Elaris wiped her brow with the back of her hand. Her voice was quiet, almost drowned out by the wind.
"We… didn't find the jewel."
The words settled over us like a weight, and nobody spoke.
"It's all because you let it slip from your hands!" Sarah snapped.
Her patience had clearly run dry after searching for most of the day.
"If you hadn't been careless, we wouldn't be wasting time like this!" she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
Elaris didn't respond. She stared at the dirt beneath her boots.
Her shoulders slumped as if the accusation had physically struck her.
Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling slightly. She looked like she might cry.
Before it could escalate further, I stepped forward.
"Enough," I said loudly.
"The wheel broke. That's the problem. Not her."
Sarah opened her mouth, then closed it again. Clearly realizing it wasn't Elaris's fault—just bad luck.
No one argued, but the tension didn't disappear.
