Patience Heart

Searching Mathias Part 1

It had been two weeks since Mathias left for South Korea. We had spent his last night here together, wrapped in the warmth of each other's company, talking about our future. He had whispered sweet things about the life he imagined for us, and I had clung to every word. What I didn't know at the time was that Mathias was flying halfway around the world to speak to his family—not for work, but to discuss his plan to marry me.

He had wanted it to be a surprise, the engagement, but now that he had disappeared, all I wanted was to hear his voice, to know he was safe. It had been a week since I last heard from him. At first, I thought it was just him getting caught up with family matters, but day after day passed, and no message came. His phone had been off the entire time, and no matter how many times I tried calling, texting, or even emailing him, the silence remained deafening.

"Mathias, where are you?" I whispered to myself, my phone resting uselessly in my hand.

I reached out to his secretary, Kimberly, hoping she could shed some light. If Mathias wasn't answering me, maybe he had reached out to her.

"Kimberly, it's Viola," I said when she picked up. "Have you heard from Mathias? I've been trying to get ahold of him, but... nothing."

There was a pause, and then Kimberly spoke, her voice laced with concern. "I'm sorry, Viola. I haven't heard from him either. His phone's been off for days now. I even checked in with some of his colleagues, but no one knows anything. This isn't like him."

The unease I'd been trying to ignore surged to the surface. Mathias was never the type to just disappear. Even when he was busy, he always found time to send a quick text or call, even if it was just to say goodnight. Something was wrong.

"Do you know how to reach his family in Korea?" I asked, my voice strained. "Maybe his mother? Anyone who might know where he is?"

Kimberly let out a sigh. "I wish I could help. He's mentioned his mother lives in Seoul, but he's never given me her contact info. You know how private he is about family matters."

I nodded, though Kimberly couldn't see me. Mathias had always been careful about sharing personal details, especially when it came to his family. All I knew was that his father had passed away when he was a child, and his mother had remarried and moved back to South Korea. He rarely spoke about them, and while I respected his boundaries, I now wished I had asked more questions.

The weight of the unknown pressed down on me, and I realized I couldn't handle this alone. There was only one person I could turn to now: Samil.

Samil was an old friend, someone I hadn't spoken to directly in months. He was a hacker by trade, once notorious in the underground world under the alias "Jom4." He had since gone straight, running a legitimate tech repair business, but I knew he still dabbled in his old ways from time to time. More importantly, I knew he could find anyone—no matter how deep they'd buried themselves.

When I called Samil, I wasn't sure what to expect. He had a reputation for being cheeky, especially when it came to me, but I hoped he would take my request seriously.

"Well, well, well," he answered after the second ring. "Look who's calling—the woman who only calls when she's in trouble."

Despite the panic twisting in my gut, I chuckled softly. "Yeah, I know. Guilty as charged. But I need your help, Samil. It's important."

There was a slight pause, and when Samil spoke again, his voice had softened, just a little. "What's going on, Viola?"

"I need you to find someone for me. Mathias... he's missing. He went to Korea, and I haven't heard from him in over a week. His phone's off, no texts, no calls—nothing. I don't have any family contacts for him, just that his mother lives in Seoul. I... I think something might have happened to him."

Samil's tone shifted, the teasing completely gone. "Your boyfriend? The guy you've been seeing?"

"Yes," I replied, my voice cracking. "I know he went to Korea to talk to his family. He wanted to tell them about... about us. He was going to ask their permission to marry me."

Another pause, and then a sigh. "Alright, Viola. I'll help. You know I will. But you've got to understand—this could take time. Finding someone with so little information isn't easy, even for me."

"I know," I whispered. "I just... I need to know he's okay, Samil. I don't know what I'd do if something's happened to him."

"You'll owe me big for this one," he said, but his voice was gentle now. "I'll start digging, see what I can find. Give me everything you've got—whatever you know about his trip, his family, anything. Even the smallest detail could help."

I rattled off everything I could remember, every snippet of conversation I had with Mathias before he left. I told Samil about his mother, about how Mathias had been nervous about the trip, even though he had tried to hide it. I shared the little I knew about his family dynamics—the distance that had always been there, the strained relationship with his mother after she remarried.

"That's all I've got," I said finally, feeling helpless. "I know it's not much."

"It's a start," Samil replied. "I'll see what I can do. But Viola—stay strong, okay? I'll call you as soon as I have something."

After we hung up, I sat staring at my phone for what felt like hours. The silence in my apartment was suffocating, the weight of not knowing pressing down on me. I replayed our last conversation in my mind, searching for any clues I might have missed.

Mathias had been nervous, but I'd assumed it was just the pressure of talking to his family about such a big decision. He had been excited too, telling me how he couldn't wait for me to meet them. "It'll be different this time," he'd said. "They'll love you."

The next few days passed in a blur. Every time my phone buzzed, my heart leaped into my throat, only for it to sink again when it wasn't Samil or Mathias. I tried to focus on work, on keeping my mind busy, but it was impossible. The more time passed, the worse the dread became.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Samil called me back. "I've got something," he said, his voice serious. "But it's not good."

My heart raced. "What is it? Is he okay? Did you find him?"

"I found some traces of him," Samil said carefully. "He checked into his hotel in Seoul, attended a few meetings, but then... nothing. His phone hasn't been used, no credit card activity, no record of him leaving the hotel. It's like he just vanished."

I felt my stomach drop. "What does that mean? Could something have happened to him?"

"I don't know yet," Samil admitted. "But I'm still digging. I've reached out to a few contacts in Seoul, and they're looking into it. I'll find out more soon. But Viola... be prepared. This might not have a happy ending."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I had been trying to stay hopeful, to believe that everything would be okay, but now... Now, I didn't know what to believe.

"Please," I whispered. "Please find him."

"I will," Samil promised. "I won't stop until I do."

As the days passed, the uncertainty gnawed at me. I clung to memories of Mathias, of his smile, his laughter, the way he held me when things felt uncertain. But now, nothing felt certain anymore. Every day without an answer felt like another step toward losing him, and I didn't know how much longer I could hold on.