The superior's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ordered?" he repeated. "By who?"
The reporting soldier straightened instinctively under the weight of the question.
"I'm not entirely sure, sir," he admitted. "But word is that some figures on the outside have intervened. Our higher command can no longer proceed as they wish."
A brief silence settled in the command hall.
The superior did not respond immediately. His gaze shifted back to the floating projection array.
After a second, he exhaled quietly.
"…I see."
His tone carried neither frustration nor relief. Only acceptance.
"Then we will do as instructed," he said calmly. "Prepare the portal teams and begin reopening access."
"Yes, sir."
He paused, then added,
"In any case, we have not even gotten a hint of the youth's existence."
The soldiers remained silent as he continued.
"We've swept the whole floor multiple times. If he was here, we would have seen something by now. So this is probably for the best."
