Chapter 31: The Missing Companion, Michael

At seven o’clock, Lin Xiao drove to pick up Will and take him home. Unexpectedly, Michael insisted on coming along, wanting to visit Eleven at Lin Xiao’s house. The two had grown close lately, subtly becoming a young couple. Lin Xiao didn’t refuse and brought Michael along. Eleven had already received word, and she and Michael slipped off together, deep in conversation and affection.

“Come on, let’s go eat and let them power the world with love,” Lin Xiao said, waving Will over. He had no interest in meddling with their budding romance—there was no danger nearby, so they could be left to themselves.

Hand in hand, Michael and Eleven wandered into the small grove behind the house, savoring their time alone. Will watched them go and asked, “Is being in love really that interesting? They see each other every day—don’t they ever get tired of it?”

Will was shy by nature, much like Jonathan had once been. Apart from this small circle of friends, he had few others at school and rarely interacted with girls.

“Maybe so. But as the saying goes, ‘If you’re not a fish, how can you know the joy of fish?’ You could find a girlfriend too, Will,” Lin Xiao teased, patting his brother on the shoulder.

Will pursed his lips and replied, “I’ll pass. Jonathan, you should get a girlfriend first. By the way, don’t you like Barbara? I think she’s really into you.”

At the mention of Barbara, Lin Xiao felt a strange twinge in his side. Perhaps because he’d once saved her, she’d been clinging to him recently, always showing up in his class, inviting him to parties and book clubs, which gave their little gang endless fodder for teasing. It was exhausting.

Even with someone as attractive as Nancy, he felt no interest—let alone Barbara. It wasn’t that she wasn’t pretty, but she simply wasn’t his type.

At this stage of his life, he only wanted to quietly improve his abilities and find a way to make money and support his family. They were nearly on the brink of homelessness—who had the leisure for romance? Relationships cost money; love couldn’t power the lights.

Besides, ordinary girls weren’t even within his consideration. At the very least, she’d need to be like Eleven, a superpowered individual, so they’d have something in common. Otherwise, dragging someone ordinary into his dangerous world was unthinkable.

Did such a girl even exist? He hadn’t thought about it. He’d take life one step at a time. After all, he was only seventeen. Even though you could marry at eighteen in America, it wasn’t as if he’d tie the knot so soon. What was there to rush?

Inside, they had dinner. Joyce was on the night shift and wouldn’t be home, so it was just the brothers and Eleven in the house. Chief Hopper usually timed his visits precisely, but it seemed he wouldn’t come tonight.

After dinner, Eleven stormed back alone, fuming, and plopped down in a chair to sulk. Curious, Lin Xiao asked, “What happened, Eleven? Did Michael upset you?”

Eleven turned, cheeks puffed in anger. “Michael’s too much. He insists I teach him my powers. I told him I can’t teach anyone, and he says I’m just being stubborn. He even threatened to break up with me if I refused. It’s just too much.”

So that was it. Lin Xiao reflected inwardly—he’d underestimated how alluring superpowers were to them. Of course, with such mysterious and overwhelming strength, what teenager wouldn’t dream of having it? If he didn’t have powers and his girlfriend did, he would probably beg her to teach him too. It was only human.

“Where is he? I’ll talk to him and tell him to stop dreaming,” Lin Xiao said, standing up.

“Who cares where he goes? I hope a monster grabs him and eats him, so he’ll stop pestering me,” Eleven huffed.

Lin Xiao couldn’t help but laugh and sigh. They really were just kids—fighting over the smallest things. Still, he was a bit worried about Michael. “Where did he go? It’s dark out—what if something happens? Do you really want to see him get snatched by a monster?”

Hearing this, Eleven began to worry. She glanced outside. It was pitch-black, and someone wandering alone in the woods at night could be in real danger.

“Let’s go find him. Will, you stay here. If Michael comes back first, radio us,” Lin Xiao said, grabbing two walkie-talkies from the table. He handed one to Will, kept the other for himself, and set out with Eleven to search for Michael.

They weren’t too concerned—after repeated searches around the house, they knew there weren’t any wild animals or monsters nearby.

But when they reached the spot where Eleven and Michael had parted ways, the ground was a mess, with several enormous footprints stamped into the earth, as if a lion or tiger had passed through.

“This is bad—something’s happened to Michael!” Lin Xiao’s expression changed. Judging by the scene, some wild beast had attacked him. Eleven, too, looked terrified, regretting that she hadn’t stayed, leaving Michael in danger.

“Quick, use your telepathy to contact Michael. See if you can find out where he is,” Lin Xiao urged. Her ability was the best way to find someone; as long as she could lock onto his mind, as long as he was still on Earth, she could reach him.

Eleven immediately sat cross-legged on the ground, closed her eyes, and activated her power. After a moment, she opened her eyes in terror. “I can’t find him! I can’t sense Michael at all. It’s as if… he vanished into thin air.”

“What? How is that possible?” Lin Xiao’s expression changed again. With Eleven’s powers, finding someone was child’s play. Even when Will had been trapped in the Upside Down, she’d been able to locate him. How could she fail now?

“Try again,” he urged.

Eleven closed her eyes once more. After a while, she opened them, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t—he’s just gone. Michael seems to have disappeared from the world. Why is this happening?”

In truth, Eleven’s emotional state was unstable. Years of captivity had left her deeply sensitive, prone to collapse at the slightest setback. She’d only gradually grown stronger with time.

“Don’t panic, Eleven. Maybe Michael went home, or he’s just playing a trick on us. Let’s not assume the worst.” Though he tried to sound reassuring, Lin Xiao’s face was grim. He had a bad feeling. Michael had no powers—he couldn’t block Eleven’s search. Something must have happened.

He picked up the walkie-talkie, called Will, and pulled Eleven along, following the trampled brush.

Will responded on the other end; Michael’s radio wasn’t on. They tracked the prints for hundreds of meters until the trail abruptly ended—just as Michael had vanished, so did any sign of what had happened.

“What’s going on? Who took Michael? The Mind Flayer hasn’t returned. Why take Michael? If anything, they’d go after Will.”

They searched deep into the night. Will kept calling for Michael, but there was never an answer.

During this time, Michael’s mother, Mrs. Wheeler, called to ask if Michael was still at their house—he hadn’t come home. Remembering what happened with Will and Barbara, Lin Xiao immediately reported Michael’s disappearance and called Chief Hopper, urging him to come with a search party.

Joyce was summoned as well. A group of them combed the woods until dawn, but there was no trace of Michael. He had vanished as if into thin air.

Unlike Will, who had been taken into the Upside Down, Eleven repeatedly used her powers and confirmed Michael hadn’t been taken there. He’d disappeared in the real world, and whoever took him had blocked Eleven’s telepathic search.

It was clear—the other side wielded supernatural powers as well.