The afternoon breeze softly swept through Raeya's loose hair. She sat leaning against the railing of her apartment balcony, gazing up at the blindingly bright sky. Her fingers intertwined, as if clinging tightly to the tangle of doubt and unrest in her heart.
Should I tell Auntie Lily? But if she comes here... what will Ches do?
She exhaled slowly.
Maybe later... when the time is right.
Gradually, she hugged her knees and tilted her head up toward the endless blue sky, as if hoping the answer was hidden behind the clouds.
"I feel like... there's something I'm supposed to do. But what?" she murmured quietly. "I forgot."
Her brow furrowed. She tried to recall, rewinding a string of recent events in her head—until suddenly, her eyes widened.
"Oh my god?!!" she yelped, slapping her forehead. "I forgot Ches's clothes! Seriously?! He hasn't changed since last night?!"
Panic instantly flooded her chest. She stood up quickly, pacing in small circles across the balcony like a flustered cat.
"Should I go buy him clothes now? But... I'm not really good at picking clothes for myself, let alone for someone else... what if I get the size wrong?"
Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind. She snapped her fingers with excitement, her eyes lighting up.
"Aha! The neighbor's kid is about the same size as Ches—Silan, right?! Maybe I can borrow his clothes and replace them later!"
Without another thought, Raeya rushed back inside. Her eyes flicked toward the bed, where Ches was still sitting, silently staring out the window.
"Ches," Raeya called softly, "I'm just going out for a bit, okay? So... please stay here."
Ches didn't turn to look. He didn't respond. He just sat there, unmoving, his eyes still fixed on the outside world.
Raeya swallowed hard.
He's not saying anything... But I think it'll be fine if I'm just gone for a little while.
With quick steps, she left and made her way to apartment number 205. Just as she raised her hand to knock, the door swung open, revealing a kind-faced woman who greeted her with a warm smile.
"Oh, Raeya! Come in, sweetheart," the woman said gently.
Raeya stepped inside, returning the smile with a shy, polite look.
"Um, Auntie," she began cautiously. "I... have a younger cousin staying over at my place. He showed up unexpectedly, and... forgot to bring his clothes. Could I maybe borrow a set from your son for a bit?"
"Oh," the woman nodded, then asked, "How old is your cousin, dear?"
"He's eight, Auntie."
"Hmm, the clothes might be a bit loose then. But it's fine. Wait here, I'll get something for you."
As the aunt disappeared into another room, Raeya turned her head and noticed the woman's son sitting on the living room floor, deeply focused on a game on his phone. She walked over with a smile.
"Hi," Raeya greeted.
Silan looked up and answered politely, "Hi, Miss."
They chatted briefly. Raeya was pleasantly surprised by how friendly and cheerful he was.
Gosh... he's so polite and warm. Unlike—ugh, no! Don't think like that, Raeya!
she scolded herself inwardly.
Soon, the aunt returned, holding a neatly folded, clean set of boys' clothes. The color was deep ocean blue—simple, yet refined.
"Here you go—my son's clothes. No need to return them, dear. Just give them to your little cousin."
Raeya panicked slightly. "Oh no, Auntie, I only meant to borrow them, really."
"It's fine, don't worry. I planned to give them away anyway. By the way, what's your cousin's name?"
"His name is... Ches," Raeya replied quickly.
"Well, you should bring him over to play sometime."
The woman glanced at her son. "Sweetie, you don't mind giving your clothes to Raeya's cousin, do you?"
"Nope, not at all. I'd love to play with Ches," Silan replied with a grin.
Raeya bowed slightly, a relieved smile gracing her face. "Thank you so much, Auntie..."
She stepped out of the apartment still wearing that warm smile.
Auntie is so kind... and the shirt is really nice. Deep blue, huh? It'll look great on Ches.
But behind that smile, a twinge of guilt started to creep in.
I'm sorry, Auntie. I lied... I feel terrible.
She quickened her steps, eager to return. But the moment she opened the door and stepped back into her room...
The bed was empty. Ches was gone.
Raeya froze. Her breath hitched.
"Ches?" she called softly.
She checked the bathroom. Nothing. The kitchen. Empty. Under the table. No sign of him.
Panic began to rise in her chest.
"Ches!!" she shouted louder, flinging open drawers and cabinets—as if by some chance, he was hiding in there.
Still... nothing.
Her breathing quickened. Her heart began to pound.
Did... did he go outside? But why? Where would he go?
She bolted out of the apartment, her eyes darting wildly in every direction.
"Ches!!" she yelled, her voice trembling. "CHES!!!"
Raeya ran down corridor after corridor of the apartment building, yanking open every door that might lead to a stairwell, a laundry room, even the small parking area on the lower floor. Her breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. Her steps were frantic, directionless. But still—no sign of Ches.
Ches... where are you? she whispered in her mind, her voice nearly gone from shouting.
Panic pressed harder against her chest, overpowering the exhaustion she could no longer ignore. She kept running, out of the building and into the surrounding streets, her eyes scanning every corner, every narrow passage, even the alleys she had never paid attention to before.
But still—nothing. No trace. No sound. It was as if Ches had simply vanished.
Eventually, Raeya found herself in a narrow alleyway behind the apartment complex. Her legs gave out. She slumped to the ground, her back against the rough, cold concrete wall. She pulled her knees up to her chest, her body trembling—not from the wind, but from everything else.
And for the first time since the panic began... the tears came. Silent at first, then flowing freely, hot and unrelenting.
"What happened to you, Ches...?" she whispered shakily, her voice barely audible beneath the tremble of her sobs.
Raeya wept quietly, wrapped in a suffocating mix of fear and guilt. Dark thoughts began flooding her mind. What if someone hurt him? What if he got lost? What if he—
This is my fault... I shouldn't have left him alone.
Just then, a soft, raspy sound echoed from above the wall—meow.
Raeya flinched. Her head snapped up, and she saw a black cat perched calmly atop the tall brick wall behind her. Its yellow eyes stared straight into hers, then it meowed again, as if calling her.
Raeya quickly stood. She wiped the tears from her face with a trembling hand.
"Hey... where have you been?" she murmured, somewhere between relief and confusion.
She stepped closer, speaking to the cat as if it could understand, "Have you seen Ches?"
Strangely, the cat didn't move. It simply tilted its head a little, then—