Pouring their hearts out

While Marcus lay unconscious beneath the safety of the dome, the other team members went about preparing something to eat. Because Erik could grow food whenever required, there was no danger of anyone in the group going hungry.

Ava and Garrett collaborated in the preparation of a straightforward meal. However, despite their best efforts to lighten the mood, the gloomy silence that had descended upon the room persisted.

Alexia was responsible for tending to the fire and providing it with the wood that Garrett had amassed.

The flames' orange glow danced against the shelter's walls, casting shadows and lending an almost surreal quality to the situation. After ensuring the dome maintained its structural soundness, Erik joined the other people gathered around the fire.

They sat in a semicircle, their bodies taking solace in the heat as a defense mechanism against the chilly air of the forest. The warm light lit up their faces.