Roma maintained his easy smile, but something in his expression shifted to match her fierce stare as he kept walking. Without turning to meet her gaze, his voice dropped to barely a whisper: “Yeah, you may not be able to tell given the smile on my face…” Another careful pause. “Ditto.”

He let the words settle between them, then gave a slight, knowing nod before melting into the celebrating crowd ahead. As he disappeared among the bodies flowing toward the exit, his words lingered like falling ashes in Sophia’s mind, a bitter counterpoint to their moment of triumph.

The wave of celebration carried them into the lobby like a tide of pure joy. What had been a makeshift campground hours before had transformed into something electric - a sea of faces lit with triumph and possibility. The international delegates, media crews, and observers who had waited so long parted before them, creating an impromptu path of honor toward the main doors.

“This is surreal,” Juniper whispered, her hand finding Daniel’s arm for stability as they moved through the crowd. Sophia trailed just behind them, still radiating infectious energy despite Roma’s cryptic words echoing in her mind.