The clearing settled into a slow rhythm as the light shifted above them. The sun moved behind the trees, casting longer shadows across the ground, turning the open space into something softer, quieter. Time passed in a way none of them had allowed it to before without urgency, without pressure. Victor remained focused on his equipment, adjusting frequencies, scanning for any signal that might reach them. Emma worked beside him, calmer now, her movements more measured as she reviewed what data they still had access to. Daniel had found a spot near the edge of the clearing, sitting against a tree with his arms folded, his usual energy replaced with a quiet kind of awareness. Sophia continued to watch everything, her position unchanged, her attention sharp. At the center of it all, Lewis and Elizabeth remained where they were. They hadn’t moved much. Not because they couldn’t. But because, for once, there was no reason to. Elizabeth shifted slightly, adjusting the blanket around he
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