By the time the chosen six assembled at the portal, the sky above had deepened into a rich indigo, the last traces of sunset fading behind the jagged silhouette of the camp walls. The air carried that tense stillness before a mission—an almost tangible pressure that settled on shoulders and tightened in the chest.
The reinforced barrier Amelia had placed earlier still pulsed faintly, its golden light washing over the faces of those present. It was a steady, reassuring glow, a reminder that they were not stepping into the unknown entirely unprotected. Yet for Mia, standing at the head of the group, it also felt like a silent clock ticking down.
