章 198: This isn’t just any map

The wasteland stretches out before us, a desolate expanse of cracked earth and jagged rocks. The sky above is a perpetual gray, the sun hidden behind thick clouds that seem to leech the color from the world. Every step we take is heavy, the silence around us oppressive, almost suffocating. The only sound is the crunch of our boots against the barren ground, a constant reminder of how isolated we are in this forsaken place.

As we press on, I can feel the weight of the journey bearing down on me, on all of us. Each of us is grappling with our own fears, our own doubts, but we keep moving forward because there is no other choice. We are too far in now, too close to the end to turn back. But the closer we get, the more I can see the strain in my companions' eyes. Finn's usual easygoing demeanor has been replaced by a tight-lipped grimness, and even Zara, who is normally so unflappable, seems on edge. There's a tension between us, a taut thread that could snap at any moment.