Chapter 1: A Vanishing Act

The rain pattered softly against the windows of the University of Pasadianka’s sprawling library. Maria sat alone at her usual corner table, her books and notes spread haphazardly around her. She clutched a mug of lukewarm coffee, her mind replaying the last conversation she had with Professor Alex.

“It’s not just a theory, Maria,” he had whispered, his eyes darting around the empty lecture hall as though the walls had ears. “Dunnorage is real, and it’s dangerous. If something happens to me, promise me you’ll keep digging.”

At the time, Maria had laughed nervously, chalking it up to the eccentric paranoia of a man known for his dramatic flair. But when Professor Alex failed to show up for class the next day—and the day after that—her unease grew.

Now, a week had passed. The university had launched an official investigation, and whispers of foul play circulated among the faculty and students. Maria couldn’t shake the feeling that Alex’s disappearance was linked to the cryptic warnings he had given her.

The soft chime of her phone broke her reverie. A text message from her friend Suria appeared on the screen:

“Still no sign of Alex. You okay?”

Maria typed back a quick reply: “Not really. Something feels… wrong.”

She glanced at her notebook, where she had scribbled fragments of their last conversation: Dunnorage, Kentofes, PRASASTI. The words stared back at her like pieces of a puzzle she didn’t know how to assemble.

Driven by a surge of determination, Maria packed her belongings and made her way to Professor Alex’s office. The door was locked, but through the frosted glass panel, she could see the faint glow of his desk lamp. She knocked tentatively, her heartbeat quickening when no one answered.

The custodian, an elderly man with a kind smile, happened to pass by.

“Looking for Professor Alex?” he asked.

“Yes. Has he been here recently?”

The custodian shook his head. “Not in days. Strange fellow. Always working late, but he seemed… different the last time I saw him.”

“Different how?” Maria pressed.

“Jumpy, distracted. He mentioned something about making a breakthrough, but then he muttered something about ‘them coming’ and left in a hurry.”

Maria’s stomach churned. Thanking the custodian, she left the hallway and returned to her dorm.

Late that night, unable to sleep, Maria opened her laptop and searched for any mention of Dunnorage or Kentofes. Hours passed, but the internet yielded little. It wasn’t until she stumbled upon a decades-old news article about a controversial research project at PRASASTI that a single name leapt off the screen:

Dr. Adam Raufal.

Maria sat back, the weight of her professor’s warnings sinking in. Whoever Alex was afraid of, they were connected to something much larger than she had imagined. And if she wanted answers, she’d have to follow his trail—no matter where it led.