Artland Series: MINORITY TALENT
Missings

Early in the morning, Old Man was struggling to pick up garbage and collect dry leaves along the back garden.

Four men from the music group were still chatting on a park bench, not far from Old Man. Sometimes they whisper and stumble. It's like talking about something very serious and secret.

Old Man watched them through the corner of his eye.

Then one of them glanced at Old Man with a suspicious look. Before long the man whispered something to one of his friends. Then his friend followed his line of sight, observing Old Man.

The old man finally turned his attention to the two garbage bags he had collected in the early hours of the morning. He was wondering whether he should throw the two garbage bags in front of him now or let him stay there for a while until all his work was done. The middle-aged man then glanced across the park. I still have a lot of work today, he thought. Although there are no regulations that require him to manage the park, the Old Man considers the job as his responsibility.

"Can I help you?" One of the men from the music group volunteered. He walked slowly towards Old Man.

His three friends watched him.

The old man looked over and developed a smile. "This job can get your hands dirty, son!"

The waist-haired man ducked in front of Old Man, taking both trash bags near his feet. "I've done dirtier things" he said with a faint smile.

The old man observed him with a frown. "May I know what your name is?" He asks.

"My name is Jun Andreas," he replied, "but people prefer to call me Juna!" He adds. After that, Juna lifted the package earlier and walked slowly away from Old Man.

His three friends moved out of his place. One of them patted Juna on the shoulder and said something. After that they left the park.

Ika Apriani and Esther Maria came out from their rooms together. Ary Caroline and Naomi join them. All four of them were wearing the same rigorous training uniform, already looking ready with the sports program. Before long the four girls were already crowding in front of Luciana's bedroom door and exclaiming simultaneously, "Lucy?! Play yuk....!"

There's no answer.

"Lucy?!" Esther started knocking on the door.

Still no answer.

"Lucy?!" The four girls called out simultaneously.

Silent!

"Lucy?!" Esther's voice began to rise. He knocked on Luciana's door with a huff. Then it turns into a pile. "Lucy....?!"

Ary Caroline sneaked beside Esther and pushed the door a little hard.

Unexpectedly, the door slammed open easily. Esther and Ary Caroline are shocked.

Ika narrowed her in the middle of them and turned her head into the room. There was no sign of Luciana in the room. "Maybe he's on the field" he commented.

Esther breaks into the room and checks the whole room. "Lucy?!" Esther tried calling once more. Luciana's half-opened bathroom door. The place is empty too. He watched the whole room carefully. Luciana's bed was neatly arranged. Maybe Ika is right Luciana is already on the pitch, he said in his heart. "Come, let's find it in the field!" He said to his three friends as he stepped out of Luciana's room and closed it.

Jun Andreas stuffed the garbage parcel into an iron box attached to the outer wall fence near the back door, then back inside through the narrow passage that leads to the field and is confronted by two Paravisi people. Juna looked at the faces of the two in turn and looked inexplicably.

The two Paravisis were silent.

"Execuse me?!" Esther shouted at Ardian Kusuma, waving her hands and running towards the man.

Ardian Kusuma diverted his attention from Monica Debora who was chatting in front of him. I don't know what to talk about.

The man in front of him frowned. Then he looked at the three other girls behind Esther.

"We'll talk about it again later, Ard!" Monica Deborah interrupted. Then pass by a made-up step.

"Well," replied Ardian Kusuma without turning his head. The man was still staring at Esther and her friends with a cloudy look.

Esther snorted in the direction of Monica Deborah.

No one likes Monica Deborah. Especially the girls. The girl joins almost all the boys' programs just to stand out and steal the chance to get close to anyone she likes.

But that's not why Esther hates Monica. Esther was just not happy to see the girl constantly approaching Ardian Kusuma. Esther knew exactly how much Luciana felt about the man. And Monica Deborah seems to be on her way to Ardian Kusuma. He could not imagine how bitter the girl felt if he knew his dream man was being approached by another girl.

Esther exhaled heavily and lowered her head. Next to his hand rubbed the head of Ika who continued to sob while curled at the base of his feet.

Naomi and Ary Caroline sat cross-legged on the floor with their heads bowed. The faces of both were as pale as Esther's.

It's past seven o'clock at night. Luciana was not found.

Ardian Kusuma's face was also as pale as a corpse.

Everyone gathered in the Personality Class room. But no one spoke for the last two minutes. Everything quiet. Everything's confused. Everyone frightened.

"Three Talents have disappeared in two weeks" said Agung Tirtayasa from the middle of the room. "Especially today, we lost two Talents at once in one day" he said in a slightly trembling voice. "Ocean Goddess, Luciana Abram, Jun Andreas..."

"Execuse me?!" Gilang Wibisana. "Actually we lost four Talents!"

Everyone in the room shrieked at the same time and stared at Gilang.

"You remember? A 31-year-old man?" Gilang Wibisana.

Everyone is trying to remember.

"A Talent who almost gave up on the first day due to lack of confidence with his age?!" Gilang.

"Oh, that guy apparently..." The other comment is almost the same. Everyone remembers his face. But no one knew him. So when he disappeared no one noticed.

"The man was named Typhoon Maulana. And he's been missing since day one." Gilang added.

Esther held his nape. His body feels shivering. This reality was too horrible for him. Esther looked around the room.

Naomi and Ary Caroline smothered her face with her palm. Ika Apriani did not stop crying. Monica Debora bit her nails with a nervous face.

None of the female Talents whose faces did not turn pale except Elijah and Deasy Grunting.

Deasy Grunting was already curled up at Esther's feet next to Ika Apriani.

Snore!

Elijah leaned quietly on the shoulder of his Guardian, Evan Jeremiah while nibbling on the grass tucked into the corner of his lips.

Athena stood by the side of the window turning her back on everyone. Every now and then everyone glanced at him with a suspicious look. The Ocean Goddess disappeared on the day Athens secured her. And everyone started to suspect Athena as the mastermind of all this. But no one dared to say it.