The air in HQ Command was heavy, as if the weight of the shadows itself had seeped into the walls. Team Unknown filed into the debriefing room after completing their latest mission, their masks still in hand. The crystalline device retrieved during the operation pulsed faintly on the holoscreen table, drawing every gaze toward it.

Dr. Lewis stood with General Luis, their expressions grim as the room settled into an uneasy silence. The data from the devices recovered in consecutive missions had led to unsettling implications, yet the full picture still eluded them.

General Luis's voice was sharp, cutting through the tension.

"This device—like the first—has been tampered with. But its purpose remains clear: someone is feeding misinformation into our operations. Deliberately."

Ember leaned forward, his sharp gaze fixed on the screen. "Deliberate? As in sabotage?"

Dr. Lewis tapped a few keys, bringing up distorted images on the screen. "We managed to partially decode the recordings embedded in both devices. Look closely."

The room dimmed as the holoscreen displayed fragments of Void-tainted energy patterns, interspersed with blurry footage. For a moment, the image froze, resolving into a frame that sent a chill through the room.

A figure, clad in a dark cloak with Clareo's insignia faintly visible on their arm, appeared to be speaking with a Void-tainted construct. The image was grainy, distorted, but it was unmistakable.

Riggs frowned, his voice heavy with suspicion. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? Someone from Clareo working with them?"

General Luis's jaw tightened, his hands gripping the table. "That's what it looks like, but we can't jump to conclusions. The image is heavily distorted, and for all we know, this could be fabricated."

Ember's voice was icy, carrying the sharpness of a blade. "Or it could be real. If someone's leaking intel, they've put all of Clareo in jeopardy. And us."

Dr. Lewis adjusted his glasses, his tone measured but tense. "It's possible this was planted to sow discord. The Void-tainted constructs are advanced enough to replicate visual data, but the level of precision here…" He trailed off, leaving the implications hanging.

Val sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the holoscreen. His left eye burned faintly again, the now-familiar throb pulsing like a heartbeat. Deleo stirred in his mind, the Void's voice low and deliberate.

"So, the seeds of doubt are sown. Clever, isn't it? They play on the fragility of trust, knowing it's the thread that binds you."

Val's shadows flickered faintly beneath the table, unnoticed by the others. His voice in his mind was steady, though tinged with frustration. "What do they gain by breaking trust? We'll adapt. We always do."

Deleo's chuckle resonated softly. "Ah, my dear Val, but you misunderstand. Adaptation is strength, yes, but suspicion is a slow poison. It festers, unseen, until it consumes. They aim to weaken you from within. Will you let them?"

Val's jaw tightened. "No."

The conversation in the room continued, oblivious to Val's internal dialogue.

Exeo's calm voice broke through the tension. "Whether this image is real or not, we can't let it compromise our focus. We act on facts, not conjecture."

Bo crossed his arms, his usually light demeanor replaced by unease. "But what if it is real? What if there's someone feeding them everything we do?"

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Fon, standing nearby, shook his head. "Then we find out who. But until then, we stick together."

Reyes, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke. "And if we're being watched? Every move, every decision—they might already know what we're planning."

Dr. Lewis sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That's a possibility we can't ignore. For now, we'll increase counter-surveillance measures. But you need to stay focused on the missions. This isn't just about finding the truth—it's about stopping whatever they're planning."

General Luis nodded. "Your next mission will take you deeper into enemy territory. Recon is no longer enough. We need to disrupt their operations and find out who—or what—is behind this sabotage."

Ember straightened, his tone resolute. "What's the target?"

Dr. Lewis brought up a map on the holoscreen, highlighting a series of points deep in the wilderness near Clareo's borders.

"This is where the signal trails lead. Void energy spikes have been detected in these areas, but the patterns suggest movement—like they're shifting their bases frequently."

General Luis added, "You'll split into two groups. Exeo and Ember will lead one to the northern sector. Val, you'll take the southern sector with Frost, Aura, and Terra. Eagle, as always, will deploy first for overwatch and coordination."

Exeo nodded. "We'll need to move fast. If they're relocating, we can't afford delays."

Val's team materialized in the dense wilderness, the air thick with humidity and the faint hum of Void energy in the distance. The forest around them was alive with sound—rustling leaves, distant bird calls—but there was an unnatural undertone, as if the shadow itself whispered through the trees.

Reyes's voice came through the Mind Link, steady as ever.

Overwatch in position. Target zone is about two clicks ahead. No movement detected yet.

Val acknowledged him silently, his shadows coiling faintly at his feet as he surveyed the area. The burning in his left eye flared again, sharper this time, but he kept his expression neutral.

Deleo's voice stirred once more, calm but insistent.

"Do you feel it, my vessel? The threads of their trap tighten. Yet it is not for you alone. They seek to ensnare your unity, to fracture what binds you."

Val's voice in his mind was cold, calculating. "And you suggest what? I confront my team? Accuse them? That's exactly what they want."

Deleo's chuckle was faint, almost approving. "You're learning. No, dear Val. You do not accuse. You watch. You listen. And when the time comes, you act—not on suspicion, but on certainty."

"Easy for you to say," Val thought, his tone clipped. "You don't have to look them in the eye and lie."

"Lie? Or protect? Tell me, Val—are they not worth the weight you bear?"

Val didn't respond, his focus shifting as Bo, Riggs, and Fon fanned out, scanning the area. The burning in his eye subsided slightly, but the tension in his chest remained.

Riggs's voice came through the link.

Found something. Tracks heading east. Could be constructs.

Fon's voice followed. Or a decoy. They look deliberate—too deliberate.

Val joined them, his shadows moving ahead to scout the path. The tracks were indeed unusual, too clean and linear for something as chaotic as Void-tainted constructs.

"It's a lure," Val said aloud, his voice steady. "They're leading us somewhere."

Bo frowned. "So what do we do? Follow and spring their trap?"

Val's gaze darkened, his eye burning faintly once more. "No. We use it against them."

Exeo and Ember's team moved with precision through the rocky terrain of the northern sector.

The air here was colder, the landscape barren and unforgiving. Void-tainted energy pulsed faintly in the distance, drawing them toward a cluster of uneven outcrops.

Reyes's voice came through the link, clipped but steady.

Hostiles spotted. Two dozen constructs patrolling the area. No sign of a central device yet.

Exeo's voice was calm. Hold position. We're moving in.

As they advanced, Ember's sharp gaze caught something glinting in the distance. He signaled for a halt, his blade igniting faintly with purple fire.

"What is it?" Exeo asked.

Ember's tone was cold. "Another device. But this one's different."

The crystalline object embedded in the ground pulsed irregularly, its energy erratic. Ember crouched beside it, his expression darkening.

"It's… incomplete," he said, his voice laced with suspicion. "Like they left it here on purpose."

Exeo's jaw tightened. "They're playing us."

As both teams advanced deeper into their respective sectors, the sense of unease grew. The traps laid by Hades' Wrath were more intricate, more calculated than ever before.

And in the shadows, Obsidian watched through a fragmented feed from the crystalline devices, his cold smile a silent acknowledgment of the cracks forming within Team Unknown.

"Soon," he murmured, his voice dripping with malice. "Soon, they will see what it means to doubt the light they trust."