Alex stood by the broken earth, silent.
His breath was slowing. The power inside him had settled, but it still lingered at the edges, like smoke that refused to clear.
A twig snapped behind him.
He turned sharply, eyes scanning.
A man stood there. Civilian clothes. Mid-forties. Nervous hands. He hadn't made a sound until now, probably frozen in fear. He must've been nearby, maybe camping, maybe just passing through. Wrong place, wrong time.
Alex didn't speak.
The man took a step back, eyes wide. He had seen everything.
"I didn't mean to watch," he said quickly, hands raised. "I was just— I saw you— You brought things out of the ground. You—"
Alex held up a hand, not to threaten, but to stop him from saying more.
"Who do you work for?" Alex asked.
The man shook his head. "No one. I swear."
Alex didn't believe him.
The man turned and ran.
Alex moved.
