Chief and his subordinates woke without alarm or signal, as though the land itself had decided their rest was over.
Above them, the sky was caught between states. A faint reddish-black gloom lay scattered across both sky and earth, neither fully night nor properly dawn. Darkness had not yet retreated, but it had begun to thin, torn apart by narrow rays of light that seeped through like cracks in a dying shell.
Those rays stained the gloom rather than dispelling it.
They looked almost fragile–like hope forced to exist in a place that rejected it.
For a treasure hunter, sunrise was never peace. It was simply an announcement: you survived yesterday–now endure today.
After stepping into the Re Ze Lure, this was only the second time Chief had seen sunlight.
Let this sunrise lead us to the opportunities we've been seeking, he thought quietly. If not… then at least let it be honest about the struggles ahead.
He rose and turned to the twins without wasting words.
