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?

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Why was his notebook here?

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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:

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

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That night, neither Tunde nor Musa could sleep.

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They sat together holding the notebook.

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The only piece of their friend they had found.

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The only clue.

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The only hope.

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Outside, the city lights flickered beneath the darkness.

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The Unknown Land seemed larger than ever.

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More dangerous than ever.

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

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But one thing was certain.

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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.

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No matter the cost.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhiKEKUQjA

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