Chapter 12: The Gamble of Gods Evelyn entered Lance's hastily organized hideout which was basically an old room within a dilapidated industrial site. Swiftly her eye hunted over the peeling paint, the cracked walls, and the makeshift table in the middle of the room. Of all the gloomy things in the surrounding, one thing stood out- the artifact. It had been sitting there on the table and vaguely pulsing with an unnatural light. Alive with itself, almost sentient; the presence made the air feel heavy, as though the entire room was holding its breath. Evelyn crossed her arms and leaned against the wall while studying Lance. He was sitting across from the artifact, in a strangely relaxed posture, but she knew and saw the tension in his clenched jaw and the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Care to explain why I had to dodge bullets to come and see you?" she requested, in her sharpest tone. Lance did not say anything for a moment, just reached out to the artifact and

Chapter 14: The Stranger’s GambitThe sound of clopping heels dominated the silence as the stranger entered the room. It was a tall woman in brown boots. Her presence had a kind of weight that suggested she was linked to unnatural forces.Lance assessed the situation and her with narrowed eyes, his far hand hovering near his weapon, with Evelyn and Vex tensed and ready behind him.The gaze the woman swept across the three eventually settled on Lance. "I've been watching you.""Congratulations," replied Lance dryly, "but what exactly are you doing here?"Taking out the folded parchment from her coat, she laid it flat on the table. "You've just acquired the second artifact. The Syndicate will stop at nothing to take you down. But their ambitions are far smaller than the storm you've unleashed.""A storm?" he echoed, curious despite himself."The artifacts are part of something older and more dangerous than you know," the woman said. "If you don't understand their purpose, you're going t

Chapter 16: The Twisting Path The atmosphere inside the cramped vehicle was heavy with anticipation as Lance’s team closed in on the third artifact's location. This faraway district vibrated as though stretching under the heavy weight of violence in the air. Lance languidly leaned back in his seat with his fingers rapping against the door frame. Selena's words echoed in Evelyn's mind: 'The Syndicate wouldn't dare offend the very ones guarding the artifact.' But somehow, it felt wrong. The closer they came to their destination, the more it became apparent that the Syndicate had changed the rules along the way. "Selena," Evelyn spoke up, as if breaking some sacred ritual, her tone measured as though she were judging her words. "What if they don't need to offend anyone? What if they... negotiated?" Selena, sitting alongside her, turned a frown on her. "Little chance. The protectors of this artifact are an ancient order. They wouldn't trust outsiders easily." Lance chuc

Chapter 18: Beneath the Surface The team didn’t have much time to recover after the Syndicate’s attack, the cryptic note they found added intrigue—and urgency—to their quest. Whoever these new players are, they certainly have the means and the cunningness to manipulate every move on the board so as to keep the artifact out of reach. Lance stood by the fractured window with a look cast deep into the night. His usual playful smirk replaced by a hard focused glare made even Selena just uncomfortable. Evelyn moved slowly towards him, the tension— an understanding of the mutual curiosity and discontent. "They are baiting us, " she said in a low voice. "Of course they are" replied Lance, lowing his tone. "But that gives us a chance to bite back, and very hard at that. " Selena cut in, holding a tablet in her hand. "Tracked their movements. The party with the artifact didn't disappear; they went underground- literally. " Stepping forward, Vex looked interested. "What do you

Chapter 20: Whispers in the Dark It was dimly lit, but the pulse beat was actually hypnotic - like a heart bringing itself alive for the first time. Lance turned the artifact in his hands; the surface was cold yet alive with strange unreadable markings. He could feel a hum emanating from the object, resonating deep within him. "Selena," he breathed, voice steady despite the tempest brewing in his chest, "what do you mean, a beacon?" Selena merely folded her arms in response, her eyes glued to the artifact as though she willed it to divulge its secrets. "It also has another function," she opined. "It's sending out a signal - a call to something, or someone." Vex leaned against a nearby boulder wiping blood from a shallow cut on his arm. "So, you mean we have been running back and forth risking our necks for something which might summon another but bigger mess?" "Even worse," Selena responded, "because whoever picks this up may well be as bad as the artifact itself and we m