Beneath the Hidden Price

CHAPTER 02: The Morning After

Jade awoke early, the sun casting soft rays through the kitchen window as she began to prepare breakfast. The familiar aroma of pancakes filled the air, and she hummed softly to herself, thinking about how much Alora would enjoy the meal. After finishing, she set the table, glancing at the clock.

Jade muttered to herself as she moved about the kitchen, her concern growing with each passing minute. "She should be up by now..."

She called out lightly, hoping to hear her sister's usual sleepy response. "Alora! Breakfast is ready!" The silence that followed made her chest tighten, but she brushed it off, calling out again, this time a little louder. "Alora! Come on, you're going to be late for school!"

Still nothing.

Jade stood still, her worry settling in more deeply now. She decided to check on her sister and walked to Alora's bedroom door, knocking gently. "Alora? Are you in there?"

No answer. The uneasy feeling twisted inside her, and she knocked again, this time with more urgency. "Alora! Open the door!"

The silence from the other side was deafening. Panic surged through Jade as she twisted the handle, pushing the door open. Her heart sank at the sight-Alora's bed was perfectly made, as if she hadn't even slept there. Her belongings lay untouched, and the room was eerily quiet.

"Alora?" Jade's voice trembled as she scanned the room, hoping to see some sign that her sister had simply stepped out, but everything remained in place, as if frozen in time.

She moved quickly, checking the bathroom, her heart pounding in her chest. Nothing. Empty. Jade's breath quickened as fear gripped her tighter. She dashed through the house, calling out as she checked every room.

"Alora! Where are you?!"

But the only response was the echo of her own voice. Jade rushed outside, her eyes darting around the yard. There was no sign of Alora anywhere. She pulled out her phone, frantically dialing her sister's number, but it went straight to voicemail each time. Her hands shook as she dialed again and again, her desperation growing.

"Please," she whispered, pacing back and forth. "Just pick up..."

She looked around, as if Alora might suddenly appear, her mind racing with fear and guilt. Jade hadn't been paying attention, hadn't noticed anything unusual last night. Now her sister was gone, and the weight of her absence pressed down on her.

"Where could she be?" Jade muttered to herself, her voice shaky. "She can't just be gone..."

With no other options, Jade hurried toward the park, hoping Alora had simply gone there early. The quietness of the park only amplified the dread gnawing at her.

"Alora!" she called, her voice raw with worry. "Are you here?"

Nothing. Not a sound, not a single sign of her sister. Jade's throat tightened, tears stinging her eyes. She pulled out her phone, typing a desperate message to Alora with trembling fingers. Please, just tell me you're okay. I'm worried sick. Call me as soon as you can.

She stood there, waiting, her phone clutched tightly in her hands, but no response came. The minutes dragged on, each one filled with suffocating fear. She cursed herself silently, wiping away a tear. "Why didn't I notice something was wrong? Why didn't I check on her again before I went to sleep?"

Jade's thoughts spiraled, her guilt crashing down on her. She had been so preoccupied with trying to manage everything-work, the house, their lives-that she hadn't seen the signs. And now Alora was missing.

"I can't lose you too, Alora," she whispered, the weight of the moment nearly unbearable. "I'll find you. I promise."

[The scenario change in school]