My little girl was nowhere to be found.
Did Rufus not send Beryl to school this morning? Well, that wasn’t likely. I shook my head and thought nothing of it.
Back when my daughter was in the border pack, she had a habit of skipping classes. She was probably out playing somewhere, so I wasn’t too bothered.
By noontime, I watched a group of kids playing their games on the lawn.
It was then that I spotted Laura in the distance.
She had her people with her, and they seemed to be in a rush.
I found it strange.
Why would Laura suddenly come to the kindergarten without informing me beforehand? I headed over to meet her.
As I drew closer, I realized that she looked quite frantic.
My thoughts immediately jumped back to that ominous message from last night, and ] found myself hurrying to Laura’s side.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, clutching her arm.
“Has Beryl come to school?” Laura asked, her eyes flashing anxiously.
“What? No? I don’t think… I haven’t seen her…”
My heart felt heavy in my chest, and I heard a ringing in my ears.
Laura’s face darkened. She took a deep breath as if to brace herself.
What she said next made me fall apart.
“Beryl is missing.”
“Beryl is missing.”
Crystal’s POV
“What did you say? How? Why would Beryl suddenly disappear?”
My knees buckled underneath me, and Laura had to reach out and catch me before I slumped to the ground.
A rush of anger shot through me.
“I thought Rufus was supposed to bring Beryl to school! How can she be missing?”
My anxiety seemed to fuel Laura’s, and her words just flew out of her mouth.
“Yes, yes, Rufus was indeed supposed to do that, but something urgent came up this morning. He had to leave, so he asked a maid to take Beryl to the kindergarten. I just happened to drop by Rufus’ place a while ago and found out that said maid hasn’t returned. I had a hunch that something was wrong, so I asked the servants to look for the maid. They found her lying unconscious on a dirt path. So I immediately rushed here to make sure that Beryl is okay.”
I could only stare at Laura, my eyes widening with every word she said.
They registered in my brain, but it was as if my brain refused to process their implication.
Laura’s expression turned glum.
“But judging from your reaction, I’m guessing that Beryl isn’t here, either.”
I didn’t waste another minute. I headed to the principal’s office and asked for a leave of absence, and then proceeded to search the entire palace with Laura.
“Beryl!”
I called out her name until my throat burned, and even then, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t relax for even one second. I checked the bushes in the garden, turning at the slightest movement I sensed.
Beryl had a naughty streak.
She was like a wild rabbit, always running about and hiding in the most unlikely places. And so, I did not hesitate to search every corner of the palace, scouring every nook and cranny as often as I could.
Hours ticked by, and I could no longer contain my restless heart.
“Crystal,” a voice called out from behind me.
I whirled around and saw Rufus.
It looked like the news of Beryl’s disappearance had already reached him, given that a large group of patrolmen was already scouring the area in his wake. I walked up to him and grabbed his sleeves as though they were my lifeline.
“How is it? Have you found her?” Rufus shook his head, his brows furrowed with worry.
“Not yet, but I have instructed my men to expand the search beyond the palace grounds. I’m sure we’ll find Beryl in no time.”
I let go of him and huffed in frustration, my tears spilling from my eyes.
The imperial palace was not that huge.
Where else could Beryl be? Was it possible that she had been abducted? The thought sent me reeling, and I fell apart all over again. I just broke down and wept.
Rufus was visibly startled.
He ducked his head to look at my face.
“Crystal? Crystal, hey. Come on, don’t cry.”
“I’m not crying,” I retorted, swallowing back a sob.
Still, I could feel my tears streaming down my cheeks. I could have pretended to be strong, and I could have pulled it off, too.
But with Rufus around, I feel like I had the freedom to be vulnerable and express my grief.
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