The morning felt colder than usual, even with the sun pushing pale light through the cabin windows. Every shadow seemed sharper, every sound more pronounced. My nerves were taut, stretched thin by hours of whispered fears and unspoken thoughts. I could feel Dante beside me, every movement he made a constant reminder that despite the tension, we were not alone.

I watched him move with practiced precision, checking the locks on every window and door for the third time since sunrise. His face was calm, but his eyes betrayed a vigilance I had never seen before. This was no ordinary caution. This was the predator-sense of a man who had...