Cassius stood near the lake's edge, the cool morning air brushing against his skin. Mist hovered over the water like a silver veil, and sunlight danced across its ripples.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, admiring the view. "Beautiful." He murmured to himself.
He'd actually been thinking of sleeping in late today, after all, yesterday had been exhausting. Between the fight with the Leviathan, the steamy night afterward, he thought he'd earned a morning off.
But Aisha had other ideas.
She'd shaken him awake before sunrise, saying they couldn't delay any longer.
"The cult's ritual is in two days." She had said firmly. "We need to scout the area before they make their move. We've already wasted too much time here."
And that was that.
Skadi had been dragged out of bed half-asleep, whining that she wanted "just five more minutes." while Julie was already up and ready, double-checking their supplies.
