Xander reached out to him, like a loving father. He checked his forehead and found the temperature completely fine. He checked his pulse and judging by how Stephan was calm and obedient, he assumed that he was under the spell. He had to make him believe that the dark tree was the real one while the other one was a parasite.
Switching beliefs was better than changing whatever he believed in. He took their side after all. He punched Aurora hard, knocking her out while she only wanted to shield him from the upcoming attack. Xander was mad and he almost killed Stephan. If it wasn't for Aurora, he would be dead. Xander wanted to give the highest reward to Aurora since she stopped something disastrous. He would give her to the tree and Stephan would do it himself.
Stephan looked at Aurora, lying on the ground then at Xander.
"What happened to my wife?"