Third Person's POV

Terence frowned as he looked at Halle, his tone softening slightly. “It’s broken. Let me fix it, and I’ll give it back to you.”

His gaze then dropped to the scraped skin on the back of her hand. Impulsively, he grabbed her wrist. “What happened to your hand?”

But Halle quickly pulled her hand back, her eyes tinged red with unshed tears. “It’s none of your business,” she snapped, her voice trembling. “Both in compass and me, don't bother anymore. I’m done being a burden to you.”

Hearing her sharp words, a flicker of surprise flashed across Terence’s face. Something about her was different today—off.

This wasn’t the same Halle who quietly endured his scolding that morning, nor the one who usually sought his help. This Halle was resolute, even distant.

After a brief pause, Terence let out a cold laugh, tossing a dismissive comment over his shoulder as he walked away. “Halle, playing hard to get won’t work on me.”

Watching his retreating back, Halle clenched her teeth in exasperation. Hot tears then rolled down her cheeks, landing audibly on her jacket. She quickly turned away and forced herself to blend into the lively celebration around her.

What she didn’t see was Terence, now back inside, lingering by the window. He watched her for a long time before picking up the neatly folded jacket she had left on the chair and taking it back to his room.

Before long, the alcohol finally wore off, but Halle’s head remained heavy. Before she knew it, she had fainted right outside Terence’s door.

When she woke up, her face was flushed with fever, and she was lying in Terence’s bed. He sat nearby with a dark expression and faintly red eyes.

Just then, a knock at the door broke the tense silence. Terence quickly composed himself and opened the door to Darlene.

“Terence, we’ve got news about the poachers who escaped last time,” she said urgently.

As such, Terence unhesitatingly shut the door behind him and left with Darlene.

Alone in the room, Halle sat up and felt her throat dry and her mind hazy. Glancing around the room, she realized she was in Terence’s private quarters, a place she hadn’t stepped into for a long time.

Shortly, her eyes landed on the wooden table by the bed, where her compass sat. But it was now fully repaired. Seeing it, she couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

'What's this supposed to mean? Scold me one moment, then make me something special the next? Is this his way of balancing things out?' she scoffed inwardly.

Despite her thoughts, she still hung the compass back around her neck and got out of bed to look for him.

As she reached the door, she heard voices just outside. She stopped midway and pressed her ear against the wood.

“Have you thought this through?” Darlene asked, her tone laced with hesitation. “This is a lifelong decision. You can’t make it lightly.”

“Don’t worry,” Terence replied, his voice steady. “Once this is done, nothing will change between us. I’ll never let anything happen to you.”

The words hit Halle like a bucket of icy water. Her body stiffened and her hands and feet turned cold.

'They must be talking about marriage,' Halle assumed mentally. 'So, the rumors in the team were true. They're indeed not just colleagues.'

Halle thought Terence had been avoiding her not just because of work, duty, or the harsh environment, he simply didn’t love her.

Because if he’d wanted to, he could have overcome any obstacle. But he didn’t.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Halle was startled. She quickly turned and pretended to search through the drawers.

But before she could open one, Terence stormed in, blocking her path and grabbing her wrist.

“What are you doing?” he snapped, his face a mix of shock and anger. “Who gave you permission to go through my things? Get out!”

His sudden outburst stunned Halle. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed back the tears threatening to spill. Without a word, she turned and stormed out of the room.

Darlene, watching the scene unfold, hurried after her. “Halle!”

In no time, Darlene found Halle by a small pond, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

One advantage of living in Tanzania was that when you needed to cry, you could run off into the wilderness. Out there, no one would see your tears.

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.”

Third Person's POV

Halle’s expression shifted to disbelief.

A young man in his early twenties charging headfirst into danger, even when faced with bullets, defying every instinct of self-preservation—it seemed unreal, almost inhuman.

But Darlene’s next words unraveled the mystery.

“That boy,” Darlene said, “had nothing but hatred in his eyes when he looked at those poachers.”

Her voice softened as she continued, “Later, we found out it was tied to something from his childhood. Terence once had a pet dog named Lucy. After his parents divorced, it was just the two of them, relying on each other to get by.”

With a sad smile, she continued, “He was malnourished back then—thin, pale, and an easy target for bullies at school. One day, those bullies set their sights on his dog and when it was finally found, it was already too late.”

Darlene paused, her tone heavy. “Terence told us those poachers are no different from those cruel people. They skin innocent animals and take their lives for profit. To him, they’re monsters who deserve nothing but death.”

A cold wind swept past them, but Halle’s heart felt warm.

So that’s why Terence threw himself into this dangerous line of work with such reckless abandon. She’d been wrong. Someone as brilliant and driven as him wouldn't stop for her.

The realization stung, but it also brought clarity.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She turned to Darlene and asked, “Captain Benson, you keep saying ‘we.’ Who’s the ‘we’ you’re talking about?”

Before Darlene could answer, Terence’s voice sliced through the stillness of the night, startling them both.

“Halle!”

Halle barely had time to react before Terence grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing with a warning.

“Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t,” he said coldly. “You don’t need to know about these things.”

Quickly, Darlene stepped forward and positioned herself between them. She shook her head gently and said, “It’s all in the past, Terence. It’s fine. Halle isn’t an outsider anyway.”

But Terence’s gaze was sharp, like an arrow tipped with barbs. The look he gave her pierced her heart, and when he finally turned away, it left a chill behind.

His message was clear: Halle was an outsider to him.

Those shared memories, the history between them—they weren’t hers to know.

The days passed quickly. Each morning, Halle buried herself in sorting through her belongings.

With only three days left before her departure, it was time to decide what to keep and what to leave behind.

Her hands then paused over a bracelet. The wooden beads shimmered faintly in the light, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She’d gotten it when she first came to Tanzania, a blessing for safety and smooth journeys.

She’d bought two, hoping the red thread connecting them would symbolize a bond. One was hers, the other she’d given to Terence.

But she’d never seen him wear it.

After a long moment of hesitation, Halle sighed and slipped the bracelet back onto her wrist.

'Forget it. I paid for it, didn’t I? I’ll wear it for the blessing, nothing more. The whole ‘red thread of fate’ thing doesn’t matter—he never wore his anyway. What difference does it make if I wear mine alone?' she decidedly concluded in her head.

Just then, a sudden memory struck her—she’d made a wish to wishing well once. Before leaving, she needed to fulfill it.

Driving to the wishing well, she was startled to see Terence there as well.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone sharp as their eyes met.

“I should be asking you that,” he replied, his brows furrowing slightly.

“I’m here to make a wish,” she snapped, brushing past him.

His hand instinctively moved to the bracelet hidden beneath his sleeve. Anxiety flickered in his chest.

“What wish?” he asked, his voice low.

Terence knew the last time she’d made a wish here, it had been for their relationship—to pray for a bond that would last forever.

Ignoring him, Halle tossed a coin, closed her eyes, and bowed her head in silent prayer.

The wind tugged at her hair, scattering it around her face. Seeing it, Terence found himself unable to look away, mesmerized by the quiet determination etched into her features.

In her heart, Halle whispered, 'I wish Terence a life of peace and happiness. May he and Captain Benson find their happily ever after.'

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed Terence watching her intently.

But she didn’t stop to acknowledge him. Turning on her heel, she started walking away.

Before she could take more than a few steps, Terence reached out and grabbed her wrist.