10
The morning sun had barely risen when Finn hurried toward the cathedral, the memory of Alice’s frail smile lingering in his thoughts. He pushed open the heavy wooden doors quietly, expecting to see her resting on one of the pews or speaking softly with Father Ben. But the cathedral felt strangely emptier that day.
Father Ben was lighting a row of candles near the altar when Finn approached.
“Father… where is Alice?” Finn asked.
Father Ben paused, lowering the candle lighter. His face softened, puzzled. “I thought she was still sleeping in the guest room. But when I checked earlier, she was gone. Her bedding folded neatly. No trace of her belongings.”
Finn’s brows furrowed. “Did she say anything to you?”
“No,” Father Ben said slowly. “It is as if she simply… vanished.”
Heart uneasy, Finn quickly left the cathedral and rushed to find Maxi. Together with Ellie and Car, they returned to the bridge—the pce where they had found Alice, where everything started. The morning traffic buzzed, people hurried past, unaware of the significance of the site to Finn.
They searched under the bridge, among the nearby street corners, asked a few vendors if they had seen an elder woman with a broom and a grocery cart. But no one had.
Alice was simply gone.
For days, Finn couldn’t shake the feeling that something was unfinished. Every afternoon, once school ended and his chores at the market stall were done, he would take out the old rusted ring—its metal unfamiliar, yet beautifully shaped—turning it between his fingers. The strange patterns engraved on it felt ancient, important.
Why give him this?Why him?
Maxi noticed Finn’s quiet moods but chose not to push him. Finn tried. He focused on school, on chess practice, on running track, and on helping at the stall beside his father and Aunt Nins. Slowly, life returned to its pace.
But some nights, when the world was quiet and sleep far away, Finn would look at the ring under the dim mp light.
And wonder if Alice was truly gone…or if their meeting was only just the beginning.
