The truth had been hanging in the air for days, like smoke that no one dared to breathe in. Maya couldn't ignore it anymore. The weight of their search, the unanswered questions, it was becoming too much to bear. She wasn't even sure if she was looking for Elena anymore or if she was just trying to outrun the guilt that had been quietly suffocating her from the inside.
It had been four days since Elena disappeared. Four days of constant checking—her phone, her social media, even her family. No signs. Her parents were frantic, yes, but it wasn't like they knew anything more than anyone else. Her friends were holding on to what little hope they had left.
Maya had been running on fumes, not sleeping, barely eating. She couldn't think straight. Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was Elena's face—the way she'd smiled the last time they'd met, the way she'd been so… distant. The warning signs had always been there, just beneath the surface, but none of them had bothered to dig deeper.
Maya's fingers hovered over her phone screen, contemplating whether to call Leo or Riley. But at the same time, she knew there was no point in talking. They were all just stumbling around in the dark, searching for a solution that didn't exist.
She picked up her bag and left the house, the cool air hitting her like a slap in the face. The streets were quieter than usual, as if the world around her had somehow muted itself in sympathy with the heavy silence in her chest.
She ended up at the park. Not because it made sense, but because she didn't know where else to go. The park had always been a place for her and Elena to talk, to vent when things got too much. It felt like the last place where Elena might have been—where she had once felt safe.
Maya wandered to the usual bench by the pond, her heart sinking at the thought that she'd never see it the same way again. The memory of their laughter here was starting to fade, replaced by the haunting emptiness that filled the air.
She sat there for a while, watching the water ripple as if it could give her some kind of answer. She wasn't sure what she was expecting. Maybe a sign. Maybe just a feeling that things could go back to normal.
It wasn't until she heard footsteps behind her that Maya realized she wasn't alone. She turned and saw Leo approaching, his face grim, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.
"Thought I'd find you here," he said quietly, sitting beside her without asking. He didn't need to. They both knew why she was here.
"I keep thinking about the last thing she said," Maya murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "She said her 'last day' would be different. She was ready for it. Like she had planned it all along. But none of us even saw it coming."
Leo didn't respond right away. He just sat there, staring at the water, his expression unreadable.
"I know," he finally said. "I keep going over the club meetings in my head. The things she said. The little hints. We missed them. It's like she was asking us for help, but we just thought she was joking."
The silence between them stretched on. It wasn't comfortable, but it wasn't as painful as it had been before. They were both drowning in the same guilt, but at least they weren't alone in it.
"We should have asked," Maya whispered, more to herself than to Leo. "We should have asked her what was really going on. But instead, we just laughed it off, like it was some kind of game."
Leo nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm starting to think maybe the whole 'Last Day Club' wasn't a joke after all."
Maya felt a chill run through her. They had always used the club as a way to escape. A place to talk about their stupid, wild fantasies, their fears, and the things they couldn't say anywhere else. But now, it was starting to feel like something much darker, something they had ignored for too long.
"We have to find her," Maya said, her voice firm for the first time in days. "Whatever it takes."
Leo looked over at her, his eyes intense. "We will."