Somewhere in Cyprus – The Monastery Under Siege
11:17 A.M.
The second gunshot shattered the silence.
The bullet ripped through a wooden pillar, splinters flying as Nate ducked low, heart pounding.
"Move!" Rahim shouted, gripping the ancient manuscript as he sprinted toward a side passage. Leah was already ahead, her gun drawn.
More shots rang out, echoing through the stone corridors. Footsteps. Heavy boots. The Order's men were inside.
Leah fired a shot down the hallway, forcing their pursuers to take cover. "We need to get out now!"
Rahim led them through a dark passage, dust and age clinging to the air. "There's a hidden exit behind the archives," he said. "If we reach it, we can get to the coastline."
Nate's mind raced. The Order wasn't just after the manuscript. They wanted to silence them.
The Fourth Seal. The Pale Horse. Death.
And if they were right—the next stage of the plan was already in motion.
---
Rome – The Order's Inner Circle
3:30 P.M. (Local Time)
The meeting room was dark, except for a single overhead light casting long shadows across the table.
"The Third Seal has been executed," a man in a tailored suit announced. "Global food shortages have begun. The panic will spread within weeks."
A second man, older, sharper, leaned forward. "Then we proceed with the Fourth Seal."
The others at the table shifted slightly. The Fourth Seal was different. It wasn't economic or political. It was something more… final.
"What about the professor and his companions?" someone asked.
The older man smiled faintly. Cold. Certain.
"They won't leave Cyprus alive."
---
Cyprus – The Escape
11:24 A.M.
Rahim yanked open a wooden hatch, revealing a narrow passage carved into the rock. "Go!"
Nate dropped down first, his boots hitting the damp stone. The tunnel smelled of seawater. Leah followed, her gun still gripped tight.
Rahim was last, pulling the hatch closed behind them. Above, the monastery echoed with shouts.
"They'll find the entrance," Nate said.
Rahim nodded, breathless. "We just need to reach the boat."
Leah led the way, her instincts sharp. The air grew colder, the sound of crashing waves growing louder. Then—light. A break in the rock ahead.
Freedom.
But as they neared the exit, a silhouette blocked the way.
A man. Tall. Dressed in black. A gun in his hand.
Leah reacted instantly, raising her weapon—
Too slow.
The man fired first.
A single shot.
Rahim gasped. Staggered. Blood bloomed across his chest.
Nate caught him before he hit the ground. "No, no, no…"
Leah fired, but the assassin was already gone—vanishing into the shadows like a phantom.
Rahim's breathing was ragged. His eyes locked onto Nate's. Urgent. Desperate.
"The Seal…" he gasped. "Find it… before they do."
Nate gritted his teeth. "Rahim, stay with me."
The historian's hand trembled as he pressed something into Nate's palm. A small, folded parchment. "This… is the last clue."
And then—his grip went slack.
Rahim exhaled a final, shuddering breath.
Nate clenched his fists, rage and grief twisting inside him. The Order had won this round. But it wasn't over.
Leah swallowed hard. "We have to go."
Nate stood, his grip tightening around the parchment. "Then let's finish this."
The Fourth Seal had begun. Death was coming.
And Nate was about to take the fight to them.