Tave and Panpan returned to the place where the rest of the team had taken shelter. A cramped, somber little area nestled between jagged rock formations and forest undergrowth. The atmosphere was thick. Stifling.
No one was speaking.
The entire team sat in silence, a heavy stillness. On one side, Lina sat beside Elowen, her eyes swollen and red, her face still damp from the tears she hadn't even tried to hide. She looked like she'd been crying for hours.
Velion was the first to move. He approached Tave quietly, gave Panpan a brief glance, then gestured for Tave to follow him a few steps away from the others.
Panpan didn't speak. She simply stayed where she was, her silence saying more than words could. She already knew. Elowen had told her everything before Tave woke up.
Velion exhaled slowly, as if trying to soften what he had to say. Even though the truth was already written in every expression around them.
