Light fluttered through yellowed blinds that draped over a half-oval window. Sun rays drew lines of orange across the ground. A girl who was close to becoming a woman chased around her younger sister. They danced beneath the sun’s rays. In return for their happiness, the sun embraced their dancing figures in warm light as it disappeared behind houses. Aksel laughed with the giggling girls. Their laughs echoed throughout a warm family home. A fire crackled amidst a flurry of embers, chasing away the cold winter evening. Their laughs were interrupted by the loud ringing of a phone. Confused, Aksel looked at the caller ID. 

Emil Madsen.

‘Wasn't that the person Dáinn appointed as his new right-hand?’ Aksel stared in confusion at his phone. There was no reason for Emil to call him, considering he wasn't a part of the organization anymore. 

“Stop staring at the phone and answer,” His wife’s stern voice broke through his thoughts. She had come out of the kitchen at the sound of a ringing phone. She wiped her hands on a cloth towel she had brought out with her. Just as he was about to answer the phone, it stopped ringing.

“You better call whoever that was. You don't know if it was important,” She huffed, putting her hand on her hip.

‘Of course, it was important. Why else would Dáinn’s right hand be calling me?’

He gave his wife one of those I know looks. In return, she only scuffed. He didn't need to call Emil back because his caller ID popped up before he could even press the call button. Nanna stared intently at him. Aksel could feel his wife's gaze drill into him. He sighed heavily, filled with worry. He answered the phone.

“What is it?” Aksel questioned the man on the phone. His flat tone masked his concern.

“Was the boss the last one in the office last night?” Emil’s hardened tone drifted through the phone. Carrying along something deeper.

“Yes,” He paused, thoughts rushing through his head. “What happened?” His voice carried more worry this time. He dreaded what the man was going to say next. 

Aksel locked eyes with his wife. She was always one to know when something was wrong with him without the need to tell. 

“What's wrong?” This question wasn't posed by his wife but by his eldest daughter, Julie. She was the same as her mother. He could never hide anything from these two. He hushed her, waiting for Emil’s response. 

After a long, drawn-out silence, Emil spoke again.

“The boss didn't come to the office today for the meeting. Some of the other members said that the lights were on in the boss’s office, including some of the halls, and all the doors were unlocked, but no one was there.” He paused, taking a breath, “he didn't come in for hours, and the meeting was growing closer so we sent some members to his house, but he wasn't there either.”

Aksel sharply stood up from his spot on the couch.

It shouldn’t have been such a worrying thing. People always lose contact, and then they come back perfectly fine. They'd complain that their phone died, got stuck in a place with no service, or simply didn’t want to talk. Kidnapping still occurred, but it’s not even been twenty-four hours yet, so there wasn’t a need to worry. But Dáinn had many enemies waiting to stab him in the back. It wasn’t the first time for Dáinn to suddenly go missing and turn up injured because an enemy force got to him. Yes, Dáinn always got out, but there was no way of knowing what kind of situation he was in. He could already be dead for all they know. Ultimately, Dáinn was their boss, and even if Dáinn said no to looking for him, they still would.

“Did Ida see him come home?” Aksel asked, making his way to a more private room. 

“No, she never saw him come home last night, nor did the other housekeepers.” 

“What about the guards or the other members? Did anyone at all come in contact with him since ten last night?” 

Emil quieted in thought and then responded. “No, or at least that’s what I gathered from the members I’ve talked to.”

Lost in thought, Aksel barely managed to hear Emil.

“Our men know you more than I. They trust you more than me. You also know the boss better than any of us. It’s why I decided to call you even though you resigned.” 

Aksel sucked in his breath. His face grew grave, and his demeanor changed. If anyone were present, they would have bowed down instantly with fear weighing heavily on their shoulders. 

“I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Emil responded before hanging up. Aksel walked back into the living room where his family was waiting. 

“Is everything alright, dear?” Nanna asked in a worried tone.

He looked at her with a sad expression. He looked to his daughters, giving each a kiss on the forehead. His youngest, Nathalia, hugged him before asking where he was going. He gave a simple answer about how work called in, and he needed to take care of it. His wife’s expression became serious the moment he spoke of work. 

“I’ll be back as soon as possible, so behave for your mother, will you?” Aksel softened his voice as he spoke to his daughters. 

Julie looked at him strangely. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it instead. His wife walked him to the door, handing him his jacket. 

“What happened?” She asked him, not expecting an answer in return.

Aksel thought about what to say and decided to tell her the truth. 

“Do you remember the man I brought over for Christmas last year?”

“Yes, Dáinn was his name, right? You said he was your boss. I remember being surprised that such a young man was your boss.” She looked deeply at him as if she were recalling fond memories.

That’s when her face fell. “Is he alright?”

Nanna had felt unsafe letting a man like Dáinn into her home, especially around her children. But she trusted her husband since he had chosen to bring him over. What she saw over the next few hours that day changed her view of him. At first, he didn’t seem to care, always wearing an uncaring expression. But she prided herself on her ability to see beyond someone’s mask. What she saw wasn’t a cold man but a socially awkward teenager. 

Dáinn eventually opened up a bit. The whole night, she couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Nathalia seemed to love hanging off of him, sitting on his shoulders, getting away with things her father never let her do, seeing him struggle with her youngest, trying his hardest not to hurt her. Being gentle, like she was very fragile. He was a warm and gentle person. She knew after that night he meant no harm. It made her think of why such a warm-hearted person became so full of loneliness. To create such a heavy mask.

She cared deeply for him, just as Aksel did. She was thankful that he had decided to let her husband retire to be with his family instead of such a dangerous job. So Nanna grew concerned when she learned it had something to do with Dáinn.

“His colleagues haven’t seen him since last night,” He spoke as he grabbed his keys. 

“What?! Have you called the police!?” She hurriedly spoke as if their time was running out. She watched him walk out the door, this time hoping he’d respond. But instead, he looked back at her with an indescribable gaze. That’s when she understood this wasn’t something the police could deal with. 

“Be careful!” She shouted to him as he walked through the snow to his car. A sinking feeling fell into her heart. She worried she wouldn’t see Dáinn again anytime soon. She hoped both of them would get home safely.

Aksel drove through the snowy streets of Denmark. The sun had already set below the horizon. Leaving the stars to start glittering across the sky. For the rest of the night and the following morning, they found nothing, no matter how many people they kidnapped and tortured. Nobody knew anything about Dáinn. Was it a new enemy that Dáinn had made without their knowledge? It could very well be possible. By the afternoon, his phone was blowing up with calls from his wife. He had texted her every once in a while. But she was worried about him, if he had eaten or if he had rested at all.

He sighed, his gaze traveled to the bloodied man lying on the floor. His phone rang again.

“You should probably head home,” Emil muttered, wiping blood off his hands. “I’ll continue while you're gone.”

Aksel gave him a firm nod. 

He walked back out into the snow-covered world. Snow flurries were now falling from the sky, longing for the ground. 

‘Where are you, Dáinn?’