The Oracle

Chapter 31: Almost Broken

SORA

After finally being discharged, I decided to look around the academy for either Gambit or Sekai. I figured I wouldn't find Gambit, but I still had hope that she might be here. At the very least, Sekai might be. As of now, I've still had no luck, and the only thing I can do is keep replaying what happened last night in my mind. I need to tell Akari as soon as she gets back from her mission. I would've told her and Merrick before they left, but Isabella wouldn't allow me to leave or for anyone to visit me so that she could be certain I was resting.

"What?" I hear Kaito's obnoxiously loud voice coming from up the stairs and near the area where he usually trained, which was ran by Gambit. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"I'm sorry, Kaito," Shae sighs. "I'm just as upset by this as you are. I don't know what happened, but Gambit isn't at the academy anymore."

"And how do you know that, loverboy?" Kaito scowls and I notice Sander glare at Kaito as he stands next to his brother.

"Hey, don't take your anger out on Shae," Sander snaps. "We're all just as confused and as upset as you are, so knock it off. Would you? It was probably Carmin being up to his shit again."

"You don't know that," Kaito crosses his arms. "Besides, how do you even know she's gone in the first place?"

"Because Gambit would never purposefully leave, not when we still need her," Sander scowls. "You should know that. Sekai is gone too. Nobody's seen either of them all day."

"Oh, so you don't actually know then and you're just speculating. I see," Kaito sighs and shakes his head. "They probably just ran off together, did you ever think of that?"

"And why would they do that whenever Sekai literally just got hired here?" Shae frowns. "That makes no sense. Besides, they're not the type to run out on people and they both loved it here, especially Gambit."

"Hey, Sora!" Sander shouts whenever he spots me and I swallow nervously. "Come over here for a second!"

I jog over to where the three of them are standing and Kaito rolls his eyes.

"What's up?" I ask, as if I hadn't been eavesdropping for the past five minutes.

"Did you hear about Gambit?" Sander asks and I frown.

"No..." I swallow thickly, deciding to keep the information I saw last night to myself until I get to talk to Akari. "What happened?"

"Gambit and Sekai are missing," Shae frowns. "They would never leave, especially Gambit. Something isn't right here."

"Or, you know, she left to start a family," Kaito suggests. "Gambit is in her late twenties and she isn't getting any younger. She always did want children."

"You know she wouldn't do that," Sander scowls and shakes his head. "I mean, eventually, yeah. But she wouldn't just up and leave."

"Well, whatever," Kaito throws his hands in the air. "Don't ask me if you refuse to listen to a damn thing I say."

"Kaito—" Shae starts and goes to reach for Kaito's shoulder as Kaito goes to storm off.

"Fuck off," Kaito snaps and Shae frowns, hurt evident in his features.

"Oi!" Sander shouts angrily, but Kaito keeps walking away.

"Leave him be," Shae sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "He's just upset. We all are."

"Still, he should be able to see clearly. He looked up to Gambit with everything he had. He should know her by now. And he has no reason to be an ass to you," Sander scowls.