My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and dialled Erica's number. It went straight to voicemail. I tried again. Nothing.
"She's not picking up." I began to panic. "Axel, what if they already got to her? What if they…"
"Layla, breathe," Axel interrupted, moving closer to me. "Don't jump to the worst conclusions yet."
"But where could she be? She wouldn't just disappear without telling me, especially not after everything we talked about!"
Axel was already dialling another number. "I'm calling the police. We need to report her missing."
"Hello, yes, I need to report a missing person... Erica Chen... Yes, she was last seen at her apartment this evening. No, there are no signs of struggle, but she's in potential danger..."
I paced around his room while he gave the details to the officer. My mind was racing with all the horrible possibilities.
"The police are sending a team to investigate," Axel said after hanging up. "They'll canvas the area and check for any witnesses."
