A week later, Ross finally decided that the time was right to act.
Late that night, he walked quietly through the dimly lit corridors of the base and stopped in front of Anita's quarters.
He knocked softly, and almost immediately, the door opened.
This wasn't the first time he had visited her so late.
Their conversations had always been private—especially on nights when Anita's emotions became too heavy for her to carry alone.
"Ross…" she said softly, stepping aside to let him in.
"I got another trace of him, Anita," Ross began, his voice calm but weighted with concern.
"But when I arrived, he was already gone. I saw blood… a lot of it. I'm not sure if it was his or someone else's. But don't lose hope. I know that he—"
He stopped himself deliberately, letting the unfinished sentence hang in the air.
Then a breath later he continued to reassure Anita that everything was okay.
