AT THE SAME TIME
MICHAEL'S POINT OF VIEW:
I stood there, feeling the weight of the second part of the relic in my hand, my mind swirling with everything that had happened. We had come this far, only to find the second part of the relic hidden in the roots of the Whispering Tree. The air was thick with smoke, and the forest around us felt… wrong. The eerie silence seemed to swallow up our every move. But in that moment, I couldn't focus on the surroundings. My eyes were glued to Xavier.
He was standing a little apart from the group, his posture rigid. I saw his jaw clench, a muscle in his neck visibly tightening, and something in my chest tightened with him. I hadn't realized until now how much tension had been building up inside him, how much he was holding in. But now… now it was obvious.
"Xavier?" I called, my voice sharper than I intended.
