[Ace's POV]
The wooden table creaked as I leaned forward, my palms pressing into its rough surface. The morning light streaming through the windows illuminated the serious expressions around me—Ray's calculating gaze, Philip's furrowed brow, Chief Gareth's clenched jaw. The scent of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the tension in the air.
"Just as we discussed last night," Chief Gareth began, his calloused fingers tapping a steady rhythm against his mug, "we'll speak with the bandit victims today. What then?" The question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of a man who had seen too much suffering plague his village.
I straightened my shoulders, the fabric of my tunic pulling tight across my back. "We gather information first," I said, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "Then we set the trap." My fingers curled into fists at my sides. "We'll draw the bandits out and capture them."
