Cassian knew before anyone said it.
---
"Damian moved."
---
Evelyn didn't react.
"Where?"
---
"Outside protocol."
---
A pause.
---
"He's not playing structure."
---
Evelyn's eyes narrowed.
---
"What did he do?"
---
Cassian's voice stayed level.
"He forced contact."
---
Silence.
---
Daniel blinked.
"With who?"
---
Cassian looked at Evelyn.
---
"With Leon."
---
The room went still.
---
"That's not possible," Daniel said.
---
"No," Cassian replied.
"It's reckless."
---
Evelyn turned.
Slowly.
---
"He doesn't know what he's stepping into."
---
"No," Cassian said.
---
"He does."
---
A pause.
---
"He just doesn't care."
---
That—
Was worse.
---
Because it meant—
This wasn't strategy.
---
It was emotion.
---
And emotion—
Didn't follow rules.
---
Evelyn moved.
Immediate.
---
"Find him."
---
Because for the first time—
Someone had stepped outside the system—
Without understanding it.
---
And that—
Was how people disappeared.