Jake's small legs pumped in casualness as he ran, his breath coming with curious sounds. His eyes were locked on something ahead, though no one else could see what it was. He ran as if the world behind him didn't exist, the ground felt endless beneath his feet.
Laughter came from his lips, innocent and carefree, but it was cut short the moment his foot slipped on the moss-covered stones at the edge of the sewer system.
The fall was abrupt. The air was knocked out of him as he fell down the narrow, dark opening. His screams echoed in the confined space, the sound bouncing off the damp, moldy walls.
"Help! Somebody! Please!" he cried, his voice frantic and desperate. But the rushing water below drowned out his voices. The sewer was alive with noise—the gushing of water, the screeches of rats disturbed by his sudden intrusion, and the metallic sound of his fall.
Jake pass through the stream from the side with a speed he couldn't control as the water was rushing hard until —His head stuck in the rusty grate in between, trapping him in place. He thrashed, trying to free himself, but the current was relentless. The water surged forward, a brutal force of nature, and Jake's cries faded into silence.
At least, that's what the report said.
The image of Jake replayed in my mind as I walked alongside Hina. My hands were shoved deep into my pockets, my eyes fixed on the walking path ahead.
Beside me, Hina walked with an energy that was always alive as if it's unlimited. Her voice filled the air, breaking the uneasy silence.
"Esther, are you okay? You've been so quiet," she asked, her tone filled with worry.
"I'm fine," I replied flatly, my voice devoid of any emotion.
"Are you sure?" she pressed, stepping in front of me to force eye contact. "You don't look fine. I mean, Jake was just a kid. What happened to him is—"
"I said I'm fine," I interrupted, my tone sharper than I intended.
She hesitated but didn't stop. Hina was always the talkative type, and moments like this only seemed to amplify her need to fill the silence. She walked in circles around me, her words spilling out like a flood even after we reach home.
"It's not just Jake, though," she continued. "What's happening in this country? Why are there so many accidents involving children? It's one after another, and no one seems to have any answers."
I stayed silent, letting her words wash over me.
"Esther, are you even listening to me?" she asked, her voice tinged with frustration.
I sighed, finally looking up at her. "Yes, I'm listening."
"Then say something!"
"Accidents…" I muttered, the word lingering in the air as I slurp the noodles from the cup, sitting on the cough casually and the TV was playing in front.
"Yeah, accidents," she repeated, her brows furrowing. "I mean, one or two is understandable, but this? This is happening too often. Don't you think it's strange?"
I stopped eating and started mixing the last bite of noodles from the side to collect all the remaining flavours in the cup. "Those aren't accidents," I said, my voice low but firm.
Hina froze, her eyes widening. "What did you just say?"
I ate the noodle and drank the soup, slurping loudly. "Those kids didn't die by accident," I repeated.
"How can you say that for sure?" she demanded, her voice rising.
But my mind was elsewhere. I barely registered her question as a troubling thought surfaced.
How can he be here? I muttered to myself, lost in the thought.
"What are you mumbling about now?" Hina asked, stepping closer to me. Her irritated face and cleavage that hunged from her sweater, right in front of my face.
I gave her a tensed a look. "Ummm..."
Before I could answer, the TV in the corner of the room blared to life with breaking news.
"Three children have gone missing, and knights are conducting a thorough search. Parents are advised to keep a close eye on their children during these troubling times," the anchor reported, her tone grim.
The screen displayed the faces of the missing children. My chest tightened as I recognized one of them—a boy I had played cricket with just the other day. Just like Jake.
Hina stood frozen, her back to me. She didn't say a word, but I could feel the tension radiating from her. The air in the room grew heavy, suffocating.
I placed the empty cup of noodles on the table and sighhed, brushing my head from back. "I guess I have no other choice," I muttered under my breath.
Later that night, Hina and I stood at the entrance to the sewer where Jake's body had been found. The area was blocked off with a large "No Entry" sticker, but we ignored it. Obviously.
Hina rubbed her arms, clearly uneasy. "Hey, why are we here? This place giving me chills," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"We're here to find out where the missing kids went," I replied, crouching down to inspect the ground.
"Huh? Really? You think they're connected?"
I didn't answer her, my focus shifting entirely to the ground beneath me. I touched my fingers, gently against the cold, damp surface, and a faint blue hue began to glow. The light traced the blood and presence of Jake who had been there before, stretching endlessly into the sewer's depths probably to the place he fell.
"Woah… What are you doing?" Hina asked, leaning closer to get a better look.
"Analyzing his presence," I said, standing up.
"So, what now?" she asked, glancing nervously at the glowing trail.
"Follow me." I said, turning away and following the trail.
The path led us out of the village, from the place he fell, and toward the city's edge. The buildings grew taller, their shadows stretching long in the moonlight. Finally, we arrived at our destination: a massive church. Its height reached toward the sky, and its carved doors was in front of us.
"Now why are we at the church?" Hina asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
I crouched down again, feeling the air shift around me. The glowing trail shimmered once more, leading us to a side door of the church.
Hina's eyes widened as she stared at the faint blue light disappearing into the church's shadows. She turned to me, her voice trembling. "What does this mean, Esther? What's going on?"
I didn't answer her. Instead, I stood silently, my gaze fixed on the massive door before us.