The decision finally speaks itself out loud, and the sound of it settles into the room with a weight that feels both inevitable and strangely relieving, because for days we have been circling the truth without naming it, pretending observation alone might be enough to break a pattern that thrives on patience. Adam stands at the head of the table, hands braced against the stone surface, his posture steady and unmistakably Alpha, while the rest of us form a loose half circle around him, close enough to feel the shift the moment it happens.
“We stop reacting,” he says. “We stop waiting. We take this to them.”
No one argues.
Justin nods once, sharp and decisive, already moving mentally through contingencies rather than questioning the premise. Alice’s expression is tight but resolved, conce
