What threat could a few triggered monsters pose to him?

But that wasn't right. A summoner could have been triggered, dragging innocent wanderers into danger.

A chill ran through him. When had he become so callous, so numb? How had he strayed so far from who he used to be?

His regret deepened. "I'm sorry, Fresh Snow. I didn't do things the proper way..."

“Gao Yang.” Fresh Snow smiled. “You do well enough! And friends should say thank you more than they say sorry to each other.”

Gao Yang blinked before offering a smile. “Thank you.”

Fresh Snow accepted that easily. “Yeah, you’re welcome.”

Gao Yang spotted a row of claw machines nearby. "Why don't I get you a doll, Fresh Snow?"

"Sure!" Fresh Snow's eyes lit up instantly.

They surveyed the machines until Fresh Snow pressed her nose against one particular glass. "I want this one, Gao Yang!" A pink goldfish floated among the pile of plush toys.

"Sure. Just a moment."

Gao Yang put in a token and started playing the claw machine. He thought it would be easy with level 5 Lucky, but it turned out to be his biggest fail.

He failed six times in a row, using up all his tokens.

He bought more. Failed again. Several times the claw nearly succeeded, only to mysteriously loosen at the last second in almost comical fashion.

Fresh Snow cocked her head, her initial excitement fading with each attempt. She tugged at his sleeve. "It's okay. The claw machine must be broken. Let's stop."

"We still have some tokens. We’ll try again." Gao Yang couldn't let go. He would win something here.

Several more attempts. Nothing. Down to his last two tokens.

Taking a deep breath, he inserted one. His palm dampened the joystick as he silently prayed:

This is the last time, Gao Yang. You must succeed!

If you can't even do something this simple, what kind of thank you is that?

Clack. Wing.

The claw gripped the small goldfish, inching toward the opening.

Hold on! Just hold on for one more second!

Gao Yang stared desperately at the doll, wishing he had Telekinesis to guide it home.

The claw loosened half a second early.

Shit!

Gao Yang’s heart sank. A strange sense of overwhelming helplessness and despair weighed on him, almost breaking him. The feeling was so familiar that he was terrified because of it. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

BAM!

Wang Zikai appeared from nowhere, delivering a precise kick to the machine. It tilted. The doll bounced off the glass and tumbled perfectly into the opening.

"Ah!" Fresh Snow snatched up the goldfish, bouncing in place. "Amazing! We got it!"

She threw herself at Gao Yang. "Thank you, Gao Yang!" Then spun toward Wang Zikai. "And you, Stupid Kai!"

“A piece of cake!”

Wang Zikai had come just in time after receiving Gao Yang’s message. With one hand in his pocket, he huffed at Gao Yang, “What’s gotten to you, bro? Why would you waste your time on the stupid machine? Just knock it into submission.”

Gao Yang, hugged by Fresh Snow, stood frozen. In his head, he was shouting, Wang Zikai! You! Are! My! God!

"What are you three doing?!" A security guard hustled over, red-faced. "If you can't win the doll, exchange it with points! Break that machine and you'll pay for repairs!"

"Dishonest seller! How dare you accuse—" Wang Zikai rolled up his sleeves, ready for confrontation, only to find Gao Yang already fleeing with Fresh Snow.

"Huh?" He gaped, debating briefly before backing away. "It's not that I'm scared of you! I just don't want to waste my time..."

He bolted.

"Wait for me, bro!"