The silence in the room was heavy enough to asphyxiate a man.
Nico sat straight in the wooden chair with his hands resting on his knees to hide the slight tremor in his fingers.
The air around the table felt like it had turned into sludge from the sheer pressure the man before him excluded.
The General hadn't moved a muscle since commanding them to sit.
He just sat there with eyes half-lidded as he quietly sipped his tea.
[Breathe… just breathe…] Nico told himself, forcing his lungs to expand against the crushing gravity while a single bead of sweat rolled down his temple.
Nico felt his mind going completely blank as the General's presence weighed down on him.
To his left, Peko sat like a statue with a blank expression, giving away absolutely nothing.
But Nico knew her better than that. He could see her violet eyes calmly darting with micro-movements, scanning for the best course of action should it all go to hell.
