Gabriel Reyes: Whispers in the Arcade (Episode 2)

Gabriel sat at the edge of his bed, staring at his phone. Jamal had texted again, urging him to come to the arcade. His reflection in the screen stared back at him—a kid barely holding it together. The cafeteria incident had left a mark—Bradley’s fearful, disgusted face haunted him. Since that day, Gabriel couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong inside him, like there was a switch he couldn’t control.

His phone buzzed.

Jamal: “Arcade today. You in?”

Gabriel sighed. The thought of being around people, around noise and energy, made his skin crawl. It had been a week since the cafeteria lights exploded, and he wasn’t ready for another outburst. His skin still tingled sometimes, like static was trapped beneath the surface, itching to escape.

But Jamal didn’t know any of that. Jamal was his best friend—his only real friend since he moved to Nashville. He couldn’t say no.

Gabriel: “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

He shoved the phone into his pocket and stood up, already dreading the loud, chaotic mall. He took a deep breath. He could do this. Just keep it together.

On the walk to the mall, Gabriel kept his head down, trying to ignore the weight in his chest. The streets felt too quiet, like the city was holding its breath. He replayed last week’s events in his mind—the flickering lights, the shattered glass, and the silence that followed. His hands had trembled then, too, buzzing with energy he couldn’t understand. Couldn’t control.

By the time he reached the arcade, his heart was already pounding. The air inside the mall was thick with sound—shouts, laughter, the sharp clang of machines. It was overwhelming. His skin prickled as the arcade lights flashed overhead, each blink sending a jolt of unease through him.

Jamal was at the Street Fighter machine, grinning as he destroyed a couple of older kids. Gabriel wanted to be like him—relaxed, confident, like nothing could shake him. But the tension in the air made Gabriel feel like he was one wrong step away from disaster.

He stayed by the entrance, leaning against the wall, eyes scanning the room for anything that felt out of place. His gaze drifted to the far side of the arcade, where David Cormack and his friends were huddled near the racing games. David, with his cocky smile and loud voice, was the king of their school’s social scene. The party he was throwing next weekend? It was all anyone could talk about.

But Gabriel wasn’t looking at David. He was watching Zane.

Zane stood a little apart from the group, skateboard in hand, his face tight with frustration. His knuckles were white as he gripped the board like he was ready to swing it at the nearest person. Gabriel had never seen Zane like this before. He was usually the kid who didn’t care what people thought, the one who skated through the halls like nothing could touch him. But today? Something was different.

Zane’s eyes kept flicking toward David’s group, and Gabriel could feel the tension radiating off him. The storm inside Zane was building, and Gabriel could sense it like static in the air.

“Yo, Gabe!” Jamal’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “What’s up with you, man? You look like you’re about to punch somebody.”

Gabriel forced a smile. “Just… thinking.”

Jamal laughed. “You always think too much. It’s an arcade, bro. Chill.”

Gabriel tried to relax, but his gaze kept returning to Zane. Something about the way he was standing, the way he looked at David and his friends, made Gabriel uneasy.

Jamal noticed and nudged him. “It’s the party, man. Zane’s been pissed all week ‘cause he didn’t get invited. Word is, Anna’s been spreading stuff about him.”

Anna Perry was sitting by the prize counter, scribbling in her notebook like she always did. Quiet, almost invisible, but always taking notes. Gabriel had never understood why she wrote down everything, but rumors followed her. People said she wrote down secrets, spread gossip without saying a word.

And now, it looked like Zane believed it.

Before Gabriel could say anything, Zane started moving. He marched across the arcade, his skateboard dragging behind him, his face twisted in frustration.

Gabriel’s stomach dropped. “Zane, wait—”

But Zane wasn’t listening.

He stopped in front of Anna, his skateboard slamming against the floor with a sharp thud. His fists clenched and unclenched, his face flushed with anger.

“You,” Zane muttered, his voice low but dangerous. “You think this is funny?”

Anna looked up from her notebook, startled. “What?”

“You’ve been writing stuff down about me. Why? Leave me alone!”

Anna’s eyes widened in confusion. “I didn’t—”

“Don’t lie!” Zane’s voice rose, and Gabriel felt the air around them grow thick with tension. His skin tingled, the buzz growing stronger. He could feel it—the way Zane’s frustration was feeding into the storm inside him.

Anna’s hand trembled as she clutched her notebook. “I didn’t spread anything about you.”

Zane wasn’t hearing her. His skateboard hit the ground again, louder this time, echoing through the arcade. Kids started to look over, sensing the brewing conflict. Gabriel’s chest tightened. The lights overhead flickered slightly, and he knew—he was losing control again.

“Zane!” Gabriel’s voice cracked as he stepped forward. “You need to stop.”

Zane shot him a look, his eyes wild. “Stay out of this, Reyes. You don’t get it.”

Gabriel’s heart pounded in his chest, the buzzing under his skin growing louder. He had to calm down, had to keep himself in check. The last thing he needed was another outburst.

But Zane was like a ticking time bomb, and Gabriel could feel the emotions swirling around him—anger, frustration, rejection. It was all building, feeding into Gabriel’s own storm. The lights flickered again.

“Look,” Gabriel said, trying to keep his voice steady, “you’re pissed off, I get it. But this isn’t the way.”

Zane wasn’t listening. His frustration boiled over, and in one swift motion, he grabbed his skateboard and slammed it against the arcade machine next to them. The glass shattered with a deafening crash, and suddenly, the entire arcade went silent.

Gabriel’s breath hitched. The pressure inside him, the buzzing, it was all too much. The lights flickered again, and Gabriel’s vision blurred. The energy inside him swirled, pulling at the machines, the lights, the people around him.

And then everything went dark.

The lights above them exploded with a sharp pop, sending shards of glass raining down. Kids screamed, ducking for cover as the arcade machines powered down one by one, leaving the room in eerie silence. The only light came from the emergency exit signs, casting a dim glow over the chaos.

Gabriel stood frozen, his body trembling with the release of energy. He hadn’t wanted this. He hadn’t meant to lose control. But it had happened again.

Jamal rushed over, his face pale. “Gabe… what the hell just happened?”

Gabriel couldn’t speak. His chest felt hollow, like all the air had been sucked out of him. He looked around at the wreckage—the broken glass, the shocked faces, Zane standing still as a statue, his skateboard clutched tightly in his hand. And Anna, huddled on the floor, clutching her notebook like it was a lifeline.

“I… I didn’t mean to…” Gabriel whispered, but the words felt empty.

In his mind, Nocturne’s voice echoed, cold and haunting. You can’t run from this forever, Gabriel.

Gabriel backed away, his heart pounding. The weight of his powers, the danger they posed—it was suffocating.

“I have to go,” he muttered, turning toward the exit.

“Gabe, wait!” Jamal called after him, but Gabriel didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Not now.

As he fled the arcade, the buzzing in his skin faded, but the fear remained. Fear of what he had done. Fear of what he might do next.

He thought about Nocturne’s warning: “But you don’t know how to control it. Without me, you’ll destroy everything.”

Gabriel swallowed hard, willing the sick pit of bile building in his stomach to stay put. He was going to have to hear Nocturne out at least.

He felt his body begin to buzz just with the thought of the strange man’s name. What sort of name was Nocturne?

“How does he know?” Gabriel whispered aloud as he made his way through the winding alleys toward home.