SAGE (under edit)

Chapter Seveteen

With Calin's death came the decision to split the squad.

Raven, Sydney and Trey separated from the rest to take Calin's body back to Lion Crest. They would first go to the nearest region-governed town to ask for aid, because it had long been established that if a Soldier was killed on a mission then the nearest town – regardless of which region presided over them – would assist in arranging transport for the body.

The rest of the squad would continue with the search for Sage, but Calin's death had dealt a heavy blow. Theo could feel the tension, the exhaustion, from his comrades more so than before and he knew the loss of Calin had added weights like stones to everyone's shoulders; it wasn't just the impact of losing a life, but the absence of Calin's energy that left a void among them.

Even Theo couldn't help but feel a jolt go through him each time he looked for Calin, and found nothing.

To add to their pain, Theo and his squad had no idea where to go next. They had pulled apart the Shadow Soldiers' hideout after recovering from Calin's death in the hope of finding clues to where Sage might have been taken next, but like the previous residence there had been little to nothing which would suggest the hideout had even been occupied.

Exhausted and at a dead-end, Theo had made the call to spend the night at the hideout to recover while Raven's squad left with Calin. Even Chase hadn't argued, though Theo suspected that was more out of respect for Leon – knowing he needed the most time to process Calin's death – than agreeing with Theo. Regardless, Theo was glad for the cooperation.

There had been minimal conversation after the decision was made, and they ransacked the kitchen for the food the Shadow Soldiers had left behind so they could fill their stomachs before finally settling down to sleep. Sleeping in the bedrooms was out of the question, given they had been home to the Shadow Soldiers, so everyone had remained together in the living area to catch as much sleep as their thoughts and grief would allow.

Rhun had set out early in the morning with Leah to find the Shadow Soldiers' trail, while Theo, Chase and Leon had left for the nearest town where Rhun and Leah would meet them in the hope of finding a lead from the locals.

The town was governed by Sunlight Falls, so it was no surprise that they were intercepted by a squad of Sun Soldiers patrolling nearby before they reached the town. There were certain protocols Soldiers had to adhere to when entering other regions, and those protocols varied depending on the relationship and agreements between the regions that had been determined by each Renark. Fortunately, there was a neutrality between Sunlight Falls and Lion Crest which meant Soldiers could travel between the borders without issue provided they had the necessary paperwork.

Theo's desk job as Intelligence Coordinator involved plenty of paperwork which he was fine with – paperwork was easier to handle than people – but when on a mission, and in a hurry, he hated nothing more than paperwork and bureaucracy. The Sun Soldiers finally let them go after radioing back to their city, who then radioed the communications department in Lion Crest to verify the purpose of Theo's squad being in the region. The only information Sunlight Falls had would be that Theo's squad was searching for a Crest Soldier missing in action, not that the Shadow Soldiers were involved; revealing that would start a manhunt which might jeopardise Sage's rescue.

So Theo was happy to lie to the Sun Soldiers when they asked, out of curiosity, what the circumstances were around the missing Crest Soldier – especially when Lilith, as Renark, had given him permission to lie. To the Sun Soldiers' credit, they had wished Theo and his squad good luck before leaving them.

But the town had nothing that offered them a lead, and although Theo was disappointed he also wasn't surprised. The first few times they had gained information from locals had likely been a result of the Shadow Soldiers not realising how close on their tail Theo and his squad were, but he had no doubt the Shadow Soldiers would be steering clear of any populated areas now. He suspected Rhun and Leah wouldn't find anything to track them either.