Time turned on, and soon a year and a half had passed. No sign had ever been found of Asphaella, and the loss hung heavy even still. It was simply the most unreal thing any of them could conceive; it couldn’t be more shocking if half of the town had been thrown into the sky, dirt and yards and all. Those closest learned to get through their daily routines, but there was always a reminder, at least once a day, even for the most resilient.
Graduation came and went, and adulthood set in; it didn’t seem right to be going to first jobs, getting first cars, without their friend. The police had said by this time, well long since really, that it was best to let it go, these things happen, and that’s just how the world is.
For Elleriuv, Hawn, and Aelbia, this was never enough. They’d talked through the events of that night several times, and they all agreed for the most part- they did chase the kidnappers through the forest that night, and each of them had encountered something that could only be explained by magic. None of the adults believed it all, though they tried to be supportive, they chalked it up to a juvenile inability to confront the trauma of the situation. As time went by, they began to doubt themselves a little- but whenever they got together, they were reminded, and their memories renewed.
Each of them, though, was going about finding closure a different way. Aelbia, who had been the most responsible child in the group from an early age, found her way into the Police Academy. She was intent on devoting her life to facing this sort of crime directly; looking to be involved with investigating crimes, pursuing criminals, rescuing victims. Hawn, always the most talkative, had entered the government- he was convinced there was a devious conspiracy here, some kind of cover up of something BIG, and he was going to turn to the world of international espionage to find the truth. He’d already completed the entry level programs for the junior Bureau of Intelligence and Security while still in high school, and could boast a network of connections many senior operatives couldn’t match. For Elleriuv, he’d never been able to get the hang of school like his friends. He wasn’t dumb; he was quick as lightning and figure out how to do almost anything before anyone else. But he couldn’t consistently attend class, or pass tests, or follow half of the rules for any length of time. One thing it turned out he could do was drive. There was a championship, the Rally the World Tournament, that took drivers all over the world to compete. Elleriuv was convinced his only practical shot at ever finding out what happened to Asphaella was by traveling all over, picking up clues in between races. Already he was well on his way to turning junior talent into a marketable, sponsorable career.
