The hallway outside the training room was cloaked in a thick, oppressive silence, the air heavy with anticipation and dread. Li Chen's family gathered just beyond the closed door, their eyes fixed on the barrier that separated them from the unknown. Every tick of the clock on the wall seemed to stretch time further, turning minutes into hours, hours into what felt like an eternity.
Zhang Mei stood nearest to the door, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, her face pale and etched with exhaustion. Her eyes, red and swollen from crying, never left the door. Her heart beat in her chest like a drum, each thud a reminder of what was at stake—her husband, the father of her unborn children, lay lifeless in the room beyond, and all she could do was wait.
But the waiting was unbearable.
