As Aurelia walked through the front door, hfrom work, she overheard the conversation and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Who's gone missing?" "It's Ramona from our class. It seems like her parents have vanished," William whispered.

"What? You're kidding!" Aurelia gasped, the shock evident in her voice. "I haven't seen any news about a plane crash or anything." Arnold handed her his phone to show the messages from their Whatgroup. She pursed her lips with a grave expression. "This doesn't look good. They're our old classmates. If something's happened to her folks, we've got to help." William racked his brain but couldn't pinpoint anything about Ramona.

"She's been acting normal in class, at lunch, even during recess. I haven't noticed anything odd. Maybe her parents are going through something but haven't told her, so she's in the dark." "That's possible," Arnold agreed. "Adults don't usually burden kids with their problems for fear of scaring them." "She probably has no clue about her parents’ situation." Aurelia stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Most kids wouldn't pick up on their parents" troubles, but Ramona's a smart cookie. She's not clueless. Kane and William are often sharper than I am." William raised an eyebrow. "So, you think Ramona's lying yo us?" Kane, who had been listening, chimed in, "Vivian rooms with Ramona. She might know something. I'll ask her tomorrow." "Good idea," William nodded.

The next day at school, during a break, William lured Ramona out to the playground while Kane slipped over to Vivian's desk.

"Vivian, I need to ask you something, but it's top secret, okay? You can’t tell anyone." Vivian zipped her lips in a sealing motion. "Trust me, my lips are sealed." "You and Ramona share a room. Have you noticed her acting strange lately?" Kane whispered.

Vivian thought for a moment. "One night, I heard Ramona crying under her covers. The next day, when I asked, she said she didn't remember, probably just a bad dream. Also, she's been texting late at night. Maybe she's talking to her parents. With the tlag in Eldoria, it's daytthere when it's night here." After sharing this, Vivian asked, "Do you think something's up with Ramona?" "Her dad and my uncle were supposed to meet up here in Elysium for a reunion, but he's gone off the grid and hasn't returned to Eldoria. We have no idea where he is," Kane explained.

Vivian widened her eyes in alarm. "Could her dad be in danger?" "I don't know," Kane shook his head with concern. "I'm worried Ramona knows something about her parents but is too scared to speak up." Vivian covered her mouth, her eyes round with shock. "What if her family was kidnapped, and she escaped?" It was a familiar plot she'd seen in countless movies.

Kane blinked. "Then why wouldn't she call the cops?" "Maybe the kidnappers threatened her to keep quiet." Kane stroked his chin, with a sharp glinting in his eyes. "Usually, it's the kid that gets snatched for ransom, not the other way around." Vivian's bright blue eyes spun with deduction. "I'll do ssleuthing around Ramona." Out on the playground, William and Ramona batted a ping-pong ball back and forth.

"Did your parents go back home?" William asked casually.

"Yeah," Ramona replied quietly, her gaze dropping to the ping-pong ball in her hands, absent-minded.

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