"Enough."
General Lan's voice wasn't loud.
Yet it was enough to silence the entire conference hall.
Silence fell.
The general drew a deep breath before closing the tactical map displayed in front of him.
Then he raised his head...
And looked directly at Sian.
For a brief moment, he hesitated.
Finally, he spoke, his voice carrying unmistakable remorse.
"Mr. Sian..."
"I know you've only awakened a few hours ago."
"Under normal circumstances, I would never ask this of you."
He paused.
The wrinkles around his eyes seemed deeper than ever.
"But we've truly reached a dead end."
"Every team we send..."
"...disappears."
"And we have no idea why."
"It feels as though something unseen is lurking in the darkness, watching us... while we remain powerless to uncover it."
The meeting room fell silent once more.
Every commander turned to look at Sian.
They waited for his answer.
