Beneath the Surface

(recap)

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the city as Rio and his friends walked away from the tech summit. The day had been exhausting, both mentally and physically. Though they had thwarted the Echoes of Shadows’ plan, Rio knew they had only scratched the surface of the true threat lurking in the shadows.

(Erica, glancing at Rio) "We’ve got to figure out what Victor Hale’s next move is. He’s not going to stop just because we foiled this attack."

(Rio, nodding in agreement) "He’ll go underground, regroup, and come back even stronger. We need to strike before he can recover."

(Eren, joining the conversation) "But how? We’ve dismantled their immediate plans, but Hale is a ghost. We need a lead—something to track him down."

As they continued walking, Kaori, who had been quietly thinking, suddenly stopped and turned to the group.