The Ties That Bind

The days following Victor Hale’s ominous appearance at the festival were a whirlwind of preparation and reflection for Rio and his team. With the university officially recognizing their task force, their responsibilities grew heavier, but so did their resolve. Meetings became more frequent, and the group worked late into the night poring over data and refining their strategies. The weight of their mission was clear, but so too was the bond that kept them together.

Rio stood at the task force’s new headquarters, a repurposed room in the university’s administrative building. The walls were adorned with maps, timelines, and photographs, each piece a clue to the tangled web of the Echoes of Shadows. Erica entered the room with two steaming cups of coffee, setting one in front of Rio. He looked up, offering her a tired but grateful smile.

(Erica): “You’ve been staring at that map for hours. You’ll burn out if you don’t take a break.”