Watts sat frozen, his mind spiraling in a chaotic whirlwind. His aunt and sister were gone—vanished into thin air.
Panic clung to him like a second skin, his thoughts a mess, too scattered to think straight. How could this happen? How could people disappear so completely that even he—with his technopathy—couldn't trace them?
He clenched his fists, forcing himself to close his eyes and take a long, steady breath. He told himself that when he opened them, this nightmare would dissolve, and he'd find himself back in the realm of reason. But when he did, reality stood firm and unyielding.
His family was gone.
Watts' technopathy scoured the earth, diving into satellites, surveillance feeds, communication grids—anything that could offer a lead. But there was nothing. No trace. No signal.
