Allison's POV.

The next day.

We parked the bus along the edge of a secluded riverbank. Mia, another girl from our team, Jen, and I set up a small picnic outside the bus. We had been traveling for days, seeking some respite from the intensity of the recent events.

As we sat on the grass, munching on sandwiches and sipping from our thermoses, the night air was filled with a peaceful stillness. It was an opposite to the chaos we had left behind. The quiet gave me a moment to reflect, and I found myself staring at the gentle flow of the river, lost in thought.

Mia broke the silence....