Rome International Airport – 5:02 A.M.
The departure hall was unusually quiet. No frantic travelers, no loudspeaker announcements—just a heavy tension in the air. The overhead screens still flickered with emergency broadcasts, warning of "anomalous celestial activity."
Nate clenched his fists, his body still buzzing from the encounter underground. He had spent years chasing history, unraveling ancient mysteries. But now… he was in one.
"We need to move." Leah's voice was clipped, all business. "If the world is about to go to hell, I'd rather not be standing in an airport when it happens."
Lucien glanced up from his notes. "The Witnesses won't be in one place for long. If they've appeared, then others will be looking for them too."
"Others?" Nate asked, his gut twisting.
Lucien sighed. "There's always someone. The Vatican, secret societies, people who think they can control prophecy instead of fearing it." He hesitated. "And then there's the… other side."
Leah gave him a sharp look. "You mean demons?"
Lucien didn't answer.
The silence said enough.
Nate exhaled. "Alright, where do we start?"
Lucien flipped through an old, leather-bound manuscript. The pages were delicate, handwritten in Latin.
"The prophecy states that the Witnesses will be seen 'where two rivers meet, where the old and the new stand divided.'" He tapped the page. "I think that means Jerusalem."
Leah nodded. "The Kidron Valley. It separates the old city from modern Jerusalem."
Nate felt his pulse quicken. "Then that's where we go."
---
Above the Atlantic – 10:15 A.M.
The plane trembled.
Not turbulence.
Something… else.
Nate looked out the window. The sky beyond the clouds seemed wrong, like a storm was trying to break through reality itself.
Lucien noticed it too. He gripped the armrest, his knuckles turning white. "This isn't normal."
A low hum vibrated through the fuselage.
Then, the lights flickered.
Leah leaned forward. "Tell me that's just a power issue."
Before Lucien could respond, a shadow passed over the wing.
Something massive.
Nate's stomach dropped. "Did you see that?"
Leah unbuckled her seatbelt. "What the hell was it?"
Lucien's breath was shaky. "I don't know. But I think it's watching us."
The plane lurched.
Oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.
A flight attendant's panicked voice came over the speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, please remain calm—"
And then, just as suddenly as it started…
It stopped.
The lights stabilized. The sky outside looked normal again.
The pilot's voice came through, shaky but controlled. "Apologies for that… unexpected turbulence. We are assessing the situation. Please remain seated."
Leah sat back, gripping the armrest. "That wasn't turbulence."
Lucien didn't look at her. His gaze was fixed on the sky beyond the clouds.
"Something knows we're coming."
---
Jerusalem, Israel – 4:47 P.M.
The city was alive with movement, tourists flooding the streets, market vendors calling out their wares. On the surface, it seemed like a normal day.
But Nate felt it immediately—a weight in the air, an energy pressing down on everything.
Lucien led them through the crowded streets toward the Western Wall, his eyes scanning every shadow.
"Where do we even start?" Leah asked.
Lucien's grip tightened on his satchel. "They'll be near the Temple Mount."
Nate frowned. "Why there?"
Lucien looked at him.
"Because if the Witnesses are here… then soon, so will the ones who want to silence them."
---
The Kidron Valley – 5:12 P.M.
They stood at the edge of the valley, where the ancient world met the modern city. The sun was low, casting long shadows across the ground.
Then they saw them.
Two men stood in the valley.
Dressed in simple robes, their faces were aged but filled with fire. They stood as if they had been waiting.
And when they spoke, their voices shook the earth.
"The time is fulfilled. The warnings are done."
"Let the first trumpet sound."
A wind rushed through the valley—hot and dry.
And then…
From somewhere deep within the city, a single trumpet blast rang out.
And the sky turned red.