"What?!" The group exclaimed in unison, stunned by Alastor's casual pronouncement. The nonchalance in his voice was jarring, given the dire circumstances.
"Look, Alastor, I don't know if you hit your head too hard earlier, but you need to stop joking around. This isn't the time for games," Marcus said, unable to contain his disbelief.
"Who said I was joking?" Alastor replied, his face impassive.
The group was once again taken aback. Marcus stared at Alastor, expecting him to break into laughter and admit it was all a jest. Instead, he was met with a steady, serious gaze. Knowing Alastor, Marcus realized he was completely serious.
"And how exactly do you expect us to pull that off?" Marcus challenged.
