In another part of the woods, Stefan paced back and forth, his steps restless as he moved across the same stretch of ground over and over again.
His gaze swept through the trees each time as if expecting someone to emerge at any moment, yet the forest remained quiet, the silence stretching longer with every passing second.
'It had already been more than five hours. Where are they?'
His brows drew together slightly as he stopped, his jaw tightening as his thoughts ran through every possible outcome, none of them settling well in his mind, as he glanced once more toward every direction they could emerge from, his fingers curling slightly at his side.
"They should have been back by now," he muttered under his breath, though the words did little to ease the unease building inside him.
'Did something bad happen to them?' He shook his head at the thought.
A faint rustling sound came from behind him.
