Alchemists

Anna and the Grand Lamas sat around the command table discussing strategies as they traveled from Pagoda Monastery to Keres. The ship hummed steadily around them, a mechanical lullaby that would normally soothe. Today, it only emphasized how slowly they moved when urgency pressed from every side.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Max's restlessness—squirming in his seat with small, jerky movements, the leather creaking softly under his shifting weight, tension radiating from his frame like heat from an engine. She understood his frustration, the desire to reach their destination faster.