I could feel their eyes on me, plotting against my every move. The institute was ready for check mate but for me, the game had just begun. I knew they had a plan; I could sense the conniving smile they had every time they looked at me. I couldn't quite place it at first, that's when I saw her.
For the first time ever, the replacement for a disappearance was a girl. Her back was facing towards me but it felt like I knew her. Her hair looked familiar. Her clothes reminded me of someone. Everyone was looking at her. There she was, Emilia, my little sister. "What are you doing here? How did you get here? What is going on Em? You need to leave right away!" I was shocked to say the least. The institute had found itself a new low to have brought my Emilia to this netherworld. "We got a letter Neil. They offered free education to me since you were doing so well here. Mother couldn't believe it. She is so proud of you. She sends her best wishes and Jane misses you as well. I can't contain my excitement. I can finally be successful on my own and afford education without even having to pay for it. I love you Neil, thank you so much for making this all possible for me. I figured there would be some exam I had to pass but they didn't ask anything of me. They wanted me here no matter what. I am going to be a doctor, Neil."
Under normal circumstances, Emilia's success would have meant everything to me. There is no institute that admits a person for free without any form of entrance examination. How ever, this institute had ulterior motives. They knew I would do anything to protect my sister and they decided to take advantage of her. When Sammy found out about the circumstances that stood before us, she knew she had to help Em stay safe. She immediately introduced herself to Emilia and befriended her. She knew she had to spend all her time with Em, night or day. Sammy put in a request to be Emilia's roommate but the evil witch we had as warden immediately denied. Sammy decided to stay vigilant any way and make sure that Emilia doesn't get into trouble.
Naturally, we had to put a pause on our investigation. As time went by, it became even more difficult to keep quiet about what was going on. Girls kept disappearing into thin air one by one, losing their identity forever. Emilia was actually quite good at memorizing what she was taught. She was a quick learner and in a span of months, she had become the top ranker in our class. While I was immensely proud of her, I knew that becoming a person of lime light never favored any one here. She had to be low key. She had to go unrecognized for how ever long she could. While she was a pawn in the institute's game, she was a good one. Her innocence was pure, her focus was tremendous, but her safety was compromised.
No disappearance had taken place in a month and I was starting to wonder what had happened. I had already quit talking to Sammy about this but occasionally, I would sneak into Henry's room and discuss the probable disappearances that were next. That night, Henry was quiet. After a long period of silence he said, "I am sorry Neil. I think she is next. Your sister is pretty and her innocence reflects divinity. She satisfies ever criteria that the institute is looking for. I believe they let it slide for so long because it was a form of slow torture for you which they enjoyed at the fullest. Sammy cannot protect her. If anything happens to her, I promise we will get her back. Try to keep her here as long as possible. Do not lose sight of her." Henry had given me a fright. The expression on my face made him question what was wrong. "She is at a party Henry. What if she gets taken? She snuck out. She knew Sammy was always watching and frankly, it annoyed her. She was too innocent to be brought into loop so I never told her the truth about this institute. It is all my fault. I should have told her. Sammy went looking for her an hour ago and asked me to keep watch here. What if they are both gone Henry? I will never be able to look at my face in the mirror. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to either of them. Plus, I believed replacements were never taken. How ever, no replacement was ever a girl. They have turned the game around, changed all their moves and they are ready for attack. I feel helpless. My Emilia, I hope she is safe."
Curfew time had passed. My worry slowly turned into anxiety attacks. I was about to lose myself when I heard a scream. "Neil, come to the window. Its me, Sammy. I couldn't find her Neil. I failed you. I looked everywhere at the party but no one had seen her arrive. I should probably check her room again. Don't worry I will find her." That night, I couldn't sleep. I knew Sammy would do everything in her power to find Emilia but what if it was too late? I couldn't be the brother Emilia deserved. I failed her immensely. I wish I had just given her the right amount of freedom so that she didn't feel the need to run to a stupid party. She would've asked me if I had given her the chance. My mind was torturing me. It was the longest night ever and my heart was not on my side.
The next morning, I couldn't find Sammy anywhere. There was a box on my seat with no name on it. Inside it, there were spectacles. I had seen them before but I couldn't quite place it. Then it hit me, they were Sammy's. Panic surrounded me because Sammy had still not entered the classroom. I picked up the glasses in front of me and they suddenly dismembered. Inside the rim of the left circle was a tiny rolled up sheet of paper. I immediately ran to the washroom. I knew Sammy was up to something but I couldn't guess her intentions.
The note read, "I need to be taken Neil. I am leaving this here for you so that you know that I am going to be okay. Emilia has grown way too important to me. Losing her would destroy me. I am going to go wherever they are taking the girls and I am going to protect Emilia there. Find me; find everyone. I believe in you." A tear trickled down my cheek as I realized what my best friend had sacrificed for me. I felt the burden of responsibility thicken but I knew, I was going to find everyone and save them. My side of the game had begun and I was ready to face it all.