53 THE SEARCH

PERCY'S POV I woke up with a sense of unease. I reached out for Karen, but she wasn't there. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and looked around the room. The sun was just beginning to peek through the windows, casting a warm glow across the walls. But Karen was nowhere to be seen. My heart started to race as I got out of bed and began to search the house for her. I checked the bathroom, the kitchen, and even the living room, but she was not there. Panic began to set in as I frantically searched every room, calling out her name. But there was no answer. Karen was gone. I couldn't understand it. We had gone to bed together the night before, laughing and whispering sweet nothings to each other. I couldn't remember her leaving or any noise that might have woken her up. It was like she had just vanished into thin air. I ran back to our bedroom, hoping she had returned while I was searching the house. But the bed was still empty, and her side was cold. I sat down on th