The two hours of rest were a tense, quiet affair. The adrenaline from the fight had faded, leaving behind a bone-deep weariness and the chilling afterimage of the mechanical horrors. They sat in a loose circle, chewing on rations, their eyes constantly scanning the unnervingly quiet forest.
It was Dori who broke the silence, her voice small and thick with unshed tears. "I... I'm sorry." All eyes turned to her. She was hugging her knees, looking down at the ground. "During the fight... I was just hiding. My skill is useless in a battle like that. I'm just... a burden."
The raw vulnerability in her words hung heavily in the air.
Clarissa was the first to move, shifting to sit beside Dori and wrapping a comforting arm around her. "Oh, Dori, that's not true at all."
