Where Is Liam?

"Liam, wait!" I called out, but he didn't respond.

He vanished abruptly, leaving me standing alone in the grand living room.

I quickly made my way to the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor, heading to Liam's room. When I arrived, I reached for the door handle and twisted it, expecting to find him inside. But the room was empty, and Liam was nowhere to be seen.

I felt a growing sense of worry as I walked out into the corridor, my head swiveling left and right, searching for any sign of him.

Suddenly, I collided with someone, and my heart skipped a beat. It was Mom, standing in front of me with a concerned expression. "Oh, Ma, do you know where Liam is?" I asked, trying to hide my worry.

She hesitated before responding, "To be honest, I'm not really sure. He just disappeared all of a sudden." Her brow furrowed, and I could tell she was puzzled.

"Huh? Do you know he's...partly a white wolf?" I asked, trying to gauge her reaction.

She nodded calmly, "Yes, he told me. And I'm fine with it, dear."

I felt a mix of surprise and relief that she was accepting of Liam's supernatural nature. But my mind quickly shifted back to Liam's whereabouts, "Well, that's not the issue right now. I need to find him," I said, my eyes scanning the corridor.

"He came to you, didn't he?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, he did," I replied.

Her expression turned thoughtful, and she raised an eyebrow. "Where could he have gone then?"

I felt a sudden realization hit me. Was he jealous?, Is that why he angrily left?. But where could he have gone to?

"Are you okay?" She asked, probably noticing my reaction.

I nodded, feeling slightly relieved to know the cause of his disappearance, "Yeah, I'll go look for him. Do you want to come with me?" I asked, turning to leave.

"I'll come with you, let's go," Mom said, joining me in my search.

We combed through the floor, opening doors and exploring every corner, but Liam was nowhere to be found.

"No clue?," I called out to Mom as I opened another door.

"No, dear," she replied.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated and worried. "Where did he go? Why is he so jealous?" I muttered to myself, pushing open another door. It was the same room with sparkly cream tiles that revealed the stunning view of the outside. But Liam was still nowhere to be seen.

I stepped out, closing the door behind me, and walked along the corridor.

"Liam!" I called out, but there was only silence. I wondered if he might be in the world of books.

"Mom, I'll check somewhere else. You keep searching this area, okay?" I yelled to her.

"No problem," she responded.

I took the elevator to the second floor, but I wasn't familiar with the layout. Liam's house was vast and labyrinthine, making it hard to navigate.

"Liam!" I called out again, but there was no response. The silence was unsettling, and I began to feel uneasy.

I decided to ask the maids if they had seen Liam around. I turned back and got into the elevator, descending to the ground floor.

As the doors opened with a soft "ting," I stepped out and called out again, "Liam!" But there was no answer.

It was getting dark, and the clouds looked ominous. I headed outside, looking around for anyone, but the area was deserted. The impending rain might have driven everyone indoors.

Just then, I remembered Mom might be stuck upstairs since she wasn't familiar with elevators.

I turned back and headed to the elevator, but just as I was about to press the button, it opened, revealing Mom.

"Mom!" I exclaimed, relieved.

She chuckled. "Liam taught me how to use it, and I'm a quick learner!"

I smiled, feeling a bit silly for worrying. "Well, any clue where he might be?" I asked.

Mom shook her head. "No, but he might be out for something important. Don't worry too much, let's watch some tuliversion instead."

"Tuliversion?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, Liam said you loved watching tuliversion, and he promised we'd watch it together sometime," Mom explained.

"Let's watch tuliversion, I mean television some other time, Mom. Liam's not around, and the storm is about to hit."

She placed her hands on my shoulders, her expression comforting. "Don't worry too much, Layla. Your Liam will come back to you. You didn't do anything to upset him, right?"

I hesitated, my gaze dropping to the floor. "I might have," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.

Mom's eyes filled with concern. "What did you do, Layla? Tell me."

I took a deep breath and recounted the events, my words tumbling out in a rush. "I was bored, so I talked to the palace workers outside. A guard named Ethan kept me company, and we went to the garden. I suggested we go to a stream, but when we got there, he didn't want to sit next to me. So, I tried to force him by splashing water at him. But then Liam appeared, and...and he looked really upset."

Mom's expression softened. "You shouldn't blame yourself too much, Layla. We don't know where he is right now, but let's just wait and see if he returns sooner, okay?"

