Ethan gave her a side glare, pretending to be serious. "You know, a simple thank you and an apology would be nice. Like, ’Thank you, handso stranger, for risking your expensive life to save .’ "
Tara wiped her wet face with the sleeve of his jacket. "Fine. Thank you, crazy handso stranger, for giving pneumonia."
Ethan grinned. "Close enough."
***
When they reached the mansion after the picnic, everyone thought Ethan was simply being slow or dramatic, like always.
But as minutes passed and he didn’t co inside, a strange feeling crept into the air.
They tried calling him imdiately, but when Ray checked..Ethan’s phone was still lying on the back seat of their car.
That’s when true panic began to spread.
The lively atmosphere from the day completely vanished, replaced by a thick, uncomfortable silence.
Even Ray, who usually stayed calm or playful, started feeling overwheld by a strange tightness in his chest. His fingers tightened slightly, his breathing becoming sharp without him even realizing.
Feeling how anxious he was becoming, Gray took control quietly.
Gray placed Ethan’s phone on the table, his face hardening into a colder expression.
Without wasting any ti, he turned to face Grandpa Arthur and Rose.
"Grandpa, you should go rest in your room. Rose, you too," Gray said in a low but steady voice. His tone left no room for argunt.
Arthur frowned, sensing the sudden change in "Sebastian" again, that strange difference in his grandson. But right now, worry for Ethan drowned all other thoughts.
"Alright. Tell imdiately if you find anything," Arthur said heavily, giving a small nod before guiding Rose toward the stairs.
Gray then shifted his attention toward the others still gathered in the hall.
"Miss Ava, please, you too."
Ava looked ready to protest, her fists clenching at her sides but when she saw the dark seriousness in Gray’s eyes, she gave a stiff nod and walked to her room.
Gray’s sharp eyes turned toward Lilith and Nova, who were still sitting tensely in the living room.
He didn’t say a word.
But they understood imdiately.
Without waiting for instructions, both Lilith and Nova stood up and quietly followed Gray outside.
The cool night air hit their faces as they stepped out into the open. The mansion lights glowed behind them, but ahead, the world was darker, heavier, almost too still.
Gray moved quickly, unlocking the car with a click.
They all climbed inside silently. Gray behind the wheel, Lilith beside him, and Nova in the backseat.
No one spoke.
The engine started with a low hum, and the headlights cut through the night like two sharp knives.
Gray drove fast but steady, his hands gripping the wheel tightly, his face expressionsless and focused. His sharp eyes scanned the dark road ahead, the woods on either side creeping closer the deeper they went.
Lilith sat stiffly in the passenger seat, her arms folded across her chest, staring out the window with a unreadable expression.
Nova sat behind them, restless, tapping his knee nervously, looking left and right through the windows as if hoping to spot Ethan by sheer luck.
They didn’t need to ask each other what they were thinking.
Where could he have gone?
Was he hurt?
Was he... alone in the dark sowhere, needing help?
The silence in the car felt heavier than the night itself.
Finally, after what felt like hours but was only minutes, they reached the picnic spot again.
Gray pulled over roughly onto the dirt near the old lake where they had spent the day.
The place looked completely different now.
Where earlier there had been laughter, sun, and warmth...now only shadows remained.
The trees stood like tall, dark giants, their leaves whispering softly in the cold wind. The picnic mats were gone, the grass slightly flattened where they had once sat.
The stillness was sharp. Unwelcoming.
Gray got out of the car first, scanning the area carefully.
Lilith stepped out next, her boots crunching lightly against the dry leaves. She narrowed her eyes, focusing all her senses, trying to feel anything...any trace, any hint of Ethan’s presence.
Nova ca out too, standing behind them nervously, his arms crossed tightly, shifting from foot to foot.
They split up quietly, searching with their eyes, scanning the ground for anything out of place.
Lilith closed her eyes for a mont, trying once again to call upon her faint powers.
Reaching deeper inside herself, listening to the land, the air, the energy around her, desperately hoping for a sign.
But the forest was too big.
Her powers were too weak.
And Ethan...
He was nowhere in sight.
Opening her eyes slowly, Lilith frowned, her worry deepening.
He wasn’t here.
And if he wasn’t here...
Where had he gone?
The night grew colder around them, and the clock inside each of their hearts started ticking louder and louder.
looking around the empty picnic spot. Her heart was heavy with worry, but her mind stayed sharp.
After a few more minutes of checking around the trees and the lake’s edge, she finally spoke, her voice low but sure.
"He’s not here," Lilith said firmly, brushing so dust off her jeans. She turned back toward Gray and Nova who were also searching nearby.
"Maybe he tried to walk around on his own."
Gray nodded slightly, already understanding her thought. Nova looked worried but quickly agreed.
Without wasting ti, Lilith turned and walked back toward the car, her shoes crunching softly against the dry leaves and gravel.
When she reached the car, she pulled open the door and slid into the passenger seat and she switched off the phone flashlight she had kept turned on while searching earlier.
The sudden darkness inside the car made the situation feel even heavier.
Gray and Nova got in too, the doors closing quietly behind them.
Lilith stared straight ahead, her mind already calculating.
If Ethan was left alone without a phone... walking on foot in unfamiliar woods... where would he go?
She tightened her fists slightly on her lap, her jaw firm.
Gray quietly started the car again, his hands steady on the wheel. The headlights cut through the thick darkness, and the car slowly rolled forward along the empty countryside road.
[ AN: Sorry for the delay; I had network problems.]
Reviews
All reviews (0)