Chapter 13: Suspicion and Prank

When Rey rushed out of the bathroom—still flustered by Aiden’s earlier threat of electrocution—he found Evan and James waiting for him in the hallway.

“Hey guys, I’m back. Sorry for the delay,” Rey said, scratching his cheek with an apologetic smile.

“No worries, Rey,” Evan replied. “We just got here five minutes ago. But are

you

okay? James said you weren’t feeling well. Should we take you to the infirmary for a quick check-up?”

Rey waved his hand quickly. “Nah, it was just a minor stomach ache—it’s already gone. Nothing to worry about.”

He paused for a beat, then quickly shifted the subject.

“Anyway, forget about me. Evan, what about

you

? You fainted earlier. That wasn’t normal. Is there something going on that you’re not telling us?”

The concern in his voice was genuine, but the subtle change in topic was intentional. Judging by the expressions on their faces, it worked.

Evan shook his head. “No, really. It was just sleep deprivation. Didn’t I already tell you about the dream issue I’ve been having?”

His eyes flicked toward James, who stood silent and unmoving—staring at Evan with narrowed eyes.

Rey noticed the strange tension and tilted his head. “…James? Why are you staring like that?”

James took a step forward.

“Don’t you think Evan’s acting a little… suspicious?”

“Huh?” Rey blinked. “Dude, that’s Evan. Our Evan.”

He placed a hand on James’s shoulder, trying to ease him back. James had a reputation for being aggressive when provoked—and even though he tried to control his temper, it often exploded like a downhill landslide.

“What are you talking about, man?” Evan said, backing up a little. “It’s me! Your one and only Evan! Rey, help me out here or James is gonna send me to the hospital for real!”

“James,” Rey said, frowning. “You said you’d pull a light prank to scare Evan—not

this

. You’re taking it too far.”

“I’m

not

joking!” James barked. “You saw how he changed after that fainting incident! Don’t you think his personality’s different now? Like… someone possessed him. Like in those manhwa or novels, right?”

“WHAT?” Evan threw his hands up. “You think someone

possessed

me? What, like I got reincarnated or transmigrated into my own body after death?”

“That’s

exactly

what I’m saying!” James snapped. “Remember his dream? He said he felt like a different person, had some sword or magic thing going on—what if it was a memory from whoever took over his body?”

James crossed his arms. “If you’re really Evan… then prove it. Tell me something only the three of us would know.”

Evan let out a long sigh. “Alright, listen carefully…”

“When we went to karaoke two months ago,

you

, in your party craze, drank that bottle of alcohol you mistook for soda. You got totally wasted, trashed the room, and vomited all over the place. The owner let us go only because he knew who you were. You

begged

to crash at my house so your parents wouldn’t find out, but they did anyway. You got grounded for a week, and they made you swear not to even

look

at alcohol until you turn twenty—after realizing it was the store’s fault.”

Evan exhaled and looked at James.

“Correct?” he asked.

“…Yeah. That’s… accurate,” James admitted, voice cracking. “But even then… in the novels I read, the guy who reincarnates

also

gets the original’s memories.”

Rey sighed. “Bro, he just gave us a memory you

didn’t

even want to remember. Can you chill already?”

“You can chill,” James muttered. “But

I

won’t.”

He suddenly charged toward Evan.

Evan flinched and closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for a fist to the face. He knew he couldn’t take a punch from James—he’d get mangled like a squashed mango.

But…

The pain never came.

Instead, a firm grip landed on his shoulder.

And then—

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

James burst into laughter. “Look at that, Rey! Our little Evan actually braced himself to get punched for me! You always called him a coward!”

Rey blinked, then facepalmed. “Wait…

that

was the prank? Dude, you almost gave me a heart attack.”

Evan stepped back, groaning. “You were both

pranking me

?! Why?”

James grinned. “We wanted to help with your dream problem. The plan came together in the bathroom when I went to find Rey.”

“That was

help

? I nearly passed out again!” Evan protested, and weakly punched James’s chest. It was like a feather tickling a wall.

“But it worked, didn’t it?” James chuckled. “And besides, I was totally in control.”

Evan grumbled, though a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Anyway,” James clapped his hands, “we’re gonna be late for class if we don’t hurry.”

“Oh crap!” Rey jumped. “Let’s go! We can’t get punished

again

! Sir won’t be lenient this time!”

As they took off toward the stairs, Evan trailed behind with a slower pace, his mind buzzing with thoughts.

‘Damn… James actually noticed the changes in my behavior after that incident. A single glance, and he sensed something was off… If this wasn’t a prank, things might’ve gone very differently. But now that it’s over… time to focus on the plan.’

‘To get myself kidnapped… and end this once and for all.’

“Hey Evan! What are you dragging your feet for? Hurry up!” James shouted from the stairs.

Evan smiled faintly, then picked up the pace.

Author's Note:

Hey guys! 😄

Thanks for reading Chapter 13! This one was more of a light-hearted yet suspenseful moment, but hints are being dropped 👀

The mystery behind Evan’s behavior will be fully revealed in my other story:

“The Third Return of the Necrotic Magic Swordsman”

💀⚔️

Let me know what you think—was the pacing good? Were the interactions natural? Did the prank feel fun or overboard?

Your feedback means a lot!

Have an awesome day (or night), my readers! 💫