"Okay," I said.

I nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. She pulled me into a warm hug, her embrace comforting. "You've learned from your mistake, and I can tell he can be possessive. So, don't hurt him by mingling with someone of the opposite gender when he isn't giving you attention at the moment, okay?"

"Okay."

We pulled away, "Come on, let's go watch tuliversion." She gestured.

I smiled, correcting her. "It's television ma!."

She chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, that. Lead the way."

I led her into the living room, directing her to a sofa, her eyes widened in wonder. "Is this the tuliversion?"

I grinned. "Just call it the TV, Ma. And yes, this is it."

With a flick of the remote control, the TV came to life. Mom's gasp of surprise filled the room. "Oh my! What kind of magic is this?"

I laughed, settling into the sofa beside her. "No magic, Ma. That's just how it works."

As we watched, Mom's eyes remained glued to the screen, her expression a mix of amazement and delight.

I found myself constantly glancing at the living room entrance, hoping to see Liam walk through the doors. The sky was a deep, foreboding grey, and the wind howled like a beast, making me shiver.

Just as I was starting to worry, guards rushed in to close the massive doors, their faces stern with urgency. But where was Liam? Why wasn't he coming home?

Suddenly, a deafening crack of thunder shook the room, making me scream.

"Brrrrrggbyhgj!!!" I clutched my heart, my eyes wide with fear. But Mom didn't even flinch, her gaze still fixed on the TV.

The guards finally secured the doors, leaving us alone in the vast house.

The thunder boomed again, "Grrrghhhhbb!!" I screamed, my heart racing like a wild animal.

The lights flickered and died, plunging the room into darkness. The TV went silent, its screen a black void.

"This is serious," Mom said calmly.

I couldn't see her, but I was amazed by her composure. She seemed unfazed by the storm.

"I think we need to go upstairs," I said to her.

"Come on," she said.

I struggled to see in the darkness, my eyes straining to adjust.

"Ouch!" I cried out, bumping into the glass table. It hurt, and I felt a surge of fear.

"Mum, where are you?" I asked, stretching out my arms to feel her presence.

"I'm here," she replied. "Just stay still, I'll find you."

"O-okay," I said, my voice shaking.

She grasped my hand, and I held her arm tightly, stretching out my other hand to feel for any obstacles.

We began walking side by side, the darkness making every step uncertain.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder shook the air.

"Grrrghhhhbb!!" I gasped, clutching my chest. The sound was terrifying.

"Stay calm, Layla," my mom said. "Prepare your heart for any incoming thunder to avoid shock, okay?"

"O-okay, okay," I replied, my breathing heavy.

We continued walking, my arm outstretched to feel our way. But my thoughts were racing, Why did the lights go off? What's happening? Where could Liam be now? Is he really upset with me?

Another loud crack of thunder made me jump.

"Grrrghhhhbb!!" I lost my grip on my mom's arm and stumbled, falling and hitting my head on something hard.

"Argh!" I felt blood trickling down my face.

"Layla, are you okay?" my mom asked, her voice sounding worried.

"It's painful, argh but I'm fine," I replied, gritting my teeth. "I think this is the elevator door... but it won't open!"

I kept pushing the button, feeling my face wet and Injured. My toe was throbbing too, and every step felt like agony.

"Layla, what's wrong? Are you fine?" My mom's voice sounded worried.

Another thunderclap shook the air.

"Grrrghhhhbb!!" My breathing quickened, and I slid down to sit on the floor, feeling pain in my head, feet, and heart.

"Grrrghhhhbb!!" A flash of lightning illuminated the living room, making me shield my eyes. I clutched my chest, feeling weak and scared, my breathing slowing down.

"Layla, Layla," my mom said, shaking me gently. "What's wrong? Why are you on the floor?"

Her hands traced my body, and she touched my cheek. "Why is your face wet, Layla?" she asked, concern etched on her voice.

I felt extremely weak, my eyelids growing heavy, and the smell of blood filled my nostrils.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back on, and the unexpected brightness shocked my eyes, making my brain pound.

"Layla!" my mom screamed, panic in her voice. "What's wrong with you, Layla? You're bleeding! How?"

She looked worried, and I tried to respond, but my voice was barely a whisper. "Ma..."

The haziness overwhelmed me, and I finally drifted off into unconsciousness.