CHAPTER 11 — Gone (Lina POV)
868 Words
Lina knew something was wrong on the third day.
Not the first.
Not the second.
The third.
Because Elara was many things complicated, stubborn, emotionally unavailable when she wanted to be
But she wasn’t careless.
She didn’t just disappear.
Lina stood outside Elara’s apartment, arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared at the door like it had personally offended her.
Three days.
No calls.
No texts.
No sarcastic replies.
Nothing.
“That’s not funny,” Lina muttered, pulling out her phone again.
She dialed.
Again.
The line rang.
And rang.
And then
Voicemail.
Lina’s jaw tightened.
“Okay,” she said under her breath. “You’ve made your point. You’re mad. I get it.”
A pause.
“…but this is getting weird now.”
She ended the call, staring at the screen for a moment before trying again.
Straight to voicemail.
Her stomach dropped slightly.
That wasn’t like her.
Not even when she was upset.
Elara always answered.
Even if it was just to say:
«“I don’t feel like talking.”»
Lina stepped closer to the door, knocking firmly.
“Ellie?”
Silence.
She knocked again.
Louder this time.
“Okay, if you’re ignoring me, just know I’m breaking in,” she warned.
Still nothing.
Lina exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair.
“Great. Love this for me.”
She reached for the handle.
Turned it.
Locked.
Of course it was locked.
But something felt off.
Too… untouched.
Like no one had been in or out for a while.
Her chest tightened.
“Okay… not funny anymore,” she whispered.
—
An hour later, she was inside.
And everything felt wrong.
Lina stood in the middle of the apartment, her eyes scanning slowly.
Nothing was missing.
Nothing was broken.
Nothing was out of place.
Which was exactly the problem.
It looked…
Paused.
Like someone had just stepped out for a second.
Except—
It had been days.
“Elara?” Lina called again, her voice quieter this time.
No answer.
She moved further in, her steps slower now.
Careful.
Her fingers brushed against the counter.
Cold.
Unused.
Her gaze drifted toward the couch.
A blanket.
Folded.
Neat.
Elara didn’t fold blankets.
Lina frowned.
“That’s weird…”
She walked toward the bedroom.
Pushed the door open.
Empty.
Her chest tightened further.
“Okay… okay, think,” she muttered, pacing slightly now.
“She probably left. Maybe she’s staying somewhere. Maybe her phone died”
She stopped.
Her eyes landing on the nightstand.
The phone charger.
Still plugged in.
Her stomach dropped.
No.
No, no
“Elara doesn’t go anywhere without her phone,” Lina whispered.
Not even to the bathroom.
Not even to sleep.
She grabbed it quickly.
Nothing.
No phone.
Just the charger.
Her heart started racing.
This wasn’t normal.
This wasn’t “Elara being Elara.”
This was
Wrong.
Lina stepped back slowly, her breathing uneven now.
Something cold settled in her chest.
“She didn’t leave,” she said quietly.
The words felt heavy.
Real.
“She didn’t just leave.”
Her grip tightened slightly as her mind started racing.
Think.
Think.
What happened before this?
Her brows pulled together.
The last time they spoke
Elara sounded off.
Distracted.
Tired.
But not like this.
Not gone.
“…you said someone was watching you,” Lina whispered.
Her eyes widened slightly.
At the time, she laughed it off.
Told her she was overthinking.
Told her to sleep.
Told her to relax.
Her stomach twisted painfully.
“s**t…”
Lina ran a hand over her face, pacing again.
“No, no, no this is not happening.”
She grabbed her phone again, scrolling quickly.
Calls.
Messages.
Nothing recent.
Nothing helpful.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.
Think.
Who else?
Her finger hovered over a name.
Adrian.
She hesitated.
Then scoffed softly.
“…great. Just what I need.”
She hit call.
The line rang.
Once.
Twice.
Then
“Lina?” his voice came through, already tense. “Have you heard from her?”
Her heart dropped.
That was all the answer she needed.
“No,” she said quickly. “You haven’t either?”
“No,” he snapped. “I’ve been calling her for days. She’s not answering. I thought she was ignoring me”
“She’s not,” Lina cut in sharply.
A pause.
Then
“What do you mean?”
Lina looked around the apartment again.
At the stillness.
At the untouched space.
At the absence.
“She’s gone.”
Silence filled the line.
Heavy.
Uncertain.
Then Adrian exhaled shakily. “That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Her voice was firm now.
Serious.
Something had shifted.
“I’m at her place,” Lina continued. “Everything’s here. Her charger. Her stuff. But she’s not.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
“…you think something happened?” he asked, his voice quieter now.
Lina didn’t answer immediately.
Because she already knew.
She could feel it.
Something wasn’t right.
Something was very, very wrong.
“Yes,” she said finally.
Her grip tightened on her phone.
“I do.”
And for the first time since this started
Lina wasn’t just worried.
She was afraid.
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