He looked at the lifeless body one last time. Slowly, he rose to his feet and began walking towards the hut. The others silently followed like shadows behind him.

---

The air inside the hut was heavy and suffocating. The sharp scent of damp wood seeped deep into their lungs. No one said a word. Only slow, weary footsteps... And quiet sighs...

Mücella moved to a corner and hugged her knees tightly to her chest. Her shivering wasn't from the cold but from the fear echoing in her soul.

Mert crouched down. He held a stone tightly in his hand, his palms sweaty. His gaze was fixed on an invisible spot far away.

Yaman leaned against the wall. He tilted his head back, eyelids heavy. Something inside his chest was irreparably broken... Bleeding silently.

Eren sat down on the ground. The green stone was in his palms. Its warmth still clung to his skin, but now this warmth no longer comforted him. Instead, it felt heavy, oppressive.

Whispers Breaking the Silence

For a while, the only sound was the wind whispering through cracks in the hut. Then Eren's voice came, barely louder than a whisper:

> "The man we killed... he was afraid too. Just like us."

Yaman didn’t open his eyes, just slowly bowed his head.

Mert squeezed the stone piece in his palm, his voice trembling:

> "Fear... makes us lose ourselves."

The silence stretched on a little longer. Then Mücella’s voice cracked, timid and fragile:

> "Will we... become like him one day?"

Her voice stirred the darkness within them, and the chill it spread engulfed the entire hut.

Eren raised his head, his voice weak but determined:

> "Not if we remember each other. Remembering will protect us."

Yet even his own voice couldn’t mask the uncertainty within.