The sight stirred something deep in Adrian's chest. This is what I lost once. A team that believed in building something bigger than themselves.
But as the sun dipped lower, shadows gathered on the outskirts of the field.
Kerren, the hunter, stood with two other men, watching silently. The chief approached them, his cane tapping softly against the dirt. Their words were low, but their faces told enough—fear, anger, resentment.
Adrian noticed. He didn't react. Not yet.
Instead, he called for a break. "We've done good work today. The foundation's set. Tomorrow, we build higher."
Cheers rose, echoing against the trees. The villagers dispersed, tired but proud.
As the crowd thinned, Elara came to stand beside him. "You see them, don't you?" she murmured, nodding toward the chief and his shadows.
"I see them," Adrian said quietly. "And I see what they're afraid of."
"They fear losing control," she said.
"No," Adrian replied. "They fear change. Because it means they can't hide behind excuses anymore."
Elara looked at him, a faint smile tugging her lips. "Then we build fast. Before their fear becomes something worse."
That night, Lukas couldn't sleep. He sat by the wall, staring at the first few rows of bricks gleaming faintly in the moonlight.
"Master said this is just the beginning," he whispered to himself. "One day, it'll reach the sky."
But as he spoke, movement flickered in the shadows near the trees. He froze.
Three figures. Whispering. One of them—he recognized the voice. Kerren.