Third Person's POV
This was Halle's go-to move, and it always worked—until today, when Darlene finally found her.
Hearing the approaching footsteps, Halle turned toward the sound and saw Darlene walking toward her, holding a compass. Their eyes met, and Halle saw a flash of relief on Darlene’s face.
As Darlene got closer, Halle’s gaze shifted to the object in her hand. Her breath caught. That compass—it was identical to hers.
Instinctively, Halle touched the one hanging around her neck, but it was still there.
As realization dawned on her, a bitter laugh escaped her lips, her thoughts heavy with self-mockery. 'So it wasn’t one of a kind,' she figured.
Darlene reached her, ruffled her hair, and sat down beside her like she was comforting a child.
“Don’t cry anymore,” Darlene said softly. “Terence’s temper hasn’t changed in ten years.”
Her voice was calm, almost nostalgic. “But it’s that sharp, relentless nature of his that’s gotten him to where he is today.”
Halle blinked in surprise. 'Ten years?'
She hadn’t known they’d known each other for that long. She thought Darlene had only rejoined the team last year, brought in as a newly appointed officer. She hadn’t realized she was an old friend of Terence’s.
The silence between them lingered as Halle’s thoughts raced. Her eyes wandered to Darlene, who was staring at the compass in her hand, lost in thought.
“What’s that…?” Halle hesitated, unable to suppress her curiosity. The compass seemed to gleam mockingly under the moonlight, almost bringing tears to her eyes.
Darlene snapped out of her reverie and smiled, a look of fondness crossing her face. “This? This is my treasure. It’s been with me for ten years.”
'Ten years. Again,' Halle flatly thought.
The realization hit her like a punch. The compass she’d been cherishing wasn’t unique. It was just a replica of one Terence had made a decade ago.
All his talk about a “custom-made, one-of-a-kind” gift? It turned out they were just lies. She shouldn’t believe a single word from him anymore.
As Darlene casually toyed with her compass, Halle instinctively hid hers beneath her clothes, as if shielding a counterfeit from being exposed.
She then looked at Darlene and a mix of admiration and resignation filled her chest.
The night deepened and the moonlight fell softly on Darlene’s face, giving her a serene and graceful aura.
'What a perfect match they make,' Halle complimented bitterly in her heart.
One was like a hawk—bold, fierce, and unstoppable, while the other was like moonlight—calm, steady, and quietly strong.
The thought spilled from Halle’s lips before she could stop it. “Captain Benson, you and Terence… you’re like a match made in heaven.”
Darlene laughed upon hearing the latter, her eyes crinkling with warmth. “We’ve known each other for over a decade. I know him inside and out. We were comrades-in-arms. Of course, we seem compatible.”
She paused, then added with a smile, “If there’s anything you want to know about Terence, feel free to ask me.”
The words stung more than Halle expected. Her ears burned as a wave of heat swept through her.
'It's crystal clear that they love each other. Darlene’s so kind and understanding as well. What reason do I have to hold on anymore? Just one more week, Halle,' Halle thought to herself.
In seven days, she’d leave this place without looking back. It would be her way of giving them her blessing—and finding her own freedom.
Her life had been stuck in limbo because of Terence for three years. It was now time to get back on track.
“By the way,” Darlene interrupted her thoughts. “Do you want to hear about Terence when he first joined the team? Back then, he was even more intense than he is now. Poor Captain Howell could barely handle him.”
Halle hesitated, her mind screaming at her to disengage, to stop letting herself get dragged into anything involving Terence. The less she knew, the easier it would be to move on.
But her body betrayed her, refusing to move. Instead, her head nodded ever so slightly.
Darlene smiled knowingly and began recounting the past, her voice tinged with fondness.
“When Terence first joined, he was just a rookie, but he had this unshakable energy about him. He was ambitious, a bit cocky, and had a perfectionist streak a mile wide. If there was a chance to take first place, he wouldn’t settle for second. Honestly, his arrival saved the rest of us a lot of effort. Captain Howell even said he was a natural talent, someone with real potential.”
She paused, her expression turning more serious. “But then came his first real mission. He pushed himself too hard, got severely injured, and had to be carried back. That’s when Captain Howell realized Terence’s relentless drive could end up costing him his life.”
