Chapter 27

• Ethan woke up with a start, his eyes scanning the room frantically as he reached out to the empty space beside him. He had been expecting to wake up to Zera's beautiful face, her piercing green eyes sparkling in the morning light. But instead, he was met with nothing. No Zera, no sign of her presence, just an empty bed and a haunting silence.
• He called out to her, his voice hoarse from sleep, "Zera? Zera, where are you?" But there was no response. He waited for a moment, thinking maybe she was just in the bathroom or getting a glass of water. But as the silence stretched on, he began to feel a sense of unease creeping up his spine.
• He threw off the covers and got out of bed, his heart racing with a sense of panic. He checked the bathroom, calling out her name again, but she wasn't there either. He looked around the room, hoping to find some clue as to where she might have gone.