In the blink of an eye couldn't describe just how fast her life no longer existed once more in this world amongst them. She was gone. Gone forever now. There would be no other way that she would miraculously come back to life. Stefan shook his head and bit into his bottom lip as both hands combed through his gel brunette hair, remembering the night, the very moment. A part of him still was in a bitter denial with himself about the whole thing. His mind knew the horrid truth but his heart could not grasp onto it. But Elena had made her choice then. Her heart led her to what she wanted for the people she cared to protect them from dangers she blamed herself for. She chose to protect Damon from Silas and like always Stefan respected her choice. No matter how much he yearned to argue against, force her to stay away from this fate, he didn’t. Her decision to protect the ones she loved over herself was just something he could never take and it hurt to know he aided in the process. She was Elena Gilbert to the end and every apology left unsaid would remain that way.
The household was dark as Stefan moved through it, cold and lifeless almost. Every room held a memory of her. Emptiness now. Stefan felt that in the pit of his stomach, rolling over in sickness. Remorse that would not cease from him as well. But he could not mourn forever as this way, he could not overlook that he wasn’t the only one suffering and focus on himself. Damon was suffering just as much even worse than he. Damon was suffering his own level of pain. He loved her and now she was gone because of him. Yet it wasn’t his fault though. Elena would not want him to think that. Stefan knew better than to believe Damon would see that situation as such though. Stefan was worried for his older brother, scared for him and he couldn’t leave him. He needed his brother in this time and he could only hope that Damon would need him too. He had to. They were both suffering loss of someone they deeply cared for and that left a wound that could not be healed completely. Stefan searched through the household for his brother unable to locate where he was dormant this evening. “Damon,” he muttered softly, pausing in his steps in the parlor room.