THE SACRED MISTAKE

— Elara

Where am I?

— Go home… Elara.

Who are you? What’s happening? Where am I?

— For now… goodbye.

The dark mist slowly faded. When Elara opened her eyes, she found herself staring into two pairs of worried blue eyes. The pale fluorescent light from the ceiling stung her vision. A sharp medicinal smell filled her nose. Her head felt heavy.

— Elara, are you okay?

Elara looked around in confusion. Still dazed from the dream, she tried to understand where she was. This place looked nothing like her home. The walls were stark white, an IV stand stood in the corner, and the room was filled with that all-too-familiar hospital smell.

— What happened? Why are we here?

— You fainted last night. When I told you that you needed some rest and at least a few bites of food, you ignored me. So… we ended up spending the night here.

Elara took a deep breath. The weight of the last two days suddenly crashed down on her shoulders. Starting the third day in a hospital room had never been part of her plans.

— You really stayed by my side all night? I’m sorry, Adrian… I’m really sorry.

Adrian took her hand. His touch was warm, reassuring.

— No, it’s okay. Your well-being matters much more to me. That’s why I worry about you so much. Please take care of yourself. We’ll get through this, but I need you with me.

— Okay… I’ll be careful. But Adrian, I’m really worried. What if something happened to her? What if she’s somewhere, waiting for me? I’m so scared.

Adrian squeezed her hand gently.

— Hey, calm down. Believe me, I’m just as worried as you are. But if we don’t handle this calmly, there’s nothing we can do.

As he spoke, he used his other hand to smooth her hair. They had been close friends since they were eight years old. They were each other’s strongest support. Elara had always been grateful for Adrian’s presence in her life.

When she lost her parents at fourteen, she had been forced to go to an orphanage with her eight-year-old sister. Even remembering those days made her chest tighten. Cold walls, unfamiliar faces, and a loneliness that never seemed to end…

But Adrian and his mother visited them every week. They came with homemade meals, small gifts, and warm smiles. Those visits had been the only light in Elara’s darkest days.

Years had passed, but their bond remained the same—if anything, it had grown even stronger.

Elara gave Adrian a faint, bittersweet smile. Just then, his phone rang. It was his mother, Margaret.

— Elara, my mom’s calling. I’ll talk to her and come right back, okay?

— Of course. Give her my love.

Adrian nodded slightly and left the room. When the door closed, the room suddenly felt quieter… colder.

Elara stared up at the ceiling.

Her sister… Elise…

She was only eighteen. The most precious person in Elara’s world. The last time she had seen her was three days ago, on Sunday. Since then, not a single word.

Elise wasn’t the type to disappear without telling her. This had never happened before.

On Sunday, after church, Elise had smiled and told her she was meeting an old friend. Then she had wrapped her arms around Elara.

“We’ll talk tonight,” she’d said.

Then she got into the taxi she’d called and left. Elara hadn’t wanted to disturb her, so she didn’t call that day. But the next day, unable to shake the growing unease in her chest, she sent her a message.

It never delivered.

She called again and again.

Her phone was off.

That cold fear that had filled her at that moment still hadn’t left.

Not knowing what else to do, Elara had gone straight to Adrian. And now, this was the third day of their search for Elise. Still, there wasn’t a single lead.

She had barely eaten anything during these days. Last night, after leaving the police station, she and Adrian had been walking home when her vision suddenly went dark and she collapsed.

And so, the third day had begun in a hospital room.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a nurse entered the room with Adrian. She was in her fifties, with a warm, gentle smile. As she removed the IV, she gave Elara a long lecture about eating properly and letting her body rest.

Finally ready to leave the hospital, Elara slipped her arm through Adrian’s as they walked toward the exit.

— My mom heard about it. I didn’t want to tell her because I didn’t want her to worry herself sick, but I had to. When she heard we were looking for Elise, she insisted on coming with us. So I softened it as much as I could and told her we were at the hospital. She was really scared, but she calmed down a bit when I told her you were fine and about to be discharged. Now she wants us to come over. She’s going to make you eat.

— Oh, Margaret… she’s too kind. But Adrian, we can’t waste time. I promise I’ll eat later, but right now… I don’t think I could swallow anything.

Adrian suddenly stopped and stepped in front of her, pulling her into a hug.

— I know it’s hard. We’re all worried, believe me. But the police are already searching for her. My friend, Commissioner Megan, knows about the situation too, and she’s working hard on the case. She’s a very good officer, and I’m sure she’ll help us a lot. What you need right now is to rest and regain your strength. We’ll search for Elise more effectively later. But if your condition gets worse, there won’t be much we can do. Let’s go to my mom’s place, okay? It’ll calm her down, and you can recover a bit.

— Okay… but I still feel so uneasy. I can’t help it. I can’t stop thinking about Elise.

Adrian gently stroked her hair.

— I know. But everything will be okay, alright? We’ll get through this.

Elara rested her head against his chest and allowed herself a minute or two to calm down. Just then, Adrian’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, smiled when he saw “Mom” on the screen, and answered.

— Son, where are you? I’ve already prepared the food. I’m waiting for you. You’ve left the hospital, right? How’s Elara? Is she okay?

— She’s fine, Mom. And yes, we just left the hospital. We’re on our way. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes.

— Alright, I’ll be waiting.

Adrian ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

— My mom won’t let us go without seeing you today. She’s already made the food and is waiting for you. Let’s go before she worries more.

— Okay, let’s go. We shouldn’t keep her waiting.

They got into the car together and headed toward Margaret’s house.