138. Missing
Two hours had passed since morning classes began, and the St. Lumina University courtyard buzzed with energy. Students laughed, shared snacks, and gathered in small groups under the warm afternoon sun. The air smelled faintly of freshly cut grass and the soft perfume of blooming flowers, lending the campus a lively, almost carefree atmosphere.
Chloe was seated on a low stone wall near the central fountain, animatedly chatting and laughing with a circle of her friends. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight as she gestured dramatically at something one of them had said. Her laughter was infectious, drawing smiles from those nearby.
But even amid her cheerful antics, something nagged at her senses — a quiet, unexplainable emptiness. She looked around instinctively, her eyes scanning for one presence that should have been with them.
Chloe (concerned, whispering to herself): "Marcelline…? Where's Marcelline?"
Her smile faltered slightly, and the laughter around her now seemed distant, almost muffled. She stood abruptly, brushing a strand of hair from her face, and made her way toward Liz, who was arranging her books in a neat pile under the shade of a tree.
Chloe (anxious, voice trembling slightly): "Liz! Hey… Liz, have you seen Marcelline? She… she's not with anyone?"
Liz looked up, her expression hesitant, almost guilty. She bit her lip before responding softly.
Liz (careful): "Um… Chloe… Marcelline said she wasn't feeling well. She said she had a slight fever… and she left a little while ago."
Chloe froze mid-step, her heart skipping a beat.
Chloe (voice catching): "F-fever? But… she seemed fine earlier! She was just… just smiling and joking!"
Liz nodded slowly, eyes sympathetic.
Liz: "I know… but she looked pale for a moment, and she insisted she'd be okay… She didn't want anyone to worry."
Chloe's chest tightened as panic began to seep in, replacing the warmth of laughter with a cold knot of fear.
Chloe (frantic, almost yelling): "No! That's not okay! She shouldn't be alone! What if she collapses? What if something happens to her?!"
Liz placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her, but Chloe could barely feel it. Her mind was already racing, heart hammering against her ribs.
Chloe (muttering, panicked): "She can't be… she can't just leave like that… not when she's… not when she's—"
Her fingers trembled as she pulled her phone from her bag. Her hands were shaking, and a cold sweat prickled her forehead. She opened a new message and quickly typed:
> Aiden: Marcelline… she's not here. She said she had a fever and left… I don't know where she went…
Her thumbs hovered over the send button for a brief moment, almost afraid of the consequences, and then pressed it with a sense of urgency.
---
Meanwhile, several meters away, Aiden had been walking slowly through the shaded walkway of the campus, lost in thoughts about Marcelline, her gentle smile, and the way she had made the morning feel… so alive. His chest had been light and warm — until the sudden vibration of his phone shattered the moment.
Aiden's eyes flew open, and his heart immediately skipped. He saw Chloe's name flashing on the screen and a single line of text that immediately made him stop dead in his tracks:
> Chloe: Marcelline… she's not here. She said she had a fever and left… I don't know where she went…
Aiden's fingers trembled as he read it again, hoping his mind was playing a cruel trick.
Aiden (whispering, stunned): "No… no, that can't be right… she was fine this morning… she was fine…"
His chest tightened, and a cold wave of dread rolled over him. He could almost feel the absence of her presence, the subtle warmth of her smile missing from the courtyard like a sudden void.
Aiden (panicked, his voice low but sharp): "Chloe… where exactly did she go? Did she say anything else?"
He quickly typed a reply, hands shaking.
> Aiden: Chloe… stay calm. Did she mention a location? Someone walk with her?
Chloe's reply came almost instantly:
> Chloe: No… she insisted she was fine… she didn't want anyone to come with her… I'm worried, Aiden. What if she collapses alone?
Aiden's chest constricted further. He gritted his teeth and ran a hand through his hair.
Aiden (thinking, desperate): "She wouldn't leave if she were seriously sick… would she? But… fever? Alone… She's not like this… something's wrong…"
His mind raced through every possibility. Fever could mean anything, but Chloe's fear was genuine, and that made his worry flare even higher.
Aiden (aloud, voice tense): "No… no, I have to find her. I have to make sure she's okay…"
He glanced at the courtyard, noticing the lively students around him, oblivious to the storm of fear now raging inside him. He could almost hear her laughter, her calm voice, the subtle warmth she radiated — and the terrifying thought that it was missing sent a sharp pang through his chest.
Aiden (muttering, determined): "I won't let anything happen to her… not while I can do something…"
---
Back in the courtyard, Chloe's eyes filled with tears as she reread her own message to Aiden, the worry gnawing at her like a living thing. She clutched her bag tightly, unable to sit still, pacing as she waited desperately for his response.
> Aiden: I'm coming. Stay with your friends, Chloe. I'll find her.
Chloe's hands shook as she nodded silently, though the warmth of his words barely eased her worry. She glanced around the bustling courtyard, imagining Marcelline alone somewhere, fragile, and the fear became almost unbearable.
Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, loud and relentless, mirroring the panic rising in Aiden somewhere on the path toward her missing friend.
---
The afternoon sun continued to pour over the campus, golden and warm, but for Chloe and Aiden, the brightness did nothing to illuminate their fear. Every step, every passing student, every distant laugh felt like a cruel reminder that Marcelline was missing, and that somewhere, she might be struggling — alone.
Chloe's lips quivered as she muttered to herself, almost unable to speak:
Chloe (softly, desperate): "Please… please be okay, Marcelline…"
Chloe was scared that entity might have done her something because she was connected to them as well..
And somewhere in the distance, two hearts raced — one frantic and panicked, one silently determined — each pulled by the invisible thread that connected them to the girl who had vanished without a trace.
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