The Vanishing

Chapter 16

"Another student went missing." Nina said, her voice breaking.

We just blinked at her in shock.

"Another student- who?" I asked, trying to hide the wavering in my voice.

"Do you know Owen Bainbridge?" She asked.

"Jordan's boyfriend?" I asked, she nodded in response.

"He's in my theatre class. How do you know he's gone?" I asked. We started to walk towards the dorms to Morghan's room. I shot Wyatt a text to meet us there.

"Jordan found me after class asking where you were, mad about having to work on your group project alone. I asked where Owen was since they're basically attached at the hip and she said he had a family emergency." Nina explained all at once, pausing on one of the steps to catch her breath.

"And that makes him missing because...?" I asked.

She looked at me in confusion for a second before snapping out of it. "Sometimes I forget you're new."

"Owen doesn't have any family, just his father whom he hates. Jordan knows that. While there is a chance he's with his father, I really don't think he is. Jordan was so nonchalant like this was an everyday occurrence." She explained.

"Weird... I agree there's a definite possibility that he's with his father, but after what happened to Evie I think we should assume he's been taken." I said.

Then I realized something, why Nina was worried. "So Owen is like us, then? A supernatural?" I asked.

"He's an Ifrit, it's a fire demon." Patrick supplied.

"A demon." I repeated. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised since I thought I was a demon for a hot minute.

"Technically half-demon." Patrick shrugged.

"He set my sleeve on fire during chem class in first year when he was trying to light the bunsen burner with his mind." Nina rolled her eyes.

I tried not to laugh as I knocked on Morghan's door. "Is anyone in this school human?" I asked.

"Jordan is." Nina said as Morghan opened the door, looking very strung-out.

"What's wrong with you?" Patrick asked.

Morghan was trying hard not to hyperventilate.

"The tunnels. You said there were tunnels right? Evie went to look for Owen. She hasn't been back." Morghan said to me, out of breath.

A sick feeling settled into my gut and the hair on my arms stood on end. Patrick gave me a sideways glance as Wyatt opened the door and walked into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I- she's a ghost, I'm sure she's okay." I stammered.

She tried hard not to raise her voice at me. Obviously I missed the point. "She will be fine, Owen might not be. I can't take any more death." Tears started to fill her eyes. Morghan tends to keep her feelings to herself, so when bad things happen it can be overwhelming. Being able to see ghosts seems like a huge burden, especially when it's people you know. I gave her shoulder a small squeeze and she patted my hand in response.

The last thing I wanted to do was go into those tunnels again, but if we found Owen it would be worth it.

--

I inserted my necklace into the lock, revealing the door.

Wyatt and Patrick shared a look of both worry and doubt.

"A witch made these?" Morghan asked as we stepped into the darkness of the tunnels.

"I guess because the necklace works as a key, a witch must have made them." I rambled. A shudder went down my spine as another thought creeped into my mind. "Or a witch simply sealed them off." In order to not let what's in here out.