Takeshi led the way, silent and composed as ever, his katana sheathed but always within reach. Behind him, Sven, Nadya, Kai, Isaac, and Amina followed - each step heavier than the last.
None of them spoke.
Not because they didn't have words, but because none had the energy left to waste them. Even breathing felt like a chore.
And ironically, the one who struggled the least… was Amina.
Despite being the most frail and least combat-capable among them, she trudged forward with quiet resilience. Her limbs were uninjured. Her mind, while shaken, hadn't been strained to its limit like the others. She wasn't bleeding, burned, or bruised. And that alone put her in better shape than the rest of them combined.
Kai glanced at her momentarily, then returned his gaze to the dirt beneath his feet.
