"That’s a start," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But it’s still vague. I need to dig deeper."
"Just be careful, Es," Ryan warned, his voice thick with concern. "Whatever you find out, don’t let it put you in danger."
"I promise," she replied, her tone steady and unwavering. "I’ll find her. For all of us."
With the call ending, Es hung up and felt the weight of their expectations settle on her like a shroud. The road ahead was fraught with uncertainty, but she felt a surge of determination coursing through her. Each twist and turn could lead her closer to the truth—and to the reckoning she sought.
As she drove through the night, the city lights blurred into streaks of color, mirroring the chaos within her.
Es’s phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence that hung in the air as she navigated the empty streets. Her hands tightened around the wheel for a mont before she glanced at her phone, which was securely fastened to the holder on the dashboard. Without taking her eyes off the road, she tapped the answer button and spoke calmly. "Hello?"
On the other end, the voice that responded was distorted, chanical, and almost inhuman. It was clear that the caller was using a voice modulator. Es didn’t flinch—she knew exactly who it was. "Yes, K?" she asked, her tone steady and expectant.
The robotic voice filled the car, cold and thodical. "From the information you provided, we’ve narrowed it down to five possibilities," the voice said, each word deliberate and unnerving in its precision. "Three locations share similarities: they’re all near lakes, with the sa kind of watercress growing along the banks." There was a brief pause, the crackling of the chanical voice hanging in the air.
Es furrowed her brow as she processed the information, feeling a sense of anticipation building in her chest. The puzzle pieces were beginning to fit together.
"The fourth," K continued, "is irrelevant to your search. A family still lives there, and it’s not connected to what you’re looking for."
Es’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, her focus intensifying as K reached the final point.
"The last one," K said, "matches most of your descriptions. It’s not a natural lake but a man-made pond, cut off from the river and designed to mimic the surroundings you described. There’s a beautiful garden around it, exactly as you said." The robotic voice paused, giving Es a mont to digest the information. "It’s the most promising lead."
Es’s mind raced as the details sank in. A man-made pond with a garden—sothing her father might have chosen for its tranquility and isolation. "And the house?" she asked, her voice a little sharper, betraying her impatience.
"The house fits as well. Small, modest, no servants around. From what I can gather, it seems to align perfectly with your request."
Es exhaled slowly, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitent and dread. "Send the coordinates," she said, her voice low but firm.
"Already done," K replied, a chanical click signaling the end of the call.
Es glanced at her phone, the coordinates flashing on the screen. Her pulse quickened as she took in the location. This was it. Finally, a tangible lead in the search that had consud her for so long. She pressed her foot down on the accelerator, the car surging forward as she sped toward the unknown, her mind fixated on what she might find.
As Es neared her destination, her eyes caught sight of the rugged highway stretching ahead. The road, a precarious one-way path, snaked along the side of a steep hill. The uneven surface was dotted with loose rocks, making it treacherous for any driver unaccustod to its dangers. If another car were to co from the opposite direction, there would be no room to pass. But Es, having mastered driving at a young age, didn’t hesitate. She kept her speed fast, her focus sharp, her hands gripping the wheel with confidence.
Despite her composure, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat heavier than the last. There was a growing urgency inside her, a dread she couldn’t shake. I have to get there, she thought, her mind racing with images of him. She could almost feel his sadness, his pain. What has that psychopath done to him? Her throat tightened with the thought, and she pressed harder on the accelerator.
But then, in the distance, sothing caught her eye—a flash of light on the road ahead, gleaming like tal under the moonlight. Her stomach lurched with imdiate recognition.
"Damn it!" she cursed under her breath.
Her instincts kicked in as her foot slamd on the brake pedal, trying to bring the car to a halt. But the road was too rough, and her speed too fast. The tires screeched against the loose gravel, but it was already too late.
Boom!
The deafening sound of tal crumpling filled the air as the car crashed into the rocky hillside. The impact jolted her body, throwing her forward against the seatbelt. Glass shattered, and dust rose in a thick cloud around her. For a mont, the world spun, her ears ringing from the collision. Pain shot through her chest where the seatbelt had dug into her skin, and her hands trembled against the steering wheel.
On the other side of town, in the dark, windowless room where he was kept, his heart suddenly clenched. His breath ca in shallow gasps as if an invisible force had stabbed him. He pressed a hand to his chest, eyes wide, struggling to understand the overwhelming sense of dread that gripped him.
He was still trapped in that suffocating place, his surroundings as oppressive as ever. His eyes, heavy with exhaustion and dried from the dust in the air, felt like they had been buried in sand. He knew sothing was wrong—sothing terrible had just happened. Though he couldn’t explain it, the feeling was unmistakable.
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