20demayo Chapter 580: Scene Break
Chapter 580: Scene Break
Rosana’s brow furrowed. "The Burning Suns... they’re closing in on us."
Ty frowned, studying the arrows more closely. "It’s not that simple, though. Look here—some of these paths split off. They’re not just moving toward us, they’re spreading out." He leaned back, rubbing his temples. "It’s like they’re trying to box us in."
Rosana sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "And here I was hoping it’d be a straightforward ambush."
Ty chuckled without much humor. "When is it ever?" He glanced at the timer that was nestled in the package. He picked it up, his expression growing more serious. The timer was already ticking down, the numbers glowing faintly in the dim light. "We’ve got a countdown," he said, his voice low.
Rosana’s ears twitched, her eyes widening. "How much time?"
"Forty-three minutes," Ty replied, his gaze shifting from the timer to the map. "They’re going to make a move soon. This is our window."
Rosana took a deep breath, her eyes flicking between the items. "So JJ’s telling us where they are, how much time we have, and..." She picked up one of the smoke grenades, turning it over in her hand. "These. She wants us to use them."
Ty examined the grenades thoughtfully, then shook his head. "It’s not just for cover. There has to be more to it. If we just use these as a distraction, we’ll still be outnumbered. There must be something we’re not seeing."@@@@
Rosana looked at him, her expression growing uncertain. "What else could it mean?"
Ty was silent for a moment, staring at the map and the grenades. He could feel a knot of frustration building in his chest. "I don’t know yet. But JJ wouldn’t send us something without a plan. We’re missing a piece."
Rosana chewed her lip, her eyes going back to the compass. "And this compass... why isn’t it pointing north?"
Ty tilted the compass again, watching as the needle remained fixed. "It’s pointing toward something. Maybe a location, maybe a person. But whatever it is, JJ wants us to follow it."
At one point, Rosana sat back, running a hand through her hair. "This is insane. We’re trying to outthink someone who’s always five steps ahead."
Ty looked at her, his expression softening. "I know. But we’ve got something they don’t."
Rosana raised an eyebrow. "And what’s that?"
Ty smiled faintly. "JJ. She’s watching out for us. And we’ve got each other. We’ll figure this out."
Rosana held his gaze for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose, not sure how she got her info, but we will trust it."
They sat in silence for a moment longer, each of them lost in thought. Ty’s eyes drifted back down to the compass, the needle still fixed unwaveringly. It felt almost like a taunt—something just beyond his understanding, and it frustrated him more than he let on. He let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing on him, but he knew there was no time for rest.
A faint rustle echoed from the hallway, and Ty’s head snapped up. Rosana’s ears twitched, her body stiffening as she turned toward the door. For a few heartbeats, they both stayed still, listening. Then, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Hey, you two up?"
It was John. Ty relaxed a little, exchanging a glance with Rosana before nodding toward the door. "Come on in, John," he called out, keeping his voice low but carrying.
The door creaked open, and John stepped in, his eyes bleary from sleep, but a determined glint already starting to show. He rubbed the back of his neck, yawning as he approached them. "Figured I should get up. Something’s brewing, isn’t it?"
Ty gave a small nod, gesturing to the items laid out in front of them. "Yeah. JJ sent us a care package. We’ve got some information, but it’s... incomplete."
John squatted down beside them, his eyes moving across the items. He picked up the map, tilting it toward the light. "Incomplete how?"
Rosana leaned in, her voice barely above a whisper. "We’ve got directions, a timer, and some tools, but we don’t have the full picture. We’re trying to figure out what JJ wants us to do with all of this."