The next day, the sun had barely begun to rise above the horizon when Adam appeared at the gathering square, a backpack slung over his shoulder, gaze calm but alert. Beside him stood Sareth, Olwen, Nira, Brann, and Grzywacz. A little behind, off to the side, stood Layra and Kosman.
But this time, they weren't the only ones.
Over a dozen new faces had shown up. Some had a nervous glint in their eyes, others wore masks of forced confidence. Adam recognized a few: the dreadlocked guy who had eaten his porridge with clenched teeth the day before, the girl with the lip piercing who had eyed their meal as if she were one second away from throwing her plate. They were here. Willing—or at least desperate enough.
Grzywacz stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he scanned the group. He nodded with satisfaction, as if something in his plan had just been confirmed.
— Crowded — Kosman muttered under his breath with a wry smile.
