The morning air was sharp with the scent of cut grass as Mia walked to school, her sneakers scuffing against the pavement. Zaire fell into step beside her—again—his hands shoved deep in his pockets.
"You don't have to do this every day," I muttered, adjusting the strap of her backpack.
Zaire shot me a sidelong glance. "Do what?"
"Act like I'm going to vanish if you're not glued to my side."
He exhaled sharply through his nose, kicking a pebble. "Sorry. Just—" He hesitated. "Sebastian didn't text you again, did he?"
My fingers tightened around my phone. "I blocked him, remember?" The lie tasted bitter.
Zaire nodded, but his shoulders didn't relax.
The school hallway buzzed with chatter about midterm grades. My stomach unclenched slightly when I saw my name near the top of the list—but then my eyes flicked to the valedictorian announcement.
Sebastian Calloway.
Except Sebastian wasn't here.
His usual seat in homeroom sat empty. He didn't show for chemistry. By lunch, whispers had started—something about his father, about threats, about the Calloways cutting ties with the town's elite after the cult arrests.
My skin prickled.
---
The final bell rang, and I stepped into the parking lot, the afternoon sun glaring off the cars. Sheriff Hallowe leaned against his cruiser, arms crossed. His usual scowl was gone, replaced by something heavier.
"Jenkins," he called. "Need you to come with me."
My pulse jumped. "Why?"
Hallowe opened the passenger door. "Just get in."
The car smelled of stale coffee and gun oil. I gripped the seat as Hallowe pulled onto the road.
"What happened?" I asked, voice thin.
Hallowe's jaw worked. "Not here."
My phone buzzed—Zaire.
Zaire: Where'd you go?
I swallowed. Mia: Went home early.
---
The police station was all flickering fluorescents and hushed voices. Mr. Calloway sat slumped in a plastic chair, his suit rumpled, his face ashen. He looked up when Mia entered, his red-rimmed eyes locking onto hers.
Hallowe sighed. "Sebastian's missing."
The words didn't make sense at first. Then they crashed into me all at once.
*He texted me. He was at the boathouse. He knew.*
"He's still out there, "I whispered.
Hallowe frowned. "Who?"
"The murderer," my voice cracked. "It wasn't just the mayor."
The sheriff exchanged a glance with another officer. "Mia, do you know something?"
I shook my head, nails biting into my palms. *Lie. Just lie.* "No."
---
An hour later, I stepped back into the fading sunlight, Mr. Calloway trailing behind me. His breath hitched as he gripped my shoulder.
"I loved your mother," he said, voice raw. "Lexie was—" He choked. "They took her from me. Now they have my son." His fingers trembled. "Please. If you know anything... find him."
My throat burned. The weight of my phone in my pocket—Sebastian's unblocked contact, his last message—felt like a bomb.
Somewhere out there, Sebastian was running out of time.
And I had ignored him.
***
My fingers wouldn't stop shaking.
The ride back into town was silent. Mr. Calloway sat beside me in the backseat of the black sedan, his eyes hollow. When I finally spoke, my voice came out thinner than I meant it to.
"I need to speak to Mayor Vaughn."
Calloway didn't even blink. "Why?"
"I think he knows something. I think he's still playing his own game."I looked over at him, desperate. "Can you get me in?"
He hesitated. Then, with a sigh, he pulled out his phone.
It took two calls and one terse conversation with someone I couldn't hear, but within the hour, I was standing outside the county jail. The guard at the front looked me over like I was a kid playing detective. But when he saw my last name, he opened the gate.
They walked me past a few holding cells, down a corridor that smelled like bleach and sour sweat, and into the visitation room. One of those booths was divided by reinforced glass. One metal stool. One phone receiver.
Mayor Vaughn was already seated on the other side, hands folded neatly, the overhead light catching on his silver cufflinks.
He looked too calm.
I sat down.
He picked up the phone, and I followed. The cord tugged slightly as I lifted it to her ear.
"You've grown," he said, voice smooth as ever. "Just like your mother, fierce, that's why we had to kill her."
I gritted my teeth. "You're going to tell me everything."
A faint smile ghosted across his face. "I doubt that. But I'll tell you enough."
His eyes flicked to the camera in the corner of the room. Then back to me.
"You think I killed Hannah Andrew. That I disappeared, Chad. You think I'm a monster who sat in a big leather chair and pulled every string." He leaned closer. "But that's not how it happened."
