There was a river at the base of the mountain, which gave Dylan a glimmer of hope.
It meant that when Elena fell, she might have hit the water and survived.
But nobody knew where the current had taken her.
"Dylan, we've added more men and searched along the riverbanks and the nearby villages. There's still no sign of Ms. Whelan," George reported.
"Keep looking! I know she's alive!"
Whenever Dylan thought about the bloody scene at the cliff, his heart ached so intensely he could barely breathe. At night, his dreams were haunted by visions of Elena, covered in blood, staring at him.
She was asking him why he didn't come.
Why!
"Dylan, don't torture yourself. You didn't know the person they were hunting was Elena. This isn't your fault," George said, trying to comfort him.
"If... if I had just realized it sooner, none of this would have happened... She broke up with me that day because she was coming here to Riverton. She was coming to fight a final battle with her enemies. She said those things on purpose so I wouldn't worry."
Dylan finally understood Elena's intentions. She hadn't stopped loving him.
She just didn't want him to suffer.
If he hadn't come to Riverton, if he hadn't witnessed the aftermath, she might have died quietly in this remote place without him ever knowing.
She had wanted to disappear from his life silently, leaving no trace for him to mourn.
"Elena really is a remarkable woman. To fight off that many people... I admire her courage," George admitted. It was the first time he had ever seen a woman like that.
"Dylan, rest assured, I'll speed up the search. But things in Cresden City are getting unstable. Caleb has called several times. Xavier is starting to have issues with your absence."
"Let him have issues. I'm staying here until I find Elena!" Dylan snapped.
"Alright. I'll tell Caleb to hold the fort a little longer."
"By the way, were Logan and Michelle sent back to Cresden?"

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