UNKNOWN LAND - CHAPTER 19: THE DISAPPEARANCE

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Chapter 19: The Disappearance

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"The most frightening storms are not the ones that shake the earth, but the ones that leave unanswered questions behind."

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Life continued after the tragedy in the marketplace.

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The image of blood on the streets remained in their minds, but time slowly helped them carry the weight.

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The friendship between Tunde, Musa, and Emeka grew stronger again.

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They worked together.

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Laughed together.

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Dreamed together.

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And for the first time since arriving in the Unknown Land, it seemed that life was finally becoming stable.

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But destiny had one more test waiting.

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A test that would shake them more than hunger.

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More than betrayal.

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More than fear.

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One Monday morning, Emeka left for work earlier than usual.

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He had an important meeting connected to his training program.

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Before leaving, he smiled at his friends.

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"I'll see you both tonight."

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Tunde nodded.

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"Don't be late."

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Musa laughed.

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"And don't forget you're buying dinner this weekend."

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Emeka grinned.

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"Only if I get promoted."

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Those were the last words they heard from him that day.

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At first, nothing seemed unusual.

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The day passed normally.

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Tunde worked.

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Musa worked.

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The city moved as it always did.

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But when evening arrived, Emeka did not return.

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Tunde checked the time.

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Seven o'clock.

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Nothing.

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Eight o'clock.

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Still nothing.

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Nine o'clock.

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No sign of him.

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Musa frowned.

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"Maybe he stayed late."

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Tunde nodded.

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"Probably."

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Yet something felt wrong.

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Emeka was responsible.

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Careful.

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Reliable.

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If he planned to be late, he would have informed them.

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That was who he was.

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The night grew deeper.

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Ten o'clock.

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Eleven o'clock.

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Midnight.

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Still nothing.

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Fear quietly entered the room.

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Neither friend slept.

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They waited.

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Listening for footsteps.

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Listening for his voice.

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Listening for the familiar knock on the door.

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But the night remained silent.

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Morning arrived.

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And Emeka was still missing.

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Panic replaced concern.

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The two friends immediately visited the warehouse.

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Perhaps he had worked overnight.

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Perhaps there had been an emergency.

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Perhaps there was a simple explanation.

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But when they arrived, their fears grew.

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The supervisor looked confused.

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"Emeka?"

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"Yes."

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"He never came yesterday."

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The words struck like lightning.

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Tunde stared.

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"What do you mean?"

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"He never reported to work."

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The room became silent.

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If Emeka never arrived at work—

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Then where had he gone?

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The question haunted them.

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They searched the streets.

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They visited hospitals.

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They visited police stations.

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They contacted coworkers.

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Nobody had seen him.

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Nobody knew anything.

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It was as though he had vanished.

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A Yoruba proverb says:

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"When a bird disappears from the sky, someone somewhere has seen where it landed."

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Yet despite their efforts, no one seemed to know where Emeka had gone.

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Days passed.

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Then a week.

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Still nothing.

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The absence became unbearable.

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His bed remained untouched.

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His notebook remained on the small table.

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His clothes remained folded.

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Everything reminded them of him.

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Everything.

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The room felt empty.

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Too quiet.

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Too painful.

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One evening, Musa sat staring at Emeka's notebook.

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Tears filled his eyes.

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"I never properly thanked him."

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Tunde remained silent.

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"He forgave me."

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Musa's voice cracked.

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"After everything I did."

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The guilt returned stronger than ever.

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The memory of his betrayal haunted him.

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What if Emeka never came back?

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What if those were their final days together?

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The thought shattered him.

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Across the room, Tunde carried his own burden.

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He blamed himself.

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Maybe he should have noticed something.

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Maybe he should have done more.

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Maybe he should have protected his friend.

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Regret became his constant companion.

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Two weeks after the disappearance, a small breakthrough finally arrived.

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A street vendor approached them near the marketplace.

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"I think I saw your friend."

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Their hearts nearly stopped.

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"What?"

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The vendor nodded.

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"The young man from your picture."

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He pointed at the photograph they had been carrying.

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"Where?"

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The vendor thought carefully.

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"Near the old industrial district."

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Hope exploded inside them.

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It was the first lead they had received.

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The first sign.

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The first possibility.

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Without hesitation, they followed the information.

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The industrial district sat on the edge of the city.

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Abandoned factories.

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Broken buildings.

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Quiet streets.

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The area felt forgotten.

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Dangerous.

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The deeper they searched, the more uneasy they became.

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Something about the place felt wrong.

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As the sun began to set, they reached an old warehouse.

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Its doors hung partially open.

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Rust covered its walls.

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Silence surrounded it.

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Then Musa stopped.

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"What is that?"

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Tunde followed his gaze.

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On the dusty ground near the entrance lay something familiar.

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Very familiar.

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His heart sank.

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Slowly, he walked closer.

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And picked it up.

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It was Emeka's notebook.

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The same notebook he carried everywhere.

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The same notebook that contained his thoughts.

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His dreams.

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His journey.

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The notebook was dirty.

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Damaged.

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But unmistakably his.

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Fear gripped both men.

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If the notebook was here—

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Then Emeka had been here too.

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A cold wind swept through the abandoned area.

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The warehouse suddenly felt darker.

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More threatening.

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Tunde opened the notebook.

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Most pages remained intact.

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But near the back, one page had been torn.

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Only a small fragment remained.

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On it, a few words were still visible.

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"If anything happens..."

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The rest was missing.

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The sentence ended there.

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Incomplete.

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Mysterious.

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Terrifying.

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The friends exchanged frightened glances.

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Questions raced through their minds.

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What happened to Emeka?

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0rNp9SXxQ

Why was his notebook here?

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1haHVRGPXV

Was he alive?

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Was he in danger?

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Or was something far worse waiting for them?

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A Yoruba proverb says:

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkJSt6bF0T

"The path of mystery is longer than the road of certainty."

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwDNuEE7ym

That night, neither Tunde nor Musa could sleep.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnp2Tv5sn0

They sat together holding the notebook.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYypwd6TJ8

The only piece of their friend they had found.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwhBBDf3QPw

The only clue.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSYCTQrpGs

The only hope.

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Outside, the city lights flickered beneath the darkness.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GMQRzLo1N

The Unknown Land seemed larger than ever.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpA9PVqHmut

More dangerous than ever.

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And somewhere within its shadows, Emeka's fate remained unknown.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujIonmFgv6

But one thing was certain.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHkdTU5g34g

The journey was no longer about finding success.

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It was no longer about chasing dreams.

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Now it was about finding a friend.

6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwrzThlOlKf

No matter the cost.6Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVOpm2XtsVD

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