The tension in the Midnight Pawnshop was suffocating, the walls seemingly closing in around them. Wei, Mei Lan, Lin, and Mr. Shen stood in a heavy silence, the magnitude of the situation settling in like a cold, relentless fog. The Shadow Sect was already moving, and they were running out of time.
"We can't just sit here and wait for them to strike," Wei said, his voice firm despite the storm of uncertainty brewing inside him. "We need to act, to take the fight to them before they can come for anyone else."
Mr. Shen shook his head. "Rushing in without a plan is a sure way to get yourselves killed. The Shadow Sect isn't something you can face head-on, at least not yet. Their strength lies in manipulation, in working from the shadows. They'll never give you a clear target."
Lin crossed her arms, her face a mixture of frustration and fear. "So, what do we do then? Just keep hiding while they pick us off one by one?"
