Chapter 38
**Chapter 38: The Night Serena Vanished p>
**The Night Serena Vanished p>
“BREAKING NEWS: EASTWIND AIR 1061 MISSING p>
At precisely 7:10 p.m. this evening, the unsettling announcement echoed through the airwaves, confirming that Eastwind Air had lost all communication with Flight 1061, which was making its way from Velmon City to Oakridge.
The aircraft, carrying a total of 177 souls-passengers and crew alike—vanished from radar just moments after it soared over the expansive Crescent Ridge Sea.
Search and rescue operations have been swiftly mobilized, yet no details have emerged regarding the mysterious circumstances surrounding the flight’s disappearance. Authorities implore families to maintain their composure as the investigation unfolds.
As the clock ticked on, no new information about the plane’s fate had surfaced.
Nathaniel felt a sharp intake of breath as the headline replayed for what seemed like the umpteenth time. The calm demeanor he usually wore had evaporated, leaving him visibly shaken. His jaw clenched tightly, and the strain around his eyes revealed the internal battle he was waging against the encroaching panic.
FLIGHT 1061 MISSING, and Serena? She was on that very flight.
His heart raced violently against his ribs, pounding like a war drum. Clenching his hands into tight fists on his knees, he leaned closer to the screen of his phone, as if mere proximity could alter the grim reality of the report.
“Dennis… step on it,” Nathaniel urged, his voice a strained whisper.
Without hesitation, Dennis accelerated down the road, weaving in and out of lanes with a sense of urgency. “I’m pushing it as hard as I can, man. Just hold on tight p>
But Nathaniel found it impossible to hold on.
With each passing second, it felt as though Serena was slipping further away, lost to an unknown fate.
Pressing a hand to his forehead, he fought to steady his breathing, but the fear inside him was a relentless tide, rising higher and higher.
“Please… no,” Nathaniel murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “This can’t be real p>
Upon arriving at the airport, Nathaniel nearly leaped from the car, his feet pounding against the pavement as he raced toward the airline’s ticketing counter.
The scene was chaotic; reporters and frantic family members swarmed the area. An airline employee stood on a platform, using a megaphone to try and calm the distressed families of those aboard Eastwind Air 1061.
“Please, we are doing everything within our power to locate the missing aircraft and provide you with answers p>
“How could this happen? How could a flight simply vanish p>
“Oh, my God p>
“My son! My son p>
The atmosphere was thick with anxiety and despair, families crying out in panic.
A woman fainted nearby, while an elderly man shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking with fear and frustration.
It was already past ten in the evening. Eastwind Air 1061 should have landed in Oakridge over two hours ago, and the weight of dread settled heavily on Nathaniel’s chest.
Pushing through the throng of people, he finally reached the airline employee. “I am Nathaniel Thorne. My wife was on that flight. Tell me what I can do to expedite the search. I will provide any resources you need anything. Just please, for the love of God, move faster p>
“Sir, I assure you, we are doing everything we can p>
“That’s not enough!” Nathaniel snapped, his palm slamming down on the counter with a force that made the employee flinch. The fury etched across his features sharpened every line of his face. “How could you lose contact with your aircraft in the first place p>
“Mr. Thorne, please, this way.” A manager, recognizing his distress, stepped in to guide him away from the chaos. Nathaniel and Dennis were ushered into the VIP lounge, where they were promised a comprehensive update while they awaited further news.
Because of Nathaniel’s insistence, the airline agreed to mobilize additional search and rescue teams to scour the Crescent Ridge Sea, the last known location of Eastwind Air 1061.
By two in the morning, Nathaniel’s commissioned teams were dispatched into the dark waters.
The government had also sent in the navy to assist in the investigation.
At seven in the morning, the search team began meticulously scanning the waters with specialized underwater equipment.
Nathaniel and Dennis remained at the airport, their anxiety palpable. As ten a.m. rolled around, there was still no sign of hope. Then, an airline emplovee approached, holding a list of passengers who had checked in for the flight.
Nathaniel’s heart sank as he scanned the names. There were images from surveillance cameras confirming that Serena had indeed made it through the boarding gate.
With each passing moment, the reality settled deeper into his bones.
Serena could be… gone.
“No.” A tear slipped down Nathaniel’s cheek, betraying the stoic facade he fought to maintain His jaw tightened, muscles coiling as he pressed a hand to his chest struggling to breathe. This is happening p>
This was a nightmare he never wished to confront.
The only solace he had in the choices he made was the certainty that Serena would always be safe and within his reach.
The thought of losing her forever was something he had never dared to entertain.
Turning to Dennis, his voice trembled, laced with a desperation that was hard to mask. “Dennis, please tell me this isn’t real p>
His breath quickened as he sought the comfort of a denial he so desperately needed. “Fuck… man. Just tell me this isn’t happening p>
Dennis remained silent, his gaze downcast.
Nathaniel searched his friend’s face, hoping to find a flicker of denial, a glimmer of hope, or even a comforting lie to cling to. But all he found was devastation mirrored in Dennis’s eyes.
Even Dennis appeared crushed, confirming the reality that Serena had reached the boarding gate.
Shaking his head, Dennis’s eyes were clouded with sorrow. “I’m so sorry, man.
Nathan… I truly am. No one saw this coming p>
Nathaniel refused to rest.
In the afternoon, he boarded a flight
to Oakridge City. His closest
friends-Dennis, Timothy, and Peter accompanied him, joining the coastguard at Crescent Ridge Sea.
They boarded a navy vessel assigned to lead the search efforts. Cóntent
A storm rolled in.
The wind howled, whipping against them, and the waters churned violently, but Nathaniel stood resolute at the bow of the boat, unyielding. He wouldn’t dare blink, fearful that he might miss even the slightest sign of her.
Every update regarding Eastwind Air 1061 came directly to him.
Every rumor, every speculation.
Every shred of evidence the search teams fought tirelessly to uncover.
It wasn’t until the fourth day that they unearthed a piece of evidence confirming the worst fears of everyone involved.
One of the engines from Eastwind Air 1061 had been discovered at the bottom of the neighboring sea.
Meanwhile, in Rexam City, a woman lay in a hospital bed, utterly spent. When her eyelids fluttered open, she found a man holding her hand, his expression a mixture of relief and concern.
“What happened to me?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, frail and weak. “Where am I p>
“We’re in a hospital in Rexam,” the man replied gently. “You told me everything when we arrived, but you were so exhausted that your body gave in. You were in and out for four days, mostly asleep p>