𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆

𝟘𝟚𝟡

    "This is insane," Dalia murmured to herself as she scrolled through her phone of everything that had happened since she had been gone with her boyfriend to look at jobs—she had been so consumed with such things that she had failed to realize that one of her best friends was missing, and that her boyfriend had been killed.

Raking her hand through her braids, she sucked in a deep breath, her body trembling.

She couldn't take this.

She couldn't believe she had been away when she should have stayed with (Y/N) and Jeffrey to make sure that they were okay; to make sure that Sam was okay as well. Sam had barely gone out, much less attended classes, shutting herself up somewhere that she didn't reveal even to Dalia.

Dalia covered her face with her hands.

How...?

How did this happen...?

Her boyfriend tried to comfort her, but there was nothing he could do. Dalia felt hopeless in her situation, wishing with all her might that everything could go back to the way it used to be—to the days when she, (Y/N), and Sam would go shopping, go out to eat, or just do nothing but sit and talk for hours on ends, enjoying each other's company.

But such a wish was futile.

Nothing would ever be the same again.

That next morning, Dalia dressed in a pair of slim cut jeans and a black sweater due to the oncoming cold weather before getting into her car and diving down to the police station. Her hands that were gripping the wheel tightened as her mind swarmed with thoughts, each one worse than the last of what had happened to (Y/N).

Who took her?

Were they violent with her?

Do they feed her and give her water?

Was she even still alive, or was she somewhere in the cold woods, dead, with no proper burial?

Dalia asked herself these questions.

And her anxiety only skyrocketed.

Parking the car and shutting the door behind her, she briskly walked into the station and was promptly led towards where she could meet with Suk-Jin, she having already called in advance to let him know that she would like to meet with him. Stepping into his office, she could see that he was as embroiled in the case of (Y/N)'s disappearance as much as she was, papers and files of all sorts littering his desk.

And then there was the man.

He was sitting at his desk with a rigid posture, his dark hair smoothened back with not a hair out of place, his face clean-shaven while his suit was pressed.

Then there were his eyes.

This was the first time Dalia was meeting Suk-Jin, but already his eyes sent shivers down her spine.

They weren't warm.

They were completely lifeless.

"What can I do for you, Miss Thorne?" Suk-Jin asked as he leaned forward and laced his hands together in front of his chin while his elbows stayed propped up onto the table, those dark eyes of his boring into her form and making her squirm. "If you're here to ask about any leads to Miss (L/N)'s disappearance or Mr. Pèrez's killer, then I'm afraid I cannot help you. Not enough evidence has been compiled to even narrow down a solid suspect."

"I see..." she numbly replied.

"I'm guessing that is not all you were wishing to discuss, were you?"

"I heard that this case will close at the end of this week," Dalia flicked her eyes upwards from her lap towards Suk-Jin, her lips twitching from his almost uncaring expression. "Is that true?"

"It is."

"Why?"

"Officially, the case will be labeled as unsolved since after a month, no leads have been found," Suk-Jin declared stoically. "But, that does not mean that eventually, something will come to light that will allow this case to be reopened and solved."

"That's not good enough!" Dalia slammed her hands down on his desk as she stood up.

Fury like molten lava coursed through her.

She missed (Y/N).

She missed her friend so much.

She couldn't stand the thought of (Y/N) being tortured or never knowing if she was dead or alive at the hands of a madman or woman.

"Miss Thorne..." Suk-Jin's dead eyes stared her through. "Please heed my words when I tell you this: the one who took Miss (L/N) and who killed Mr. Pèrez are one and the same. They intruded on not just their lives, but your friend's, Miss Sam Locke's, as well. Please, be careful."

Dalia flinched.

His words sounded kind.

But for some reason, she felt as if there were an underlying threat to them as well.