The classroom was almost empty.

  The white lights of the university hallway illuminated tired faces and evasive gazes. Marek Volkov walked beside Ilya Novak without saying a word. He didn’t need to. Both knew that friends were always silent witnesses… until one chose to break the pact.

  They gathered them in a small room.

  Four young people. Three girls and one boy. All nervous. All repeating the same learned story.

  —Laura was fine —one of them said—. We didn’t notice anything strange.

  —Yeah, we talked often —another added—. She never said she wanted to leave.

  Volkov watched them carefully.

  The hands. The looks. The pauses between words.

  —Did she argue with anyone? —he asked.

  —No —they answered almost at the same time.

  Ilya noted the detail.

  —With her boyfriend? —Volkov insisted.

  Silence.

  —Daniel took good care of her —the boy finally said—. He was always attentive.

  —Attentive or controlling? —Volkov asked calmly.

  —Attentive —he repeated, too quickly.

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  Volkov closed his notebook.

  —Thank you for your time —he said—. If you remember anything else, even something that seems insignificant, speak now.

  No one did.

  The friends stood up one by one and left the room.

  The last one was the boy. He took a few steps… and stopped.

  He looked back.

  —Detective… —he murmured.

  Volkov raised his eyes.

  —Yes?

  The young man hesitated, swallowed hard, and slowly stepped closer.

  —Can we talk… in private?

  Ilya stepped aside without saying a word.

  The boy lowered his voice.

  —Not everything we said is true.

  Volkov didn’t react.

  —Start over —he said.

  —Daniel wasn’t just protective —the boy confessed—. He was possessive. He checked Laura’s phone. Told her how to dress. Who she could see. She stopped coming to gatherings because he “wasn’t comfortable.”

  —Why didn’t you say this before? —Volkov asked.

  —Because she asked us not to interfere —he replied—. She said she didn’t want problems.

  Volkov nodded slowly.

  —Did you hear any recent arguments?

  —Yes —the boy said—. Two days before she disappeared. Laura was crying. She said she wanted to end the relationship.

  The silence grew heavy.

  —Was that all? —Volkov asked.

  The young man hesitated.

  —No —he admitted—. Daniel told her something that scared me.

  —What was it?

  —That if she left him… no one would understand her like he did.

  Volkov held his gaze.

  —Thank you for telling me.

  The boy nodded, visibly relieved, and walked away.

  Ilya stepped back beside Volkov.

  —That changes everything —he said.

  —No —Volkov replied—. It confirms it.

  They walked toward the exit.

  —Control doesn’t always leave visible marks —Volkov added—. Sometimes it erases a person little by little, until one day… they are simply gone.

  Ilya frowned.

  —Do you think Daniel made her disappear?

  Volkov looked down the empty hallway.

  —I think he wanted to decide for her —he answered—. And when someone believes they have that right… they can go very far.

  Night fell once again over the city.

  And for the first time, the case stopped being just a disappearance.

  Now it had a face and a threat.