Lin Xiao put aside the matter of the crystal for now and decided to spend some time with his family.
As he walked downstairs, he realized how distant he had been from them lately.
He saw his mother sitting in the living room, watching TV. It struck him as odd—she should be at work.
"Mom, why aren't you at work?" Lin Xiao asked, sitting down on the sofa next to her.
His mother replied, "I don't know. The company gave all of us a three-day holiday for some reason. They didn't explain why."
"Three-day holiday? That's unusual," Lin Xiao remarked, surprised. "What happened?"
"I really don't know," she responded, shrugging.
Lin Xiao's mind raced with possibilities. DDI Media, the company his mother worked for, was a massive corporation.
They had moved to the city because her salary was high enough to support both him and his sister.
A sudden, unexplained holiday from such a large company was strange.
"Did they say anything at all?" Lin Xiao probed further.
"Not really. Just that we should enjoy the time off and return to work on Monday," she said, a hint of concern in her voice.
Lin Xiao thought about the situation. DDI Media's sudden holiday could be due to a myriad of reasons.
Perhaps there was an internal issue, or maybe it was a precautionary measure related to something bigger.
He couldn't help but wonder if it had any connection to the supernatural occurrences he had been dealing with recently.
Trying to ease his mother's mind, Lin Xiao said, "Well, it's a good opportunity to relax. Maybe we can do something together tomorrow?"
His mother shook her head, "No, you have school tomorrow."
Lin Xiao insisted, "I can take a sick leave."
But his mother was firm, "No, school is more important."
The conversation ended there, and Lin Xiao felt a twinge of sadness.
He sat on the sofa, watching TV with his mother.
The news was on, covering various topics, but one segment caught his attention.
It discussed how animals were becoming increasingly violent, and scientists speculated it might be due to the changing seasons.
Lin Xiao felt a strange sense of unease but decided not to dwell on it.
As the news continued, Mother Lin stood up, "It's almost time. I should start making dinner. Meiying will be home soon too."
Lin Xiao quickly got up, "I'll help." He followed her into the kitchen.
They worked together in the kitchen, chopping vegetables and preparing ingredients.
It felt good to spend time with his mother, even if he couldn't be with her tomorrow.
As they cooked, Lin Xiao couldn't help but bring up the topic of the sudden holiday again.
"Mom, do you think there's something wrong at DDI Media? It seems odd to give everyone a sudden holiday," he asked while slicing some carrots.
His mother paused, considering his question. "I don't know, Xiao Xiao. It's a bit unusual, but companies have their reasons. Maybe there's some internal issue they're dealing with, or perhaps they want to give us a break."
Lin Xiao nodded, still feeling a bit uneasy. He decided to change the topic to something lighter. "What are we making for dinner tonight?"
"It's Meiying's favorite today—sweet and sour pork," she replied with a smile.
Lin Xiao's mood lifted instantly. "Great! I can't wait to eat."
As they continued cooking, the conversation shifted to more mundane topics, and Lin Xiao felt a sense of normalcy returning.
Despite the mysteries and challenges he was facing, moments like these with his family were precious.
Soon, the delicious aroma of sweet and sour pork filled the kitchen.
As the hours passed and the sun dipped below the horizon, worry set in. Meiying still hadn't returned home, and Mother Lin paced anxiously. "Why isn't she here? It's been almost two hours since school ended," she fretted.
Mother Lin reached for the phone, "I need to call the police."
Lin Xiao shared her concern. "Have you tried calling her?"
"I already did," she replied, "she's not picking up."
"I'll go outside and try to find her," Lin Xiao decided. "Maybe she's still at school."
As he stepped out, Lin Xiao dialed Li Jing's number and quickly explained the situation.
Despite being busy, Li Jing agreed to help. "I'll send some people to her school," she said. "If she's not there, I can ask a friend who can sense people's locations by their smell."
Grateful for the assistance, Lin Xiao hung up and hurried towards the school. The streets felt unusually quiet and eerie as he made his way there.
His mind raced with worry, but he kept his focus on finding Meiying.
Upon reaching the school, he saw a few scattered students and teachers, but no sign of Meiying. He asked around, but no one had seen her.
Just as his anxiety began to spike, he received a call from Li Jing.
"My men searched around the school area, they were not able to find her," she said. "Don't worry, my friend is on her way. Her name is Xiaoyu, and she'll be able to help us track Meiying."
Lin Xiao thanked her and waited for a few minutes.
It wasn't long before a sleek black car pulled up, and a woman stepped out. She had an air of confidence about her and a sharp gaze.
"Lin Xiao?" she asked, and he nodded. "I'm Xiaoyu. Let's quickly find your sister."
First, Lin Xiao took her to his home by car.
Once there, he grabbed some of his sister's clothes and handed them to Xiaoyu, who quickly smelled them.
"I sense her," she said, her eyes narrowing in concentration. "Follow me."
They swiftly moved through the streets, Xiaoyu leading the way with an unwavering focus. Soon, they reached the outskirts of the city, stopping in front of an eerie, abandoned warehouse.
"She's in there," Xiaoyu confirmed. "I can't go in with you; I don't have any fighting prowess. Good luck. I'll call Li Jing for backup."
Lin Xiao nodded and rushed inside.
The interior was dimly lit, and his heart raced as he scanned the room. There, huddled together, were his sister and a group of other kids, all looking terrified.
Some were injured, with one boy missing an arm, others tending to him.
Seeing him, the kids grew wary, but Lin Meiying sprang up, tears streaming down her face.
"Brother!" she cried, rushing towards him and hugging him tightly. "We have to run! These people want to kidnap us. They have superpowers!" she said, her voice trembling with fear. "One of them cut my friend's arm with just a slash."
"Don't worry, Meiying," Lin Xiao reassured her, his mind racing. "We're getting out of here."
He quickly guided the kids towards the exit, keeping himself at the back to protect them. "Meiying, find the black car outside and there should be someone named Xiaoyu, tell her you're my sister. She'll take you home."
Just as they reached the door, Lin Xiao heard footsteps approaching from behind the warehouse.
Urging Meiying to go, he turned to face the threat. Three men emerged from the shadows, their eyes widening in shock at the sight of the escaping children.
"Hey!" one of them shouted, pointing at Lin Xiao. "Who do you think you are?"
Lin Xiao's heart pounded, but he stood his ground. "I'm the one taking these kids home," he declared, his voice steady.
The men exchanged glances, then advanced towards him, their expressions hardening. "You shouldn't have interfered," one of them snarled.
Lin Xiao could see the malice in their eyes and knew he had to act fast.
He quickly assessed his options, realizing that he needed to rely on his abilities to protect himself.
Without hesitation, he activated his memory manipulation domain. The three men noticed the shift immediately. One of them shouted, "No, he's a domain user! We have to run!"
But before they could escape, one man's eyes suddenly turned red, just like the suspect earlier that day. The air around them began to spiral, indicating his wind-type ability. Lin Xiao knew he had to act fast.
...
...
Outside, Meiying was waiting anxiously for her brother to return.
Hearing strange noises from inside the warehouse, she couldn't stay put any longer.
She quickly rushed inside and was met with a shocking sight.
Lin Xiao was floating in the air, his hand on one man's head whose eyes were bleeding.
Two other men were lying on the floor, their bodies looking as if someone had sucked the blood out of them.
The air was thick with tension and an eerie silence.
"Brother?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Lin Xiao turned his head slightly, still maintaining his focus on the man. "Meiying? What are you doing here? You should've gone home."