Chapter 59 - Tension and Friends

The house buzzed with quiet activity, every movement purposeful, every breath heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. Mia stood near the dining table, watching as the group went about their final preparations. The hum of whispered conversations filled the room, interspersed with the faint clink of equipment being checked and double-checked. Every sound seemed louder in the silence between them—the rustle of maps, the click of a safety buckle, the quiet murmur of voices trying to remain calm.