The helicopter sliced through the night, the rhythmic thrum of the rotors a steady beat that seemed to pulse in time with the trio's exhausted hearts. For a long while, none of them spoke, each lost in their own thoughts, processing the events that had brought them here.
Sophia stared out at the vast expanse of darkness below, the last remnants of the forest disappearing beneath a layer of mist. The adrenaline that had kept her sharp was beginning to fade, replaced by a bone-deep weariness. But alongside the fatigue was a strange, unfamiliar sensation—relief.
They were safe for now, and the mission, though not without its toll, had been a success. Yet, as she glanced over at Ethan and Zoe, she knew the journey was far from over. The stakes were higher than ever, and what lay ahead could be even more perilous than what they had just survived.
