Aiden stepped closer to the table, resting both hands on it this time.
"There's one more thing."
Vermis tilted her head, her smile returning, curious.
Aiden continued.
"We don't want them to find our real base."
Graveknit's eyes flickered.
Carrion didn't move, but his posture grew more focused.
Vermis let out a soft laugh.
"So we hide… and let them search?"
Aiden looked at her.
"Not just hide."
A faint pause.
"We give them something to find."
That made all three of them go still.
Graveknit spoke first, low and steady.
"…A false base."
Aiden nodded.
"Yes."
Carrion exhaled slowly.
"That will draw their main force."
"And their strongest fighters," Aiden added.
His fingers tapped lightly against the table again.
"If we let them locate a base, they won't hesitate. They'll gather everything and strike hard. As of now, we don't have the capabilities to fight them head on."
The air in the room shifted.
This wasn't just defense anymore.
It was a trap.
