HEIRS OF THE HIDDEN FLAME

MIKE'S MISSING

***

As the clock struck midnight, the hospital corridors fell into a hushed stillness, illuminated only by the soft glow of the overhead lights. Josh lay on his bed, the sterile scent of antiseptic hanging in the air around him. Two imposing bodyguards stood sentinel at his side, their eyes scanning the dimly lit hallways with unwavering vigilance.

Frowning, Josh glanced at the time on his phone for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Where was Mike? Mike had told him that he was coming to the hospital to see him and be by his side while he told him how his investigation went. Yet, as the minutes ticked by, there was no sign of him. Josh's worry gnawed at him like a persistent itch, refusing to be ignored.

With a heavy sigh, he punched in Mike's number, the screen casting an eerie blue light in the darkness of the room. One ring. Two rings. Three rings. But there was no answer, only the hollow echo of his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears.

A knot tightened in Josh's stomach.