***
As the weight of their concern for me began to seep in, I instinctively glanced around the room, a nagging unease gnawing at the edge of my consciousness. "Where are the others?" I inquired, my voice barely above a whisper, the fear evident.
Matterinna, drawing herself to her full height, sighed deeply, her purple eyes clouded with concern. "Max, after you fell ill, everything changed," she began, her words laden with a melancholy I rarely heard from her. "Antrodos, despite his usual jovial exterior, bore the brunt of it all. He's been tirelessly crossing blades in the arena, striving to bring home every coin he can earn. Laussinna? She's been travelling from tavern to tavern, letting her voice weave tales of love and sorrow, all to gather enough to afford the rarest of herbs and ingredients."
