As the voice whispered inside Angelo's mind, his eyes darted around, searching for the source.
Lieutenant Hale noticed. She frowned. "You alright? What are you looking for?"
The voice went silent. Angelo turned toward her, scratching the back of his head. "Did you… say something just now?"
Hale blinked, confused. "Yeah. I asked what you're looking for."
"No, not that. Before that."
Her brows knit tighter. "No. I didn't say anything else. What's going on?"
Angelo rubbed his neck, forcing a small laugh. "Strange. Must've imagined it."
Her tone stayed calm, but her eyes showed concern. "You sure? You look pale."
He gave a half-smile—thin, unconvincing. "I'm fine. Just… got lost in thought."
"About what?" she pressed. "What were you thinking about that made you start looking around?"
That question caught him off guard. His mind raced for an excuse—something to steer the topic away.
"Watchers," he said quickly. "No one's really told me much about them. How they attack, how they move."
Hale exhaled through her nose. "They didn't? Figures. Guess you're still not their favorite person."
Angelo chuckled softly, scratching his head. That worked. I'm off the hook, he thought. "Yeah, they always keep their distance."
Hale smirked faintly. "Can you blame them? You pull off insane feats, learn at impossible speed—and on top of that, you've got a room right beside the General's office. That practically makes you a VIP."
Angelo folded his arms. "Yeah, a VIP who's under constant surveillance. The General watches me like I'm about to rob the place."
"That's because you kind of are," she shot back. "First day of training, you snuck into the cafeteria and ate enough food for three people."
"Hey," Angelo protested, "can you blame me? You put me through hell that day. The meal they gave me barely filled a quarter of my stomach. I had to improvise."
Hale sighed and dragged a palm down her face.
Angelo let the moment breathe before shifting the topic back. "Anyway, about the Watchers—I only know what the news said. Nothing beyond that."
Hale hesitated. For a moment, her expression hardened—the past flooding back. But when she spoke, her voice was steady, heavy with memory.
"Alright. The Watchers… they're fast. Faster than any human. They heal almost instantly. And when they catch you…" Her gaze darkened. "They open those horrific maws and suck the soul right out of you."
Angelo's silver eyes met her brown ones—the eyes of someone who had seen hell.
"And the worst part?" she continued quietly. "They're smart. They'll stalk you. Lure you. Then strike when you least expect it."
Angelo swallowed hard. "How do you know all that?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Hale drew a slow breath, her jaw tightening. "Because I saw it. I saw David's soul torn from his body. I saw Tomas get killed by their hands. I watched my entire team get wiped out by those motherfuckers."
Her words fell heavy between them—like ash in the air.
Angelo felt the grief radiating from her and lowered his head. "I'm sorry."
Hale frowned. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't kill them—those things did. Fucking Watchers. Bullets barely slow them down, and the ones that do? They heal through it."
Angelo went quiet, turning her words over in his mind. Then he spoke. "So… bullets do damage. Just not enough, and not fast enough."
"That's the gist of it," Hale said, crossing her arms.
"What if we dealt a huge amount of damage in one blow? Like… missiles?"
Hale shook her head. "We can't. We've been out of missiles, rockets, and heavy firepower for years, trying to fight these monsters."
Angelo frowned. "I had a hunch."
Hale raised an eyebrow. "Even if that worked, they're faster than most soldiers. Thomas was the only one who managed to keep his distance from one of them for long."
"Then we think a step ahead," Angelo replied. He raised his right hand, and in a moment, four massive stone walls—five meters tall—erupted from the ground, forming a cage. The earth trembled beneath their feet. Training halted. Nearby soldiers froze mid-drill; some scrambled back with startled shouts, others stared wide-eyed. One dropped his weapon as dust and stone shot skyward.
"We use their own tactic. Lure them into one place, and—" Angelo snapped his palm shut. Two of the walls slammed together with crushing force. The impact echoed across the field like thunder. Chunks of stone flew, yet none struck the soldiers. A few ducked instinctively. Another muttered under his breath: "Jesus Christ…"
Hale blinked, wide-eyed. "Holy shit… okay, but what if they're still alive in there?"
Angelo smirked. "Then we do this." He snapped his fingers. Flames roared to life inside the stone trap, the heat distorting the air and casting flickering shadows. Temperatures spiked instantly. Soldiers nearby shielded their faces; murmurs spread like wildfire.
"Did he just light that thing from the inside?"
"What is he…?"
"Remind me not to piss him off."
Hale stepped back, a grin forming despite herself. "Damn. This… this could actually work."
Angelo looked down at his hands, then back at her. "It's all thanks to your training. I'm more precise now. More in control."
She gave a rare smile. "You're improving fast. But you said you needed to learn more?"
He nodded. "I never finished school. I barely know anything beyond the basics. But I have a feeling… if I gain more knowledge, I can use my powers more effectively. More strategically."
Hale studied him for a long moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright. I'll see what I can do about that."
For the first time in a while, Angelo felt a sense of direction—though deep inside, the Void laughed quietly… waiting.