Elián was gone.
No note. No call. No trace.
Cassian tore through the studio, searching for clues.
The panic button was still on the couch.
Untouched.
Vivienne claimed she didn't know where he was.
Cassian didn't believe her.
"You pushed him," he said.
Vivienne's voice was ice. "And you broke him."
Cassian checked the security footage.
Nothing.
No exit. No breach.
Just a glitch.
At 2:47 a.m., the cameras went black for thirteen seconds.
When they came back on, Elián was gone.
He called every contact. Every friend. Every hotel.
Nothing.
Then, a message.
"You lost him. I didn't."
Attached: a photo.
Elián.
Asleep.
Again.
But this time, his wrists were bound.
Cassian dropped the phone.
His hands were shaking.
He hadn't shaken in years.
He returned to the studio.
Sat in the chair where Elián had filmed his last scene.
He played the footage again.
Elián's voice, soft, defiant:
"So if you're watching — good. Watch me survive."
Cassian whispered, "I'm coming."