I looked at all of them, really looked this time, and it was obvious they had already prepared themselves long before I even settled into place. The moment their eyes locked onto me, there wasn't any hesitation left in their movements. Each of them stood firm, already in their stances, already committed, like they had been waiting for this exact moment and didn't plan on wasting it.
I took my time scanning through them one by one, meeting their eyes properly instead of just glossing over them. There was something different in the way they held my gaze. It wasn't casual, and it definitely wasn't relaxed.
They were serious.
There wasn't even a hint of doubt in that. It showed in their posture, in the way their shoulders were set, in how none of them broke eye contact even for a second.
