Operation: Threads of Connection

Missing

Anya's POV:

Seeing Damian talk to Alina as well as holding her hand made me feel... angry? I don't know remember much about him, but was he always this close to her? I know he doesn't treat all girls like this, he frequently makes fun of Becky, when other girls try to get his attention he always ignores them. But with Alina, why is he so attentive?

Ugh Anya, get a hold of yourself! I shouldn't be having these types of feelings, they both have been nothing but supportive to me. As I was getting ready to leave, I felt something hard bump into my head, I realized then that Damian was now standing in front of me. His eyes widened as he looked down at me, his arms reaching on both sides holding himself up, yet trapping me in the process.

My heart began beating faster as I realized how close we were, his hazel eyes captivated me as I stared deep into the swirling colors, they said so much, yet I couldn't comprehend the meaning behind it...

His hair was disheveled as the wind danced through the locks, regardless it made him look even more handsome, but how could I have such thoughts when he was with Alina just a few seconds ago.

"Anya?" his voice whispered as his hand moved towards me, but within a second he pulled back, almost like he was... afraid? Did I do something to make him feel this way? God Im so stupid! Maybe I ruined the moment between Alina and him.

"I'm sorry," I began shifting my eyes elsewhere, "I didn't mean to interrupt Alina and you-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I looked back at him, his eyes shifted from that of curiosity to fear. He shook his head "it's not like that, Alina and I are just friends," he replied rather quickly. The weight on my chest seemed to lessen as I found out this new piece of information. But why was I so relieved?

"Oh," I said beginning to feel a bit more embarrassed, I could feel my face beginning to warm up, I began to look down at my shaking hands, trying to calm myself, though the night was cold, it did very little to calm my burning face. "I just... I saw you two together and thought... I don't know what I thought... you guys just seem close," I said softly.

Damian looked at me with a softer expression as he stepped closer, " it's not what you think. We were just talking- about you actually,"

I felt my heartbeat beginning to accelerate once more, " about me?" I asked curiously.

Damian nodded as he began to tell me how he didn't know how to approach me. What did I do to cause such a rife between us? I always felt safe and comfortable around him, did he not feel the same way? does he not know how much I truly care about him?

Before I could tell him anything, Becky's voice called out from inside the party. Damian told me to go, with a heavy heart I left back inside, but I knew this conversation was not over. 

____

A couple days passed by and Damian had not come to school. I had asked Ewen and Emile if he was okay, but neither boy knew.

"Last time we saw him was at Becky's party," Ewen said as he checked his phone for any recent messages.

"We all walked to the dorms together and the next morning he was gone," Emile added.

A sense of unease settled in my chest as I listened to Ewen and Emile. Damian's sudden disappearance gnawed at me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The conversation we had at Becky's party kept replaying in my mind. The look in his eyes, the way he seemed to hesitate, as if there was something more he wanted to say but couldn't bring himself to.

I found myself staring out the window during class, my thoughts drifting to Damian. The empty seat beside Alina was a constant reminder that he wasn't there. She seemed worried too, her usual cheerful demeanor replaced by a pensive look. I wanted to ask her if she knew anything, but the fear of what she might say held me back. But what if something bad had happened to him?

During lunch, I couldn't take it anymore. I decided to find Alina. She was sitting alone under the big oak tree in the courtyard, her lunch untouched beside her. As I approached, she looked up, and I could see the concern in her eyes.

"Alina," I began hesitantly, "have you heard from Damian?"

She shook her head slowly. "No... I've been trying to reach him, but he's not responding to my messages. I'm really worried, Anya. This isn't like him."

A wave of relief and anxiety washed over me simultaneously. Relief that she didn't seem to know more than I did, and anxiety because that meant we were both in the dark. I sat down beside her, the autumn breeze rustling the leaves around us.

"Do you think something happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Alina bit her lip, her expression troubled. "I don't know. Damian's been acting strange for a while now. He's been more distant, like he's carrying some kind of burden he doesn't want to share. I thought it was just about.. you... , but now I'm not so sure."

Her words made my heart sink. I'd noticed Damian's change in behavior too, but I had been so wrapped up in my own confusion and emotions. What did she mean me? Was Damian feeling some sort of way about me?

"What should we do?" I asked, feeling a sense of helplessness.

Alina sighed, leaning back against the tree trunk. "I don't know... but maybe we should go to his dorm room, see if there are any clues. He might have left something behind."

I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. If Damian was in trouble, or if something was wrong, I wanted to be there for him. We decided to meet after school to head to the boys' dormitory together.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, I couldn't shake the feeling that whatever we found in Damian's room might change everything.

The halls were quiet as Alina and I made our way to the dorms. My heart pounded in my chest with each step. Ewen and Emile were already waiting for us outside Damian's door, their expressions serious. Bash and Becky had gone to check the tutoring center to find out if he had been there.

"I found his spare key," Ewen said, holding it up. "We thought it might be a good idea to check inside."

With a deep breath, Alina took the key from Ewen and unlocked the door. The room was neat, everything in its place, but there was a strange stillness to it, like the air was heavier than it should be.

We all stepped inside, looking around for any signs of where Damian might have gone. His books were stacked neatly on his desk, his bed was made, and his uniform hung in the closet. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But then, Emile noticed something.

"Hey, what's this?" he said, picking up a piece of paper from Damian's desk. We all gathered around as he unfolded it.

"You chose to ignore my warning, now she will pay the price. Unless you want to keep her out of this, come back home and don't utter a word to anyone. See you soon, son."

The words sent a chill down my spine. Was this his father's doing? The note slipped from Emile's fingers as the gravity of the message hit us all at once. The atmosphere in the room thickened with a palpable tension, and I could barely breathe as I processed the sinister implications.

"His father..." Alina whispered, her voice trembling. "God this is all my fault... I know where his dad is sending him," she choked out as tears began running down her face.

"Where?" I ask, my heart beating more frantically at the fear of her answer. Her sobs increased as she fell to the floor hiding her face in her hands.

"They're sending him to the military"