The mood inside the warehouse had changed completely.
What began as anxious chatter and nervous shifting had become the pleasant hum of a social gathering. The atmosphere, once thick with uncertainty, was now light, warm, even cheerful.
Women who had entered stiffly were now laughing and gossiping freely, while others happily sipped from small wooden cups that had been handed to them.
The tangy-sweet scent of juice mixed with the aroma of baked bread and honeyed pastries that had been distributed by the guards under Cassius's instructions.
"Would you look at this!" One woman exclaimed with wide eyes, biting into a roll. "They're even feeding us!"
"I wasn't expecting refreshments for a military mission." Another laughed, her mouth half-full.
"Maybe the Holy Guard really are saints after all!"
In one corner, a group of older women chatted as they enjoyed their drinks. "It's been so long since we've had anything like this." One murmured, smiling softly. "Feels like a festival."
