Oryen's whole body trembled as her feet struck the polished floor in rapid succession. The usually composed witch now moved with frantic urgency, her breath uneven, her pulse hammering in her ears. Worry was etched deeply across her face as she reached a door and began pounding on it with desperate force.
"Dydra?!" she yelled, her voice echoing down the corridor.
There was no response.
Her heart lurched. Her trembling fingers dropped to the doorknob, fumbling slightly before she managed to twist it open. She pushed the door wide and rushed inside, her sharp eyes scanning every corner of the room.
Empty.
The sight made her stomach sink. The bed untouched. The curtains still. No sign of movement. No sign of the girl she had been searching for.
Panic tightened around her chest like a vice. She spun on her heel and hurried back out into the corridor—
—and at that very moment, the door to her own room opened.
Oryen froze.
