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The University
**Chapter 9: Into the Darkness**
The group sat in Mira’s apartment, the atmosphere heavy with tension. The dim light from a single lamp cast long shadows on the walls, mirroring the unease that clung to everyone like a second skin. Nora paced back and forth, biting her nails, while Matthew sat on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. Ann was curled up in a corner, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Ryan stood by the window, his jaw clenched, staring out into the dark streets below.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Yasmine blurted out, breaking the silence. Her voice wavered with desperation. “Mira is out there, alone. She’s not even from here. We have to do something!”
Ann looked up, her face pale. “We don’t even know where to start. What if something’s already happened to her?”
Ryan turned away from the window, his expression determined. “Yasmine’s right. No one is going to help us. We can’t wait for the police or anyone else.”
He strode into Mira’s room, returning moments later with her broken phone. “Nora, unlock it.”
Nora hesitated, her hands trembling as she took the phone from him. She entered the passcode and handed it back.
Ryan scrolled through her contacts. “What’s her dad’s name?”
“Richard,” Nora replied softly.
Ryan found the contact and dialed. After a few rings, a woman’s sharp voice answered. “Yes, Mira, what do you want now?”
Ryan cleared his throat. “Hi, this is Ryan, Mira’s friend. Can I speak to her dad? It’s urgent.”
The woman scoffed. “This is Samantha, Mira’s stepmom. Richard’s busy. What do you want?”
Ryan hesitated, then blurted, “Mira’s missing. We found her phone broken on the floor with drops of blood. We’re really...
The group sat in Mira’s apartment, the atmosphere heavy with tension. The dim light from a single lamp cast long shadows on the walls, mirroring the unease that clung to everyone like a second skin. Nora paced back and forth, biting her nails, while Matthew sat on the couch, staring blankly at the floor. Ann was curled up in a corner, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Ryan stood by the window, his jaw clenched, staring out into the dark streets below.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing,” Yasmine blurted out, breaking the silence. Her voice wavered with desperation. “Mira is out there, alone. She’s not even from here. We have to do something!”
Ann looked up, her face pale. “We don’t even know where to start. What if something’s already happened to her?”
Ryan turned away from the window, his expression determined. “Yasmine’s right. No one is going to help us. We can’t wait for the police or anyone else.”
He strode into Mira’s room, returning moments later with her broken phone. “Nora, unlock it.”
Nora hesitated, her hands trembling as she took the phone from him. She entered the passcode and handed it back.
Ryan scrolled through her contacts. “What’s her dad’s name?”
“Richard,” Nora replied softly.
Ryan found the contact and dialed. After a few rings, a woman’s sharp voice answered. “Yes, Mira, what do you want now?”
Ryan cleared his throat. “Hi, this is Ryan, Mira’s friend. Can I speak to her dad? It’s urgent.”
The woman scoffed. “This is Samantha, Mira’s stepmom. Richard’s busy. What do you want?”
Ryan hesitated, then blurted, “Mira’s missing. We found her phone broken on the floor with drops of blood. We’re really...
