And so they began to walk, counting aloud. "One, two, three, four…" The tension built with every step. Margo's voice rang out with the count, and Sarah's heart raced as they approached the fiftieth step.
At the forty-eighth step, Margo stopped briefly, looking around. "There's still no village, Elias."
Sarah's eyes gleamed with victory. "Two more steps," she whispered under her breath, excitement bubbling up inside her. She could already picture her sword back in her hands, and the newfound mastery of her mana swirling within her.
Elias remained composed, his face unreadable. "Just two more," he urged, taking the forty-ninth step.
"Fifty!" Margo called out as they all took the final step in unison.
