Just then, he sensed a presence behind him, and a voice broke the silence.
"What are you doing, Malik?" Gia's tone barely restrained her simmering anger, her sharp eyes boring into his back.
Malik didn't turn around, his posture remaining rigid.
"What do you mean?" he responded, though he knew full well what she was getting at.
"You know damn well those two figures Chief Dj showed you are Eclipse members," Gia snapped, her frustration spilling out.
"And they're after him—that boy. So why the hell would you send him out there, leading the team, without you supervising?" Her words came fast, her emotions barely held in check as she struggled to understand Malik's decisions.
Malik finally turned, his eyes cold as ice, meeting her fury head-on.
"Are you done nagging?" he asked flatly, his voice devoid of warmth.
Gina grabbed Malik's arm with a sudden force, her fingers tightening as he came to a stop.
"Malik, I'm not sure what you're up to, but don't let that boy slip out of our hands!" Her voice was different now—urgent, almost pleading.
Not the usual nagging tone he was accustomed to hearing from her. Malik glanced at her, his eyes cold and unyielding, but her next words caught him off guard.
"I beg you," Gina added, her voice trembling with a desperation she rarely showed.
She hoped, for once, it might sway him, to convince him to follow Tomi and Ace.
Malik's expression darkened as he yanked his arm free from her grip.
"In life, we grow through both good and bad situations," he began, his voice sharp and detached.
"But it's when we're at our lowest when we have no one to hold onto, that we truly discover who we are. Our choices in those moments define us." His words reflected a deep, personal philosophy, one shaped by experiences he never shared with anyone—not even her.
Gina stood there, stunned, as Malik's icy demeanor only deepened.
"So, if you want to know what path he'll take," Malik continued, his tone even colder, "then watch and see. I'm putting him to the test, along with the rest of them."
He turned away from her, walking off with a purposeful stride, leaving Gina frozen in place. But before he disappeared from view, he threw one final remark over his shoulder.
"Oh, and by the way, I'll be taking a leave next month. Let's hope that lady approves it, if she knows what's good for her." His voice was laced with an unmistakable hint of threat, the words hanging ominously in the air.
Gina's brows furrowed, a murmur escaping her lips.
"And why are you suddenly going on leave next month?" she mumbled to herself, feeling a flicker of something unfamiliar—jealousy—behind her cold facade.
She watched him walk away, frustration boiling beneath her surface, her thoughts spiraling.
"Get it together, Gina," she scolded herself under her breath.
"Whatever he does has nothing to do with me." But as she turned to walk back toward her office, the feeling lingered, gnawing at her,
Malik glanced down at his watch, where a holographic image flickered to life.
A girl in sleek white and red striped suit armor stared back at him, her voice sharp and steady, but he barely listened. His thoughts were elsewhere.
"Let's see how they handle this on their own," he mused to himself, his eyes shifting toward the window.
His focus was entirely on Tomi and Ace, the two he had thrust into leadership, now facing a mission that could shape—or break—them.
The faint glow of the hologram reflected off the glass as Malik's gaze hardened with quiet determination.
Meanwhile, at the south border, Tomi, Ace, Layla, Arande, Zane, and Blaze arrived at a chilling sight.
The outskirts of the village, once bustling with life, now lay in ruins. The morning sun, still low in the sky, cast eerie shadows over the deserted homes and debris scattered across the landscape.
Smoke curled into the air from distant fires, and the stench of burnt wood and something more acrid—something darker—hung heavy in the breeze.
Tomi's jaw clenched as he took in the devastation, his fists tightening at his sides. The remnants of the village seemed frozen in time, like a snapshot of chaos.
His heart pounded in his chest, rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.
"This is worse than I thought..." Layla muttered under her breath, her eyes scanning the destruction.
She took a sip of her coffee, but even the bitter taste couldn't mask the dread curling in her gut.
Arande, standing beside her, her face set with a grim determination.
"What the hell happened here?" she asked, her voice tight as she surveyed the wreckage.
Zane and Blaze stood a few steps ahead, exchanging glances.
Tomi's gaze never left the scene ahead. His mind was clouded with thoughts of the enemy—the Eclipse—and the rage that burned deep within him. He couldn't afford distractions, not now.
Ace, on the other hand, was eerily calm, his cold eyes sweeping over the carnage with a detached, almost clinical interest.
He felt no particular hatred toward the attackers—just an urgency to save the civilians. But beneath his calm exterior, something darker churned.
A past unresolved, personal motives hidden behind his icy demeanor. He glanced at Tomi, then turned his focus back to the mission.
"We need to break up," Ace said flatly, his voice cutting through the tense air.
"Roger that," Arande responded.
While Tomi , barely contained fury. His hand hovered near the hilt of his weapon as they prepared to move deeper into the wreckage.
Behind them, the village lay silent, but there was no denying that something terrible had left its mark.