The tension in the air was palpable as Team Unknown regrouped in the briefing room at HQ Command. The crystalline device retrieved from the Void-tainted construct sat on the holoscreen table, its faint glow pulsing rhythmically.

Dr. Lewis and General Luis were deep in conversation near the holoscreen, their voices hushed but urgent.

The rest of the team exchanged glances, their postures stiff. The weight of the recent mission still hung heavily over them.

General Luis finally addressed the team, his voice sharp. "The data recorder is being analyzed. Until we confirm its purpose, we're in a holding pattern."

Dr. Lewis glanced at the team, his usually relaxed demeanor replaced by grim resolve. "What we've seen so far suggests intricate manipulation—possibly even experimentation. This isn't random."

Exeo nodded, his voice calm but firm. "We'll stand by for orders. What's the priority?"

General Luis gestured to the holoscreen, where several regions flickered in red. "Recon is critical. We need to locate additional hotspots that may hold similar devices. Team Unknown will deploy as soon as the first analysis is complete."

Ember leaned forward, his sharp gaze locked on Luis. "And the possibility of a mole?"

The question hung in the air, drawing uneasy silence from the room.

General Luis's jaw tightened. "That remains unconfirmed. Focus on the mission at hand. We'll address internal concerns once we have concrete evidence."

As General Luis continued outlining plans, Val's attention drifted inward, his left eye throbbing faintly again. Deleo's voice stirred in his mind, a low, velvety murmur.

"The pieces fall into place, yet you hesitate. Do you fear the truth or what it will cost to uncover it?"

Val's jaw tightened, his gaze flickering briefly to the crystalline device. "It's not fear," he thought. "It's knowing what the truth could destroy."

Deleo chuckled softly, the sound both distant and intimate.

"Destruction can clear a path just as much as it can ruin one. The weight is yours to bear, dear Val. Every step, every silence—it shapes the road ahead."

Val exhaled quietly, his hand curling into a fist under the table.

The burden of leadership wasn't new, but this felt different—sharper, heavier. He glanced toward Exeo and Ember, their calm command an anchor for the team. The thought of withholding anything from them churned uneasily in his chest.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Deleo's voice came again, softer this time.

"You trust them, but trust isn't the same as understanding. They see the storm, but only you stand in its eye. Do they need to know what only the Void reveals?"

Val's response was measured, his thoughts clear. "If I tell them too soon, it could fracture everything we've built. But if I wait too long…"

"Timing, then," Deleo murmured.

"A leader knows when to wield silence, and when to break it. You're learning."

The shadow around Val's feet flickered faintly, unnoticed by the others, as the conversation continued.

General Luis's voice cut through Val's thoughts, sharp and decisive. "Umbra, deploy Eagle first. Establish overwatch. The rest of the team will follow once the perimeter is secure."

Val nodded, his focus snapping back to the present. "Understood."

Reyes stood, his sniper rifle slung across his back. "Ready when you are."

Val raised a hand, shadows coiling around them as he initiated the teleportation.

In a swirl of dark energy, Reyes vanished, leaving the room momentarily silent.

Reyes materialized atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the suspected Void-tainted energy hotspot. The terrain below was treacherous, jagged cliffs leading into narrow valleys shrouded in mist.

Overwatch in position, Reyes reported through the Mind Link.

Area clear. No movement detected.

Exeo's voice came through, steady and calm. Hold position. The rest of us are en route.

Moments later, the rest of the team materialized at the base of the ridge. The air was thick with tension, every sound amplified in the eerie stillness.

Exeo surveyed the area, his tone sharp. Positions. Frost, Aura, take the flanks. Terra, monitor for underground activity. Umbra, Lux, with me.

The team moved like shadows, their movements synchronized and precise.

As they advanced, Reyes's voice broke through the link, his tone tight. Movement on the northern ridge. Two constructs, possibly scouts. Their formation is… different.

Ember's voice was cold. Define 'different.'

They're tracking something—or someone, Reyes replied. Their movements aren't random.

Val's left eye flared again, the burning sensation sharp and unrelenting. Deleo's voice was quiet but insistent.

"The enemy adapts. And so must you."

Exeo's tone was calm but firm. Umbra, Lux, intercept. Eagle, keep overwatch.

Val and Ember moved swiftly, their weapons at the ready. As they approached the constructs, the air grew heavier, the Void energy thick and oppressive.

The constructs turned sharply, their glowing eyes locking onto the two brothers.

Without hesitation, Val unleashed a pulse of Void energy, shadows coiling and striking with deadly precision. Ember followed, his blade igniting with purple fire as he cut through the remaining construct.

Targets neutralized, Val reported.

Exeo's voice came through. Good. Regroup and continue.

As they advanced toward the hotspot, Bo and Riggs stumbled upon another crystalline device embedded in a fractured rock. The faint Void energy emanating from it was identical to the recorder from the previous mission.

"What's the call?" Bo asked, his tone uneasy.

Exeo examined the device briefly before responding. "Same protocol. We retrieve it."

As Ember secured the device, Val's shadows flickered faintly, his thoughts pulling inward again.

"Another piece of the puzzle," Deleo murmured.

"But will they see it for what it truly is, or only what your enemies want them to see?"

Val's grip on his weapon tightened, but his voice remained steady. "We'll find out soon enough."

The mission continued, the team pressing deeper into the shadows. Val's mind remained a storm of thoughts and possibilities, Deleo's cryptic words lingering like an unspoken challenge.