The conversation flowed with ease among them, a seamless blend of laughter and reflection. Anecdotes surfaced now and then, some laced with embarrassment, others etched with power, each one offering a glimpse into pivotal moments of their lives.
As always, Anthony was quick to act, purchasing food and alcohol from his system with practiced flair. Though none of them felt particularly hungry, appetite was a different matter entirely, temptation, after all, needed no invitation.
The discussion gradually deepened, turning toward life-altering experiences, moments when the trajectory of their paths had veered sharply from what they had once envisioned.
But such moments, they all agreed, rarely came without cost. More often than not, they were soaked in blood and accompanied by the hollow ache of lost loved ones.
