The silence was deafening, and the suspense was excruciating. 
	While the knight considered the words, Ghent stood rigid, his focus trained on where he assumed Drust’s eyes were. The shadows made it impossible to get an accurate idea of his expression, but the show of hesitation sparked a feeling of hope in Ghent. If he was lucky, he reasoned with what little sanity remained. 
	[i]Please Drust,[/i] Ghent silently pleaded with him, his eyes flickering to Elayra again. Concern for her crossed his features, but he was quick to avert his attention. He didn't want to remind the knight of her presence. 
	Any remaining hope was shattered with two words.
[b]	"Adorable notion."[/b]
	Ghent felt the air leave his lungs all over again. His mind screamed at him to run, but his feet were anchored to the ground. Shock robbed him of his senses and left him unable to react. In that heart stopping moment, he was convinced he would die.
	Hollow Forest was denied another victim, thanks to Margen. The nimble creature showed up in the space between the males, acting as a barrier between sword and boy.
	Ghent couldn't move. He acted as a useless bystander, gaping as the creature made quick work of their current foe. The tiny sneeze from Margen lead to Drust tripping, which ultimately ended with him falling unconscious again. It happened so fast and effortlessly, Ghent wondered if Margen was better suited to save Wonderland.
	Silence fell over the group again. Trembling, Ghent approached slumbering knight and nudged his leg with the tip of his sneaker. The state of sleep hardly made Drust appear less threatening, but it was definitely an improvement. 
	"Margen..." Ghent whirled to face him. Overcome with gratitude and admiration, he knelt to be more level with his ghostly rescuer. "Good boy!" he praised the fox as one might praise a beloved pet. "Margen, you were [i]incredible![/i] You saved my life!" 
	Chuckling lightly at Margen's impatience, Ghent nodded and stood. His entire body felt shaky, but he didn’t care. His body was still in one piece. "Alright, alright, we're..."
	His voice faltered when the realization hit him. Caught up in the chaos, he had forgotten about Elayra.
	Quickly, Ghent turned around, hoping to see the girl on her feet. She wasn't. She remained where Drust left her, her frame looking smaller than usual against the tall, looming tree. 
	Without another word, Ghent dashed past the knight and Margen, inwardly cursing himself for not leaving the Betwixt sooner. 
	"Elayra?!" When he was close enough, Ghent dropped to his knees beside her. To get an idea of her condition, he reached to brush some of her hair out of her face.