Eccar walked alone into the deep shadows. Meanwhile, Kaela, Selene, and Thorne stared at Mark in shock and disbelief. They couldn't believe that their leader—the one responsible for keeping everyone safe—was actually letting someone they were supposed to protect venture alone into the darkness that even they didn't dare to approach.
"What the hell are you thinking?!" Kaela hissed, her voice a suppressed shout full of outrage.
"This is the craziest thing you've ever done, Mark," Thorne added. His voice remained calm, as always, but the edge of disapproval was clear.
"We should go after him," Selene said, already preparing to stand.
"You don't know how strong he really is, do you?" Mark said suddenly, stopping Selene mid-motion. She hesitated, then slowly sat back down. Kaela and Thorne exchanged questioning looks with each other before turning to Mark.
"What do you mean?" Selene asked.
