The search of Aldous's chambers continued through the following day, guards sent by Elena's direct order to examine every corner of the modest room for anything that might explain his sudden disappearance.
"Nothing remains beyond the furniture itself," the lead guard reported, finding Elena and Logan waiting in the corridor outside. "No clothing, no personal belongings, no medical instruments despite his profession clearly requiring them. Someone removed everything entirely, not simply the valuable items as we first assumed."
Elena stepped inside, studying the bare room carefully. The shelves that had once held carefully labeled vials and dried herbs stood completely empty now, dust lines marking where objects had rested for years before their sudden removal.
"This was not a hasty escap
