It was early, the kind of early that still felt like the tail end of night. The sky outside hadn’t made up its mind yet—somewhere between blue and black, like the world was stretching out of a long sleep but hadn’t rubbed its eyes. There was a light chill in the air that hadn’t been there the day before, and the trees rustled like they were passing secrets down a line.
Inside the camp’s main dining lodge, breakfast had a quieter tone than usual. Not somber, but softer. People moved with a stillness, carrying plates of oatmeal, hard-boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and herbal tea like they didn’t want to wake something inside themselves. Conversation was minimal, a few murmured greetings here and there, forks clinking against ceramic bowls. Even the staff, usually bright-eyed and chatty, moved mo
