MIX-UP (JossGawin)

Chapter 16

Tong wasn't anywhere near ready to call it a night. The workshop buzzed with energy, the smell of solder and the hum of tools filling the air. He and his friends were hunched over their latest project: a surveillance drone, sleek and compact, with tiny rotors and a camera embedded in its base.

"Pass me the soldering iron," Tong said, his eyes fixed on the circuit board in front of him, the glow of the desk lamp highlighting his focused expression.

One of his friends slid the tool over. "You're really into this, huh?"

Tong grinned, not looking up. "Hell yeah. If this thing works, we'll have eyes everywhere. No more guesswork. Imagine what we can do—watch the campus, track anyone, maybe even find Mark."

His friends laughed, but Tong's mind was elsewhere. The thought of Mark's disappearance hung like a cloud. Sure, not having to deal with feeding a vampire was a relief, but the apartment felt emptier without him. And there was always that nagging question: where had he gone?

"Alright, moment of truth," Tong announced, connecting the final wires. "Let's fire this baby up."The drone buzzed to life, its rotors whirring as it lifted off the table and hovered in the air. Cheers erupted, and Tong couldn't help but smile at their success.

"Now for the camera," he said, pulling up the live feed on his laptop. The screen flickered, then steadied, showing a clear view of the room. "We've got real-time surveillance."

"Dude," one of his friends said, leaning over to look. "This is awesome."

Tong nodded, but in the back of his mind, he still felt uneasy.

Joe finally finished cleaning up his lab station, the exhaustion settling into his bones. He peeled off his gloves, letting out a long sigh as his phone buzzed. A message from Tong.

Hey, man. Done with your lab stuff yet?

Joe typed back quickly. Just finished. Heading home. You still at the workshop?

Yeah, Tong replied. Working on a surveillance drone. You won't believe how cool this thing is.

Joe chuckled softly. Sounds like fun. See you at home.

By the time Joe got back to the apartment, it was nearly 2 AM. He shuffled into the kitchen, grabbing a snack, then collapsed onto the couch, ready to sink into the cushions. 

The quiet of the apartment felt heavier than usual, almost eerie.

The front door creaked open, and Tong walked in, looking exhausted but triumphant. His grin was smug as he dropped onto the couch beside Joe.

"Late night?" Joe asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah," Tong said, stretching his arms. "But worth it. The drone's a success. We've got eyes in the sky."

Joe snorted. "Great. Now we can spy on our neighbors without ever leaving the apartment."

Tong smirked. "Exactly. Oh, and no sign of Mark. Guess he really did take off."

Joe's amusement faded. "Still weird. I can't shake the feeling he'll be back."

Tong shrugged, leaning back. "Maybe. But for now, I'm just glad we're not babysitting a hungry vampire."

Joe nodded, staring at the ceiling. "Yeah, me too. Let's just hope things stay quiet for a while."

They sat in the heavy stillness, the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound. But deep down, both knew this calm wouldn't last.