Yet, in that dangerous moment, Stephan hadn't abandoned Felicia. Instead, he had held her tightly, shielding her. As the current swept them along, she heard him grunt in pain several times, along with heavy thudding. It suddenly struck her—perhaps this powerful man wasn't as cold-hearted as he seemed.

Her gaze softened with concern. "Mr. Russell, are you alright? Should I check your injuries?"

He glanced around, his expression unreadable. "Do you know where we are?"

She shook her head. "Not really." She had spent years in Alverton, but was too young to explore every corner of the mountain. Now, surrounded by dark trees and lacking identifiable landmarks, determining their location was impossible. And their phones had been swept away long ago. "Let's find a place to spend the night."

"Alright," Felicia agreed. The search could wait until morning; she was sure the villagers wouldn't abandon her and were probably searching already.

She stood, shivering as the cold wind hit her wet clothes. At this rate, they risked hypothermia; they needed shelter and a fire.

After scanning their surroundings, she started down a path to her left, but Stephan remained where he was. She understood immediately, feeling a pang of guilt. He must be badly hurt, especially after taking those blows in the water to protect her.

Returning, she lifted one of his arms and slung it over her shoulder. "Here. Lean on me." After a pause, she added, "But this time, no grabbing me by the throat!"

Stephan let most of his weight rest on her, chuckling at her words. "Still holding a grudge, are we? I thought you'd be grateful to your rescuer." Felicia huffed silently, thinking, I saved you once, too!

She scoffed softly, unwilling to voice the thought—that night, someone had been burning with desire, and if it hadn't been for her...

They descended the moonlit path, stumbling and slipping occasionally, until she spotted something in the distance. "Look! There's a little hut over there!" Forest rangers sometimes had cabins here, allowing contact with the outside world.

But as they drew closer, they realized it was an abandoned shack, likely built by hunters. It was tiny and dilapidated, appearing almost ready to collapse. Still, they were fortunate to have even this meager shelter in the cold.

She inspected the door; the lock was rusted. A few taps with a rock, and it fell open. Inside, there was dust, cobwebs, and a few bugs.

"Wait here," Felicia said, releasing his arm. She snapped off branches from a nearby tree to make a makeshift broom, quickly sweeping out the cobwebs and insects. Once finished, she helped Stephan inside.

They were drenched from head to toe, water pooling in their shoes. She had only one shoe left; he looked worse, having lost both shoes and his feet were covered in only dark socks. She almost laughed at his state but held back, feeling guilty.