"So, should we just end the search now?" Damian asked softly, almost in a whisper. His eyes looked at Elena, searching for a glimmer of hope to reject the bitter reality.

Elena lowered her head for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Then she nodded slowly, her voice barely audible, "Yes... let's end it."

Everyone fell silent. Even the wind seemed to stop for a moment.

“But why give up so quickly?” Damian persisted, his voice beginning to tremble. “We can keep searching further, maybe along the coast, maybe through remote villages. There are still so many possibilities!”

Nathan spoke up, calmly but heavily, “We’ve searched everywhere, Damian....