The hallway felt longer than it should have. Stefan's bare feet touched the cold floor as he made his way slowly, his body weak and unsteady, yet pulled forward by something stronger than exhaustion — the desperate need to see her.
Ethan followed him closely, ready to catch him if his knees buckled again, but Stefan barely noticed. His mind was a storm, his chest a battlefield of pain and love and guilt.
When they reached the ward, Rayna was sitting outside on a plastic chair, her face pale with worry. She stood the second she saw Stefan, shock flickering across her eyes.
"Stefan—you shouldn't be out of bed," she started, but one look at his face stopped her. He was beyond reason.
"I need to see her," he said, his voice a rasp of iron and breaking glass.
Rayna's throat tightened, but she didn't argue. She only stepped aside, her eyes filling with tears as she placed a hand briefly on his arm, a silent promise that she understood.
