Theo stepped out from the shadows and made his way back through the debris-littered hallway. Dust clung to his cloak as it shimmered, flickering out of view when he dismissed it.
He rolled his shoulders, exhaled, and braced himself.
As soon as he stepped into the open, his team's assigned commander whirled around and barked, "Where the hell have you been, recruit?!"
Theo stopped in his tracks, unbothered. "Where's Ben and the rest of the team?" he asked back.
The commander's frown deepened, clearly not expecting that comeback. "I dispatched them to clear the west gymnasium," he snapped, his voice rising just enough for others nearby to hear. "Unlike you, they follow orders."
Theo tilted his head slightly. "Right. So you didn't notice they wandered off on their own near the pool area and nearly got themselves killed?"
The man's jaw twitched. "They had… clearance."
