Chapter 14 – Vanished Without a Trace

For one month, everything felt right.

For the first time in forever, I wasn’t just the quiet, nerdy girl that everyone ignored.

I wasn’t alone.

Because Damien was always there.

Every morning, he waited for me outside the school gates, his black motorcycle parked right where I could see it.

Every lunch, he sat with me, completely unfazed by the whispers and stares.

Every evening, he walked me home, sometimes pulling me onto his bike and taking me for a ride before dropping me off.

And every night, he called me before bed, his voice soft but firm, making sure I was okay before I fell asleep.

It was the kind of intensity that should have scared me.

But instead, it made me feel safe.

Of course, my family eventually noticed.

It wasn’t exactly easy to hide the fact that a six-foot-tall, golden-eyed bad boy was always hanging around me.

Noah caught on first.

"You and Damien, huh?" he smirked one morning, sliding into the seat across from me at breakfast.

I choked on my coffee. "What?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Don’t even try lying. I saw him kissing your forehead when he dropped you off last night.”

Oh.

I felt my face heat up. “It’s… complicated.”

"Complicated or not, Dad's gonna freak."

And of course, Noah was right.

Because when my dad found out, it wasn’t pretty.

"Aurora, he’s not right for you!" Dad’s voice boomed across the living room, his face red with frustration.

Mom was more gentle but still concerned. "Sweetheart, are you sure about this? He seems… intense."

I folded my arms. "He’s not what you think."

Dad scoffed. "Then tell me, what do we think?"

I swallowed hard. "That he’s dangerous. That he’s going to hurt me."

Dad’s jaw tightened. "And how do you know he won’t?"

I sighed. "Because he hasn’t. Because he—" I hesitated, my heart clenching. "Because he cares about me."

More than anyone ever has.

Dad exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. "I still don’t like it."

Mom reached over, squeezing my hand. "But we trust you, sweetheart. Just… be careful."

That was all I needed.

Because I knew that no matter how complicated it was—

I wanted Damien.

And then, just like that…

He was gone.

It started with small things.

One day, he didn’t call before bed.

The next morning, he wasn’t waiting outside school.

I told myself it was nothing.

That maybe he was just busy.

But then… an entire day passed.

Then two.

Then a week.

And Damien Blackwood had disappeared without a single word.

I tried calling him.

Straight to voicemail.

I tried texting.

No reply.

I tried asking people at school.

No one knew anything.

Even the teachers seemed weirdly quiet about it.

Like he had never existed.

My chest tightened painfully as I sat alone in the cafeteria—his usual seat empty beside me.

I wasn’t hungry.

I wasn’t sleeping.

And worst of all?

I had this horrible, sinking feeling that something was really, really wrong.

"Aurora, you need to eat," Mom said softly one evening, setting a plate in front of me.

I barely looked at it. "Not hungry."

She sighed. "Sweetheart, I know you’re upset, but…" She hesitated. "Maybe it’s time to accept that he's not coming back."

I stiffened.

"No."

Mom’s eyes softened. "Honey, it’s been weeks. Maybe… he changed his mind. Maybe he wasn’t the person you thought he was."

I clenched my fists. "He wouldn’t just leave. Not without a reason."

Dad crossed his arms. "Or maybe he’s exactly what I thought he was. Trouble."

I pushed back my chair abruptly, my chest tight. "I’m going for a walk."

Before they could stop me, I grabbed my coat and stormed out of the house.

Because I didn’t care what they thought.

Damien didn’t leave me.

Something happened to him.

I just had to figure out what.

That night, I did something reckless.

I went to his house.

I don’t even know what I was expecting.

But when I got there…

My entire world shattered.

Because his house?

Was completely empty.

No furniture.

No clothes.

No pictures.

It was like no one had ever lived there.

Like Damien Blackwood had never existed.

I stood frozen on his porch, my heart pounding painfully.

My breath shaky.

No. No, this doesn’t make sense.

Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Because this wasn’t normal.

This wasn’t just a breakup.

This was something else.

Something bigger.

And for the first time in my life…

I felt genuinely afraid.

I turned away, my vision blurry, my hands shaking.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the panic in my chest.

And then—

I felt it.

A presence.

Watching.

I whipped around, my breath catching.

The street was empty.

The trees were still.

But deep in my bones… I knew.

I wasn’t alone.

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