Jude’s grip tightened on the rifle, useless weight in his hands. His gaze narrowed, squinting against the light, scanning the edge of the wall above. A shape moved—then another shadow morphing into form as three hulking hounds appeared, their glowing eyes fixed on him from their perch. Silent, motionless, they loomed, tails flicking, waiting.

"Fuck!"

Jude's jaw clenched, a low curse slipping out between gritted teeth. His mind raced, desperately trying to piece together a plan, but nothing came.

He glanced at Teresa. She stood there casually, her weapon slung over her shoulder, completely unfazed, as if the threat looming above them was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Not a flicker of concern crossed her face.

"What’s the plan, Teresa?" he barked, eyes darting between her and the looming threat above them.

Teresa barely shifted, her lips curling into a lazy smirk as she responded with a shrug, “You’re the Watcher, aren’t you? Do your Watcher thing.”

Jude’s gaze snapped back to the hounds prowling above them. They were distant shadows, too high up, their dark forms barely visible against the walls. His stomach tightened.

His years of simulation training had taught him one thing—he had never been able to lock in with Eidolons, never found that link he could with people. It was like trying to grasp smoke with his bare hands, their presence too foreign for his eyes.

But things were different now. What he once thought were real Eidolons in those simulations—just phantoms, pale imitations of what he faced today.

These were the real deal, flesh and instinct, not hollow digital ghosts.

That lingering doubt crept into his mind—if these creatures were different, then maybe they could be controlled. Maybe he could reach into their minds the same way he had with humans. Could an Eidolon, something so primal, be bent to his will?

Since his arrival, Jude had torn through the minds of Bart, Albert, Tomas, and Lazaro—all humans besides Albert, none of them Eidolons or Friends. He knew how to dive into human consciousness, sift through their thoughts, and manipulate their fears.

But this was different. He had never tried something like an Eidolon. Could they even be reached? How far would he have to push, and how would they react to Jude's intrusive thoughts? He had no idea if it would work—or if it would backfire entirely.

Jude needed to think fast and act faster. His heart raced as he looked at Lucy. Her chest was rising and falling too quickly, her eyes wide and darting, filled with fear she couldn't mask.

"Princess!" he called out.

Lucy’s head snapped towards him, her lip trembling. Despite her teenage frame, she looked smaller, more vulnerable—like the child she still was beneath it all.

“Do you still have the metal detector?”

Lucy blinked, the fear flickering in her eyes as something clicked. Without a word, she dropped to her knees, pulling her bag off her shoulder. Her fingers fumbled for a moment before she yanked the zipper open.

"What do you need?" she asked, her voice shaky but determined as she rifled through the contents. The shift in her eyes told him—she was ready to act.

Jude crouched beside Lucy, peering into her bag, but all he saw was an empty hole. He pressed his lips together in frustration. "I need to get them lower," he said. "Maybe if you could push them down, I might be able to lock onto one."

Lucy, without hesitation, reached into the bag, pulling out the pink glasses that always seemed to surprise him. She held them out to him with a small, knowing smile. "What if you looked closer?" she suggested.

Jude stared at the glasses in Lucy's hand, a frustrated curse slipping through his clenched teeth. "Idiot," he mumbled to himself. "I'm such a fucking idiot!"

The realization hit him hard—he didn't need them. His amplified vision was one of his initial skills, and he had completely forgotten. He had everything he needed within himself.

His eyes locked onto Lucy. "Go to Teresa," he ordered voice firm.

"But what if—"

"Go!" He almost shouted, leaving no room for argument.

Lucy and Teresa pressed themselves into the corner, shadows falling over them like a protective barrier. Teresa’s rifle hung loosely in her grip, but the calm, deadly precision in her stance spoke volumes.

Jude knew she had the situation under control. He’d seen her fight before—shifting forms with lethal grace. Even without firing a shot, her presence alone was a shield for Lucy.

Jude inhaled sharply, forcing himself to block out the rising howls that seemed to echo through his bones. He focused, his vision sharpening until the distant figures of the Eidolons became clear. Their scaled bodies moved like shadows atop the walls, but they hadn’t attacked yet. He just needed one of them to meet his gaze.

Slowly, Jude began to pace, his eyes never leaving the creatures. The movement caught their attention. The closest Eidolon tilted its head, curiosity flickering in its eyes as it leaned further down the wall, the others following suit, watching him with unnerving stillness. Jude’s pulse raced, but he kept his movements slow, waiting for the moment one of them would make eye contact.

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Like predators sizing up their prey, the Eidolons seemed to be waiting for something—anything. Their muscles coiled, ready to spring at the slightest provocation, but they held back. The threat between them was almost tangible, crackling like static, and Jude could feel it radiating off the creatures. They weren’t attacking yet, but the violence lingered just beneath the surface, as though they were all waiting for the moment when restraint would no longer be an option.

The Eidolons' eyes flicked past him as if avoiding a trap they knew too well. It was a standoff, a silent contest of wills. Jude could feel the weight of it pressing down, the unspoken rule that whoever broke first, whoever made that fatal eye contact, would be at a disadvantage.

He needed to force their attention and make one of them look, but they were cautious, circling just out of reach like predators that knew their prey too well. How could he compel them to focus, to lock eyes with him?

Jude steadied his breath, recalling his military training. He moved his gaze methodically, gliding between the creatures' features in a triangular motion—left eye, right eye, down to the snout, and then back up again.

The Eidolons, still perched on the edge of the walls, began to shift, their focus subtly drawn by the unusual pattern. One of them, curious, leaned forward. Jude’s pulse quickened as the creature’s gaze finally followed his, its eyes locking with his in a moment of silent tension.

