The scorched beach stretched out behind them like a wound carved into the landscape, blackened sand and fractured stone bearing witness to whatever had just transpired in those chaotic moments.
The acrid smell of burnt salt and ozone still hung heavy in the air, clinging to their clothes and hair like a accusation that refused to fade.
Benjamin stood with his back to the destruction, his arms folded across his chest in a posture of supreme self-satisfaction.
His smug smile stretched from ear to ear, his blue eyes glittering with that particular brand of mischief that had gotten him into this kind of trouble.
"Well, what did you manage to learn from this little experience, Ten?" he asked, his voice dripping with unearned confidence. "I believe the lesson here is that you should always read the fine print before agreeing to go along with a stunt like the one we just pulled, do you understand? It is the difference between informed participation and blind recklessness."
