When confirmation finally arrived that the missing children had been found alive, the news spread through the community with a force that was almost physical. It moved faster than sirens ever had, faster than rumors or fear, carrying with it a sudden release of tension that had been building for days. People stopped where they stood. Some cried openly. Others stood in silence, hands over their mouths, struggling to process the words they were hearing. What had begun as dread ended in something far rarer and more powerful: relief.
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