Adam slid Clara’s passport behind the radiator with a grin, already rehearsing the mock-outrage he expected when she realized. It was supposed to be a silly, harmless prank before their weekend trip. But when he stepped back into the living room, Clara was gone, and the apartment felt unnervingly still.
He pulled out his phone and called her, expecting the familiar ring and a half-amused sigh. Instead, the call went straight to voicemail. He tried again. Unreachable. Her coat was missing from the hook, yet a few of her T-shirts and her toothbrush remained. Something felt off-kilter.
Frowning, he went back to the radiator to finish the joke, reaching behind it to retrieve the passport and explain everything. His fingers met only dust and metal. No passport. He stared at the empty gap, trying to remember the exact spot. Fear coiled quietly in his chest.