The moment they truly reached the summit, the group slowed to a stop almost instinctively, boots scraping against slick stone as they bent forward to catch their breath. Chests rose and fell hard, steam mingling with the rain as it poured relentlessly from the darkened sky above. For several long seconds, no one spoke. The climb had demanded too much for words to come easily.
Once their breathing steadied just enough, they finally began to lift their heads and take in their surroundings.
They weren't alone.
Scattered across the summit were clusters of other students, some standing, some crouched low against the wind and rain, all wearing the same exhausted, frustrated expressions. Judging by the way many of them were still shaking out their hands or rolling their shoulders, it was clear they hadn't reached the peak much earlier than Sheila's group had. The air carried a shared tension—relief at having made it this far, and dread at what came next.
