As the group began their ascent along the route they had chosen, every step was taken with extreme caution. Their pace was slow, deliberate, and measured, each movement calculated as they remained acutely aware of their surroundings. Nearly an hour had passed since they first started climbing, and by then they had managed to reach roughly halfway to the peak.
During that time, their progress had been anything but smooth. It felt as though the mountain itself was constantly weighing whether to allow them passage, testing their resolve with every stretch of unstable ground. Advancement came in short bursts, frequently interrupted by moments that forced them to halt completely. Each pause stretched longer than the last, not from indecision, but from necessity.
