Dust lingered in the air. Thick. Heavy. As if refusing to settle even after the clash was over.
Splinters creaked with every small collapse, and the polished dojo floor had become a cracked battlefield.
No one spoke.
Breaths were caught, hearts pounded, yet every mouth stayed shut.
The silence left behind was not peace, it was pressure. Even Chana felt it pressing down on him.
The old man rose slowly from his sofa, the tip of his cane tapping softly with each step as he moved toward the exit of the observation room.
"Where are you going?" Lisa asked, bewildered.
For a moment, he said nothing. Then his voice cut through the quiet.
"It's still not enough."
"What?"
"Perhaps this is the best we can achieve," Chana sighed. "Tell your team. The new AMER weaponry will be delivered soon."
Lisa froze.
