Syn stood there, frozen in place, and staring at the empty space where Nyk had been just a while ago. Her heart raced as she searched the room for any sign of her friend. When had he left? She couldn't remember.

She smiled in relief at seeing her father's wounds healed by the miraculous balm, but she couldn't help but a growing feeling of unease. As she scanned her father's body, her mind raced with possibilities of where Nyk could have gone.

Where could he hav–

A sudden heat rose from her stomach, reaching her neck and staying in her head. He wouldn't dare...would he? No, she pushed the thought away. It was silly. Nyk wouldn't do anything so stupid, would he?

For a few moments, Syn stood there, denying her thoughts. But no matter how much she tried to convince herself, she couldn't shake this ominous feeling of uneasiness. She darted towards the shop's entrance, hoping to find some answers.

As she rushed out, she saw a group of people gathered there, crying and consoling one another. Nysander was talking to a group of women, his face filled with sadness. Nyk's Nana and Zosimos were trying to calm down a group of people who were crying, and Minda was comforting a young lady. Syn's eyes darted around the room, searching for any sign of Nyk.

"Granny, have you seen Nyk?" Syn asked urgently, her voice shaking.

"Hm?" Nyk's grandmother looked down at her. "Nyk? Yes, he was here just a moment ago. He asked if he could do something, and I told him to go back home to fetch some herbs."

Syn's body visibly relaxed at the news, only a hint of worry remaining on her body. "Oh, is that where he left? Okay, I better return to my Dad's then," she said, turning to go back to the room. But she stopped and turned back to Nyk's grandmother. "Granny, is there anything I can do?"

Despite the sad faces around her, Nyk's grandmother's smile illuminated the room. "Just try to stay calm, your father needs rest, and it'll take a while. Just don't lose hope."

Syn nodded, taking in the words. "Ok, Granny," she said before returning to the living room.

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The house was quieter now that Zosimos, Nysander, Vaughn, and the grieving families had left. The heavy atmosphere had lightened up somewhat, but Syn's unease persisted. It had been too long, and Nyk hadn't returned yet. Syn paced around the living room, fidgeting with her hands. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"What herbs did you ask Nyk to fetch?" Syn asked Nyk's grandmother, trying to keep her voice steady.

"He said we needed to do something, and I agreed with him. I told him to stop by the garden and pick some Nighshades," Nyk's grandmother replied absentmindedly as she tended to her father's body, helping Minda clean up the sticky blood.

Syn's voice faltered, and her face turned pale. "He told you we needed to do something?" she asked, her heart racing.

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"Yes, dear," Nyk's grandmother said, her voice full of kindness. "I thought he was showing great initiative."

Syn's heart sank. She knew Nyk better than anyone, and something wasn't right. "B-but, shouldn't he have returned by now?" she stammered.

"Don't worry, dear. It's been a long day. He must have fallen asleep," Nyk's grandmother said, trying to reassure her.

"Right, you're right, granny, that must be it." Sleep? Nyk? On a day like this? Impossible. She took a deep breath and made a decision. "I'm going to go and fetch him unless you need me here," she said, her voice resolute. Nyk's Nana nodded silently.

"Of course, dear," Minda said, smiling at Syn's determination. "Don't worry. Your father will be fine. He just needs rest."

Syn nodded to them and quickly made her way out of the house. The weight of her worry felt like an anchor as she hurried outside the house. As she exited the room, she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from shouting his name. "Oh gods, I just hope I'm on time!"

She didn't know where to start looking, but the first logical place would be where his grandmother had told him to go, so she ran with all her speed toward Nyk's house.

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A few minutes later, she reached the garden. The cold evening breeze hit her face, and the scent of nightly blooming flowers filled her nostrils. She couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding as she walked towards the garden, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of Nyk.

"Nyk! Are you here?"

There was no answer. The moon shone brightly overhead, illuminating the garden's winding paths and overgrown bushes. Syn searched every corner of the garden, her heart beating faster with each passing moment. Just as she was about to give up, she saw something glimmering in the corner of her eye.

Fresh watery mud reflected the light on the entrance to the house, a piece of mud still fresh. The basement!

Syn blasted into the house, her heart pounding in her chest. "Nyk! Where are you?" Her voice echoed through the empty house.

Without waiting for an answer, she headed to the basement. Opening the door, light faintly illuminated the cellar. Hope reignited in her. "Nyk, don't mess with me!" she said as she descended.

"Nyk..." No one was downstairs. Their cart, still full of items, was parked beside a wall. She approached the cart, and as she reached for it, she thought something was odd. The cart was half empty.

She quickly scanned the cart, her eyes darting around frantically. It didn't take long for her to notice that several items were gone. The giant knife and fork and the unsold Sneaky Sniff-Sniffles, and Razer-azer-angs were all missing.

The knife! He's taken the knife! The words echoed through her mind as she stared at the cart. Now she knew exactly where Nyk had gone. The thought of it made her shiver.

"It can't be," Syn muttered to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.

But deep inside she knew it was entirely possible. Nyk was the kind of person that would run toward danger without a second thought. And the questions he had been asking about Garoth..., Had he been trying to assess how hurt the creature was? They had sounded like mere curiosity to her but now she thought saw them from a different perspective, it all made sense.

An enormous sense of dread crept up her spine. The desolation and emptiness she felt made her heart sink.

She stepped forward, her feet sliding on wet footsteps on the floor. No mistake, Nyk had been here just moments ago. "This can't be," she repeated, her voice louder this time.

"No, god no," Her mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan. Her heart aching at the thought of losing Nyk. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.

Syn steeled herself. She couldn't panic. She had to be calm and collected. She knew exactly where to find Nyk. Maybe she could make it in time to stop him.

As soon as resolve shone on her face, she ran upstairs, climbing the stairs two by two.

Exiting through the front door, she ran to the cliff as fast as she could. The wind howled, making it difficult to hear anything. But she knew where she could find him.

She just hoped she wouldn't be too late.