*Ryan*
The duckling’s engines hum as we break through the low-hanging clouds, the world below blanketed in a thick layer of snow that glistens like diamonds under the weak winter sun.
I can feel the tension in the air, a tight coil around my chest that makes it hard to breathe. We are so close to Karolina’s father, and now the stakes are higher than ever. The journey ahead weighs on me, but I can’t afford to let it show.
“We need to keep our heads on straight, everyone,” I call out as I glance back at Tommy, who is fiddling with the navigation system. Karolina is beside me, her eyes fixed on the horizon, and I wish I could take some of that uncertainty away from her. She’s been through enough, and the last thing I want is for her to falter now.
“Flying into the unknown is what we signe
