Quinton snickered from his seat, clearly enjoying the moment. "With so many ingredients, just remembering their names and effects is enough to drive someone insane. Andrew, you've dodged failure so many times—this has to be the end of the line for you."

Christina remained silent, but the bitter knot in her chest began to loosen. If Andrew finally stumbled here, maybe she could breathe a little easier.

Finally, Andrew reached out, slowly sifting through the mountain of herbs in front of him. He moved without urgency, casually picking and discarding ingredients as if he had all the time in the world.

Preston and Clifford exchanged a quick glance, a silent smirk passing between them. In their eyes, Andrew's slow, meandering approach was a clear sign of someone struggling to stay afloat, just grasping at straws.

In stark contrast, Mosby and Thomas moved like lightning, their hands darting through their respective herb piles with practiced precision.

Mosby, in particular, seemed