Did Stephan ask that because he'd found something? Felicia's heart skipped a beat. Distracted, she lost her footing on a slick rock, plunging downward. The vine she'd been clinging to snapped, and as she fell, she grabbed Stephan's hand. The sudden pull unbalanced him, sending them both tumbling.

A massive spray erupted from the waterfall's pool below. The relentless current instantly swept the entwined pair out of sight.

"They... they got washed away..." Lucas, trembling, peeked over the cliff edge before shrinking back. Only a small, anxious white puppy at his feet responded to his whispered lament, pacing nervously. Overwhelmed, he burst into tears.

In the distance, lights and hurried footsteps moved through the forest. Charles and his people had arrived. "Lucas!"

"Grandpa! Waaah!" Lucas ran to Charles, sobbing. Charles held him close. Villagers spotted Shawn nearby, covered in blood and motionless. His condition was uncertain.

"Where's Felicia? Where did she go?"

Amid his tears, Lucas tried to recount the events, but his fragmented, distraught account was difficult to understand. One crucial detail emerged: Felicia had fallen off the cliff. "What? She fell off the cliff?"

A chill ran through everyone. The cliff base was a raging waterfall. Even uninjured, the current would sweep her away; impact with rocks could prove fatal. She might not survive.

Charles, ignoring the near-death Shawn, slapped his thigh in distress and rallied the young men. "Find her! Hurry!" That night, Alverton was in an uproar, frantically searching for Felicia.

Lucas was safe, but Felicia was missing. News spread quickly. Alverton held her in high regard, partly due to sympathy for her past hardships and partly because her investments had boosted the village's prosperity. Regardless of these practical reasons, Charles would have organized the search.

Except for the elderly and children, everyone scoured the riverbanks. Arnold and Kayla also received the news. Kayla was nearly ecstatic. Felicia, swept away by the river after falling from a cliff? What wonderful news! There was no way she could survive, was there?