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“Take the west side,” Malachi instructs. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”
Logan nods again and starts jogging in the direction Malachi indicated. We split up, each taking a different direction. The night presses in around me, a living, malevolent thing. Streetlights cast sickly yellow pools on the sidewalk, creating more shadows than they banish. Every rustle of leaves, every distant car horn, becomes a potential clue…or a threat. The air itself feels heavy with our failure, the chill seeping into my bones a constant reminder of Aria, alone somewhere in this unforgiving darkness.
I push forward, calling Aria’s name into the empty streets, my voice cracking with desperation. Each step feels like a step further away from hope, but I refuse to give up. I pray that we find her before it’s too late, the fear of what might happen to her tightening like a vise around my heart.
The silence of the night feels oppressive, each echo of my footsteps a cruel reminder that she’s out there alone. My thoughts race with images of what could happen if someone else finds her first. Fear gnaws at my insides, each anxious thought another weight on my chest.
“Aria!” I shout again, my voice hoarse. I scan the dimly lit streets, the shadows playing tricks on my eyes. Every corner and alleyway feels like a potential hiding spot, but she’s nowhere to be found.
I approach a small park, my heart leaping at every shadow. The swings creak ominously in the breeze, the sound unnaturally loud in the silent night. I freeze, straining to hear any hint of Aria’s presence. But there’s nothing—just the mocking rustle of leaves and the pounding of my own heart. Each second of silence feels like a failure, another moment Aria spends alone and in danger. I clench my fists, trying to keep the rising panic at bay.
“Think, Quinn, think,” I mutter to myself, trying to piece together where she might have gone. She’s scared, vulnerable, and running on instinct. She’ll look for a place where she feels safe.
A sudden thought strikes me, and I head toward the old library on the edge of town. It’s a place she mentioned once, a quiet sanctuary where she used to go to escape. As I approach, my hope begins to wane. The building is dark, the windows lifeless. I peer inside, but there’s no sign of her.
“Damn,” I whisper, turning back to the street. My fingers tremble as I pull out my phone, the screen’s harsh glow momentarily blinding me in the darkness. I dial Cayenne, the familiar tones a lifeline in the chaos. The phone feels slick in my sweaty palm as I press it to my ear, desperately hoping for good news.
“Quinn, any luck?” she answers, her voice tight with worry.
“No,” I reply, my voice shaking. “She’s not at the park or the library. I don’t know where else to look.”
“Keep searching,” she says, her voice a lifeline. “Check places she might have mentioned, places that feel safe to her. I’m on my way. We’ll find her.”
I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Okay. Be careful, Cayenne.”
“You too,” she says, and the line goes dead.
I pocket my phone and take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I can’t afford to fall apart now. I have to find her. I jog back toward the main road, calling her name and listening for any response.
Don’t fall apart.
My heart aches in my chest. It’s so easy for Cayenne to tell us what to do, but we never really took enough time to get to know Aria.
Now, that oversight is a knife twisting in my gut. I feel so completely helpless, like I’m running in circles with no end in sight.
As I turn a corner, I see Malachi and Zane up ahead, their faces etched with worry. They shake their heads, confirming my fears—no sign of her.
I run a hand through my hair, my mind racing through possibilities. “We need to approach this systematically,” I say, my voice tight with barely controlled panic. “Let’s map out all the places she’s mentioned, no matter how insignificant they seemed at the time.”
Zane nods, his face drawn. “Good idea. We can’t afford to overlook anything.”
“Agreed,” Malachi adds, his calm demeanor wavering slightly. “Every detail counts now.”
We split up again, the weight of the night pressing down on us. I make my way toward the river, the cold air stinging my lungs. The sound of rushing water fills the silence, a stark contrast to the fear that grips my heart.
“Aria!” I shout, my voice echoing off the water. I scan the banks, the underbrush, anywhere she might be hiding. The minutes stretch into an eternity, each passing second a reminder that she’s out there, alone and scared. Panic rises in me like a tide, threatening to drown out all rational thought.
I hear footsteps behind me and turn to see Dash, his face pale. “Anything?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.
I shake my head, despair creeping in. “No. We have to keep looking,” I say, the words feeling hollow and insufficient.
We continue our search, the darkness swallowing our voices. The fear gnaws at me, a relentless ache that won’t be silenced. I push forward, refusing to let dread consume me.
We will find her. We have to. The thought fuels my determination. I won’t let anything happen to her.
The night stretches on, the cold seeping into my bones. I call her name again and again, my voice growing weaker with each attempt. The streets are empty, the silence deafening.
With each footfall, my hopes deflate more and more.
