The buzz of university life returned like a wave as the group settled back into their regular schedules. The cabin trip felt like a warm dream they had all woken from, but something had shifted among them. There were stronger bonds now, unspoken understandings, and memories that lingered like the scent of the sea.
Eira sat in the university's large literature hall, flipping through her notes absentmindedly as the professor droned on about narrative symbolism. Her thoughts were far away—still with the warmth of the cabin, the way Auren had looked at her under the stars, and the things left unsaid.
Her focus snapped back as the door opened. A girl entered, quietly but confidently, and the professor paused mid-sentence.
"Everyone, this is Aria Vale. She's a transfer student joining us for the remainder of the term. Please make her feel welcome."
Aria gave a small nod and took the nearest empty seat—right beside Eira.
She was beautiful, but not in a way that drew attention. More like a painting in a quiet museum—graceful, composed, and slightly distant. Her hair was shoulder-length and dark brown, her eyes large and full of emotion, like they held back oceans.
Eira smiled politely. "Hi. I'm Eira."
Aria looked at her, and something in her expression shifted. "I know. I've read your books. All of them."
Eira blinked. "Seriously?"
Aria gave a shy smile. "Twice."
It was flattering, but something about the way she said it made Eira feel unsettled. Like Aria wasn't just a fan—like she had come here for something more.
---
Over the next few days, Aria quickly blended into the class, though she mostly kept to herself. She was always reading, scribbling in a notebook, or staring out windows like she was somewhere else entirely.
Eira found herself curious.
Then one day, after class, Aria approached her.
"Can we talk? Somewhere quiet?"
They went to the courtyard, where the cherry blossoms had begun to fall like gentle snow.
"I didn't transfer here just for studies," Aria said softly.
Eira waited.
"My brother studies here too. Or, used to. He disappeared. Two years ago. No one's seen him since."
Eira's eyes widened. "I'm so sorry."
Aria shook her head. "He's not dead. I know he's not. I feel it. But everyone thinks I'm crazy. My parents stopped mentioning his name. He was... everything to me."
She pulled out an old photo. A boy with kind eyes and a smile that mirrored Aria's stood between two younger kids.
"He was always sick. He had a brain condition. But he never let it define him. We were so close. Then one day, he just vanished."
Eira felt her throat tighten. She thought of Auren. Of how easily people could disappear into silence when the pain got too much.
"What was his name?" she asked.
"Elian. Elian Vale."
---
Eira told Auren about Aria that evening.
He frowned. "That name sounds familiar. Vale... I think Leya mentioned someone with that name once. At the clinic."
They met up with Aria the next day, and Auren gently brought it up.
"I think my friend—Leya, she's a nurse—may have met Elian. We could ask her."
Hope flared in Aria's eyes. "Would you?"
---
Later that week, Leya met them in the university café.
"Elian Vale," she repeated, brows furrowing. "Yes. He came to our clinic almost three years ago. Quiet guy. Intelligent. We treated him for seizures and migraines."
Aria leaned in. "Do you know where he went?"
Leya looked regretful. "He was supposed to undergo a procedure but... he never came back. We tried contacting him, but the number stopped working."
"That's when he vanished," Aria whispered.
Eira reached over and took her hand. "We'll help you find him."
---
The next few weeks turned into a quiet investigation.
Auren, Ryan, and Loira all joined in. They visited the last hospital Elian had checked into. They spoke to old friends. Auren even looked through local forums where patients often shared stories anonymously.
One night, Eira found Aria crying alone in the campus library.
"I'm scared," Aria said, tears falling onto her notebook. "What if I'm chasing a ghost? What if he left because he didn't want me anymore?"
Eira sat beside her, hugging her tightly. "He loved you. That's clear from how you talk about him. Sometimes people disappear because they're hurting too much—not because they stopped loving."
Aria wept against her shoulder, trembling. Eira held her until the library lights dimmed.
---
Then, a breakthrough.
Ryan found a post on an old medical blog. It was anonymous, signed only with an "E.V." but described a story of battling a brain illness, walking away from everything, and trying to find peace in solitude.
There was a photo attached. A lake. And behind it—a cottage. The location? A rural village four hours from the city.
They made the trip that weekend.
Aria didn't say a word the entire journey. She clutched her photo of Elian like it was a lifeline.
They arrived just as the sun was setting.
The cottage stood at the edge of a forest, beside a quiet lake.
Aria walked up alone. Her hands trembled as she knocked.
The door opened.
A man stood there, thinner than the photo but unmistakable.
Elian.
"Aria?" he said, voice cracking.
She burst into tears. "You idiot!"
He opened his arms and she collapsed into them, sobbing. "I thought you were dead."
"I couldn't face you. I didn't want you to watch me fall apart."
"Then you should've let me help you. I would've never left you."
Their embrace was long, raw, and healing. The others watched from a distance, tears in their own eyes.
Later that night, they all sat around a fire by the lake.
Elian explained everything—how his illness had worsened, how he wanted to spare his family from the pain of watching him fade. But in his isolation, he'd realized he'd only made things worse.
He took Aria's hand. "If you'll have me back... I want to come home."
She nodded, smiling through tears. "Always."
---
On the drive back, the group was silent, moved by what they had witnessed.
Auren looked at Eira. "Thank you. For introducing us to Aria."
Eira leaned on his shoulder. "Everyone deserves to be found."
And in her heart, she wondered: would she one day be the one searching for Auren in the same way?
Would she get the same miracle?
---