“Andi.”

  The sharp voice cut through the room as a woman circled several dates on her calendar. The office was bathed in amber twilight, cluttered with stacks of paper, thick books, and humming computers.

  “Yes, Fen?”

  “Yooo.”

  “Oiiii.”

  “Not you, K.O. And definitely not you, Emi,” Fena snapped at the two voices that hadn’t been invited to respond.

  “Andika! Which date in September was it again? Not the 14th, okay? I’ve got a family thing—just the usual gathering.”

  “Oh, wow,” Andi Kurnia Oesman—better known as K.O.—teased. “So the brave boy finally dares to face your parents, Fen? What potion did he drink? He used to panic just picking you up. Hey, K.A, it’s still the afternoon of the 15th, right?”

  “Are you planning a similar event, Fen?” Andi Marwan Isnaini, a.k.a. Emi, chimed in. “Waiting a whole year just to meet parents—when’s the wedding then? Hahaha.”

  Emi immediately received a dagger-sharp glare from Fena.

  “Heh,” Andi K.A., or simply Andika—laughed softly. “Relax, Fen. The plan’s still set for the 15th. Only three months to go. Chances of changing the date are basically zero.”

  “Good.” Fena exhaled. “And stop mocking Emi. I already fired him—from my life. I’m sick of guys who aren’t serious. ‘Later,’ ‘be patient,’ ‘soon.’ Argh!”

  Before Emi could protest, Fena raised a hand. “Stop. Before you say something stupid—just so you know, your name is still number one on my blacklist. So…”

  CLAP.

  “Back to work!” Fena declared, clapping her hands and pointing at the mountain of papers.

  “Yes, Boss!”

  ...

  As usual, Andika took the bus home from work. Normally, the ride across Surabaya took about fifteen minutes if traffic behaved. On weekends like this, though, it could stretch past thirty.

  “Huh?” he muttered, scrolling through his phone. “What kind of news is this? Thousands of people missing in just one week? A hoax?”

  Uneasy, Andika searched for other sources.

  “This is worse… twenty thousand people missing in two weeks? Is it just Indonesia making noise, or is the world starting to panic?”

  Switching to English, he typed mass missing people.

  The results were even more disturbing.

  Two heads of state vanish during a regional summit in Central Asia.One thousand people disappear in a single day in Romania—terror or reality?

  When he got off the bus, Andika walked toward the wide main road before turning left into a busy smaller street. His hand rested on his chin, mind spinning with theories—until a familiar voice called out.

  “Andi, have you seen Benni?” asked Aunt Ujang, her face half-confused, half-worried.

  “No, Auntie. I didn’t see him on my way home. What happened?”

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  “He’s been gone since morning. Said he was going to take a shower, but when I checked the bathroom—he wasn’t there. His phone’s missing too, and we can’t reach him. I only stepped out to buy vegetables for a moment. If you see him, please tell me, okay?”

  “Yes, Auntie. I will.”

  “Thank you, Andi.”

  A chill crept up his spine.

  Could Benni’s disappearance be the same as the ones in the news?

  “Ugh—why am I even thinking about this?” Andika scolded himself as he walked home.

  That night, after finishing his chores—sweeping, mopping, showering, doing laundry—Andika collapsed onto his bed. His right hand held his phone above his face. The screen read 20:02, reflecting his oval face and thinning hair. His brown eyes barely showed in the glare.

  Ring… Ring… Ring…

  “Hi.”

  “Hey.” A soft, melodic voice flowed into his ears.

  “…”

  “What now? Ran out of cheesy lines?” the voice teased.

  “Your voice makes me completely speechless.”

  “Hey! You missed the M!” she protested.

  “Sorry, my dear Salma. I’m just happy. Your voice is soothing—perfect. I’ve been exhausted all day. My soulmate. Come over—let’s lean on each other.”

  “Lean on who? You sound way too happy. Cheating on me, huh?” Salma joked.

  “Hahaha, no way. I’m alone. What’s up, bro? Calling out of nowhere?”

  “Bro, bro—lame. I just wanted to talk,” Salma replied coolly.

  “Andi…” she continued, then paused.“We need to talk.”

  Thud.

  Andika’s heart skipped.

  From stories he’d heard, those words usually meant disaster.

  “What… do you want to talk about?” he asked quietly, choosing his words carefully.

  “…”

  Silence.

  “Salma?”

  “Hahaha! Hahahaha!”

  “You’re the unfunny one now, Salma,” Andika groaned.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she giggled. “A friend taught me that prank. Couldn’t resist.”

  “Santi, right?” Andika sighed. “Fine. This time only. Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

  “I promise, no next time.”

  “Good.”

  “Santi doesn’t deserve to be hit in your imagination, Andi,” Salma laughed. “But seriously—remember my college friends we talked about? The ones who suddenly cut contact? Turns out they’re officially reported missing. This morning, group chats were full of similar stories. Neighbors. Friends. Gone. A lot of them. People are saying it’s conspiracy, alien abduction, mass hypnosis, terrorism… the news exploded after presidents and prime ministers vanished. It’s too much, Andi. I’m scared. What if something happens to us—or our families?”

  Andika fell silent, searching for the right words.

  “Salma,” he said gently.

  “Yes?”

  “On my way home today, my neighbor told me her son went missing too. But we don’t know yet if it’s the same thing.”

  He chose calm over fear—Salma wasn’t someone who needed constant reassurance.

  “We don’t know who’s behind this—or why. But one thing is clear, Salma. I love you. We’re just one step closer. Whatever happens, we leave it to God. We ask Him for the best.”

  And if the worst comes, he added silently, I’ll find a way back to you.

  “You still manage to flirt,” Salma sighed. “Thank you. Maybe I got carried away. One step closer, okay? By the way—what date are you finally coming here?”

  They talked for another ten minutes—about family, preparations, the future—before wishing each other good night. Andika closed his eyes, letting the calm wash over him.

  The next day unfolded like any other weekend. Exercise. Cleaning. Cooking. News.

  Andika didn’t enjoy tourist trips much; cooking was his escape. Though far from a Michelin chef, he knew his way around his hometown dishes—comfort food for homesickness.

  At the market, he learned Benni still hadn’t been found.

  Confirmed missing.

  But why Benni?A homebody. Animelover. Web design enginger.

  No enemies. No debts. Just coffee and fried snacks at the security post.

  Online, reports of missing people multiplied. Experts revealed the phenomenon had quietly begun eight to ten months ago—random victims, no pattern, no stolen items. Some vanished from hotels, hospitals, even public bathrooms.

  Authorities urged calm. Don’t be alone. Live normally.

  Andika forwarded the news to Salma and others, hoping it would ease their anxiety.

  Hope for the best, he thought, gazing at the blue sky slowly reddening in the west.

  ...

  The following morning, as Andika arrived at work—

  His eyes widened. His hands trembled. Cold sweat drenched his back.

  This wasn’t the third floor of his office.

  This makes no sense…Where am I?