CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY EIGHT - Shadows Beyond the Glass

Nia leaned forward, intrigued. "Oh? What's going on?" Kathy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "He's disappeared. I haven't seen or heard from him in almost a month." "Disappeared?" Nia echoed, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?" "I mean vanished into thin air," Kathy explained. "No contact, no updates, nothing. It's like he just... dropped off the face of the earth." Nia felt a chill run down her spine. "That's... odd. Have you tried reaching out to his family or friends?" Kathy nodded. "Of course. But they're just as in the dark as I am. His mother is worried sick. She said it's not like him to just take off without a word." "And the police?" Nia pressed. "I've filed a missing person's report, but you know how it is. They can't do much unless there's evidence of foul play." Nia's mind raced, pieces of a puzzle she couldn't quite see starting to form. "When exactly was the last time you saw him?" Kathy thought for a moment. "It would have been... about three days be