Chapter 104 Doubts and fears

We set up camp just beyond the puppeteer’s stronghold, the fortress looming in the distance like a dark sentinel. The atmosphere was thick with tension and exhaustion. Everyone moved mechanically, setting up tents and arranging supplies, the weight of our mission pressing down on us like a physical burden.

I found a secluded spot at the edge of the camp and sat down, my back against a rough tree trunk. The forest around us was eerily silent, the usual nocturnal sounds muted as if nature itself held its breath in anticipation. I closed my eyes, trying to push away the images of the ambush, the faces of the fallen, and the doubt gnawing at my mind.