Auri sat on the edge of an old chair near the building entrance, his foot tapping quietly against the floor. The thick wooden door was cracked open just enough for him to see outside, and through the narrow gap, he watched the sandstorm finally dying down.
Dust still moved across the ground, curling in little swirls, but the sky above was clearing. A few stars had started to peek through, and the wind no longer screamed.
Auri had just talked with Zhong Chen about the scouting plan. They had gone over the route, the signals, and where they might find shelter along the way. But even with a plan, Auri still felt tense.
The waiting was the hardest part.
In games, he could just change the time, skip the boring parts, and fast-forward to when the action starts. But here, time moved at its own pace, and everyone else insisted on playing it safe.
