The hallway stretched ahead, quiet and heavy. Pipes lined the walls, some hissing softly. Lights blinked above, casting pale glows that danced across their faces. Every bootstep hit metal, low and steady, like a drumbeat before a storm.
None of them spoke.
Then Ash looked over.
"So… what do you want to talk to him about?"
Max slowed down. His shoulders sagged, not from weight, but from something inside. His eyes didn't meet Ash's.
"I just want to check on the people of Dunehaven… They lost too much at Sandworms' Valley. Families… friends… All gone under the sand."
He stopped walking.
Ash watched him in silence.
"If it weren't for you, Ash… they'd all be dead."
Ash shifted his gaze to the side, jaw tight. His hands balled up behind his back. The praise never sat well with him.
Max's fists trembled.
"I blame myself. I should've left them behind. We could've gone on without them. Found another way. Maybe they'd still be alive. Maybe…"