The tense atmosphere gradually shifted. The Eidolon began to ease. Their growls faded into an eerie silence, replaced by the soft rustling of their scales. One by one, they sat back on their haunches, watching Jude intently.

One even stretched out, lazily draping itself across the wall like a predator at rest, no longer poised for attack. The air felt lighter, the immediate threat seemingly diffused, though the creatures’ eyes still tracked Jude's every movement with a quiet, unsettling curiosity.

Jude shifted from the creature’s right eye to the left, then down to its snout, repeating the sequence in a methodical rhythm. His movements were almost hypnotic as if weaving a silent connection between them.

One of the Eidolons, seemingly drawn in by the slow, calculated motions, tilted its head, curious. Its eyes finally locked onto his as if entertained by the unusual dance Jude was performing. It leaned forward, no longer just watching—now, it was engaged.

Jude was in.

But he froze, his eyes locking onto the Eidolon’s. As he peered into the creature’s gaze, a cold void met him. It was like stepping into a hollow, featureless room—no memories, no emotions, no trace of life behind those eyes. Just an abyss.

His heart sank, the weight of it crushing, as the realization settled in. The emptiness stretched before him, vast and soulless. A tear slid down his cheek, falling unnoticed to the ground below.

“They’re empty... all of them,” Jude murmured, voice cracking under the weight of it. “There’s nothing... no consciousness.”

Teresa moved in quietly, her boots barely making a sound on the rough ground. She crouched beside Jude, slipping out a small gun from her boot. Without a word, she pressed it into his hand, her grip firm but the gesture oddly gentle.

"Finish it."

Jude glanced at the weapon in his hand, then back at the three hounds. They watched him, their eyes unblinking, cold. Even with the gun pointed straight at them, there was no flinch, no shift in their stance—just nothing.

It was as though they weren't even there, just empty vessels, staring with vacant eyes. They weren't creatures with intent or fear—they were hollow. Just... shells.

Sickening dread settled in his gut as the realization tightened its grip around him. These weren’t living beings—they were just... empty sleeves.

Jude aimed at the first hound. His finger hesitated for a split second before squeezing the trigger. The shot echoed through the maze. The bullet hit its mark between the creature's eyes, and it dropped from the wall with a lifeless thud.

The second hound reacted, rising quickly, its eyes locking onto Jude. But there was no fear, no aggression—just an eerie calm, as if it was waiting for the same inevitable fate. Jude didn’t even flinch.

It felt almost automatic like he had flipped some internal switch inside the creature’s mind, turning off whatever trace of violence had been there.

Without hesitation, he fired again. The second hound collapsed next to the first, its body hitting the ground with the same unsettling silence.

The last hound, still perched atop the wall, tilted its head slightly as if considering its next move. But then, without warning, it followed the others. No shot rang out, and no command was given. It simply slumped forward, its body going limp as it tumbled down, twisting awkwardly in the air until its neck snapped with a sickening crack when it hit the ground.

Jude stared down at the lifeless forms on the ground, expecting to see the twisted, scaled bodies of the hounds. Instead, what lay before him were three humanoid figures—"friends," just like those he had encountered before.

The only thing that set them apart was the long, snake-like tails trailing behind them.

Teresa crouched beside one of the bodies, her finger tracing over the stomach of one of the fallen figures. “Look,” she said, pointing to their stomach, revealing smooth, unmarked skin where a belly button should’ve been. “No belly button. Just sleeves... nothing more. You didn't kill anything. Anyone.”

Lucy and Jude exchanged a quick glance. Without a word, they each grabbed the hem of their shirts and lifted them, their breaths held tight in their chests. When their eyes landed on their own skin—smooth but with the undeniable mark of a belly button—a collective sigh escaped them.

Teresa let out a chuckle. "Yes, you guys and anyone you know has one. It’s part of your genetic map," she said, nodding toward their exposed stomachs. "The umbilical cord—it’s why you’ve got one. They didn’t. No unique markers. No real identity."

She kicked one of the lifeless bodies with the toe of her boot. "These things? Just empty suits. Running around, no purpose, no soul. Bad people let them loose because they don’t want to share what should be free to everyone. That’s the whole story." Her smirk faded as she stepped back as if that simple truth was as cold as the lifeless bodies at her feet.

"What happens to them now?" Lucy asked,

Teresa dusted off her hands, turning away from the bodies. “They’ll get picked up, repurposed—turned into suits,” she said, already moving toward the exit of the maze. “Now, let’s find that next landmark scanner and get the hell out of here.”

Jude didn’t follow. His feet were planted in place. Teresa glanced back, catching his hesitation. She sighed, already sensing the question coming. “Alright, spit it out.”

“Why?” Jude asked, “Why did Paris choose me?”

Teresa paused, her posture stiffening as she turned fully to face him. The casual facade she wore slipped just a little, her eyes narrowing as if measuring him. She took a long breath, glancing to the side before finally answering. “Why?” she echoed.

“Because, Saint, we’ve got five ships to hijack. Paris thought you could handle it.” She shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world, but the weight of her words hit harder than expected.

Jude blinked, his confusion apparent. “ships?”

"Starships." Teresa clarified. “How else do you think we’re moving the whole humankind somewhere else?” She replied flat, almost bored, but the enormity of her statement felt like a bomb just waiting to go off.

"Did she just say starships?" Lucy asked, her tone baffled, almost hoping she had misheard.

Jude turned to her, equally stunned. "Yeah," he muttered, still processing. "She did."

image [https://i.imgur.com/tuwGxxL.png]