"Then how did it happen?" I snapped.
Vaughn's expression hardened. "They stole from the Circle. Hannah. Andrew. They thought they were smart—skimming off the shipments, rerouting pills, selling to outsiders. They were greedy, reckless. That's why they died."
"You did kill them."
"No," he said firmly. "But I didn't cry at the funerals either."
I stared at him. "Then who—"
"I don't know. That's the truth. But when people like that step on the wrong toes, disappearances are just... cleanup." He tilted his head. "You see monsters in every shadow, Mia, but half the time it's just men in suits trying not to drown."
I didn't say anything. The plastic receiver felt like ice against my skin.
"I ran a corrupt office," Vaughn said. "I kept the Circle fed, kept the peace balanced. But there are people above me. People who don't care if high school kids overdose or if a mayor burns for their sins."
"Then name them."
His smile faltered.
"You think I didn't try? That I didn't scream those names the first time they locked me in here? They laughed. You know what I am now? A liability. An old man who talks too much."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're already in it." His voice dropped. "Because they're watching you now. The night Sebastian disappeared? That wasn't random. He knew. And you—" His eyes narrowed. "You're next if you keep asking the wrong questions."
"How do you know Sebastian disappeared?"
"Words Fly."
The line went dead. He dropped the receiver and stood, the guard already at the door.
I sat frozen, the silence roaring in my ears.
He didn't kill them.
But someone did.
And they were still watching?
****
Something didn't sit right.
I stared out the car window as they drove away from the jail, Vaughn's words looping in my head like a curse.
They stole from the Circle.
They died.
But Vaughn didn't kill them. He was just glad they were gone.
Then who did it?
And more importantly—what did it have to do with me?
She thought of the others. Hannah. The Chad twins. They all vanished—or died—after she blocked their numbers. At first, it felt like a coincidence. Now it felt like something else.
I hadn't blocked Sebastian.
So if the pattern held... someone else had.
Someone close.
Mr. Calloway cleared his throat gently beside me. "You've been quiet."
I didn't look at him. "Trying to fit pieces that don't make sense."
He nodded. "What pieces?"
I hesitated. "I think... I think people are being silenced. After I cut contact. But I don't know how that's even possible. I didn't block Sebastian. But someone took him anyway."
Mr. Calloway's brow furrowed, but he didn't ask for details. Instead, his voice softened. "And what about you? Are you okay?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Me?"
He nodded. "You're caught in something dark, Mia. I see it wearing on you."
I shrugged. "I'm just tired."
"No," he said quietly. "You're terrified. I would be too."
His gaze drifted out the window. "When Lexie died, I thought the world ended. But I still had Sebastian. Now I don't know if I'll ever see him again." His voice cracked, just for a second. "That's not something you come back from. But I keep waking up. So I keep going."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I'm sorry."
"So am I," he said. "For everything."
***
The porch light was already on when I got home. I climbed the steps, hoping for quiet. But Zaire was there, sitting on the top stair like he owned it. His arms were crossed, jaw tight.
"You weren't home."
"I didn't feel like talking, "I muttered, brushing past him.
"Seriously?" he snapped, standing. "That's all I get?"
I didn't stop. I unlocked the front door and stepped inside. "Go home, Zaire."
"You lied to me," he said, following me just far enough that the door stayed open. "You lied, Mia. What the hell is going on?"
"Nothing," I said through gritted teeth. "Just—leave me alone."
I shut the door in his face.
"Seriously?" he yelled through the wood. "You think I'm just gonna walk away again?"
I didn't answer.
Rose peeked around the corner, eyes wide. "What's the deal? I heard yelling—"
I cracked. I stepped forward and threw my arms around her, holding her tight.
"Sebastian's missing," I whispered.
Rose stiffened, then hugged me back. "Oh my god. Mia..."
"I don't know what to do, "I sobbed. "It's all falling apart."
Rose didn't say anything for a while. Just held her.
That night, I couldn't eat. I pushed my dinner around my plate while James tried not to look worried, and Rose picked at her own food in solidarity. Eventually, I mumbled something about homework and slipped upstairs.
I closed my bedroom door and leaned against it, exhaling slowly. My room was dark, quiet—too quiet.
Then my phone buzzed.
Andy: Landing tomorrow.
Mia: We need to talk.
I stared at the screen.
Andy was coming back.
And finally—finally—I was going to find out who gave her this cursed phone.
And maybe, just maybe, why people kept disappearing around me.