The morning after Lucien’s narrow escape, the tension among the team was palpable. Gabriel stood on the balcony of their Parisian safehouse, his gaze locked on the bustling city below. The beauty of the Seine River seemed to mock him, its calm flow contrasting the storm brewing within his mind. “You’re brooding again,” Helena said, stepping onto the balcony. She held two steaming mugs of coffee, offering one to Gabriel. He took it with a slight nod. “We had him, Helena. We had Lucien right there, and he slipped through our fingers.” Helena leaned on the railing beside him, her tone gentle but firm. “You can’t win every battle, Gabriel. But we got what we needed, the data on his network. That’s a win.” Gabriel sipped his coffee, his eyes narrowing. “It’s not enough. Until we dismantle the Syndicate completely, none of this will ever be enough.” Inside, the rest of the team was already at work. Levi had spread a series of blueprints and maps across the dining table, marking potenti

The city of Prague stretched out before them like an intricate tapestry, its gothic spires piercing the velvet sky. For centuries, this ancient capital had been a refuge for conspiracies, a place where shadows whispered secrets in alleyways. Tonight, however, Prague would host a different kind of darkness.Gabriel stood atop a crumbling bell tower in Old Town Square, his sharp gaze fixed on the baroque mansion that loomed in the distance. It was their next target, a Syndicate stronghold disguised as an abandoned opera house. The intel retrieved from Berlin confirmed that this was no ordinary site. Beneath its cracked façade lay a labyrinthine network of tunnels, each one housing crucial data, armaments, and high-ranking operatives.Levi’s voice crackled in Gabriel’s earpiece. “You’ve got thirty minutes to infiltrate before the shift change. Lucien’s intel suggests a highly secured vault in the lower levels. Whatever’s inside could be the key to dismantling the Syndicate for good.”Gab

The narrow alleys of Istanbul stretched before Gabriel and his team like a labyrinth of secrets. The bustling bazaars and aroma of freshly brewed tea offered a stark contrast to the undercurrent of danger that accompanied them at every turn. After the chaos in Paris, Istanbul was their next stop, a city teeming with history, where ancient secrets merged with modern treachery.Julian walked a few paces ahead, his presence a constant reminder of the fragile alliance they had formed. Gabriel couldn’t shake the unease that had settled in his chest since Julian’s return. Trusting him again felt like walking a tightrope over a pit of knives.“You’re quiet,” Amara said, falling into step beside him.Gabriel glanced at her, his jaw tight. “Just thinking.”“About Julian?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.Gabriel nodded. “He knows too much about the Syndicate. It’s hard to tell if he’s a blessing or a curse.”Amara’s eyes narrowed as she watched Julian weave through the crowd. “Let’

The fires of Elysia’s destruction smoldered in Gabriel’s mind as he and the team regrouped in the labyrinthine forest beyond the fortress. The wind carried the acrid stench of burnt metal and earth, mingling with the faint scent of blood, a grim reminder of their failure.Amara paced nearby, her jaw tight, while Volkov leaned against a gnarled tree, his rifle cradled lazily in his arms. Julian, however, sat apart from the others, his gaze fixed on the horizon. He hadn’t spoken since their narrow escape, the weight of his confrontation with Elysia pressing heavily on him.Gabriel broke the silence, his voice low but firm. “We need to regroup and plan our next move. Elysia may have escaped, but she left a trail. We’ll find her.”Amara stopped pacing, her eyes sharp with frustration. “And then what? We’ve seen what she’s capable of. She’s always ten steps ahead.”Volkov snorted. “Doesn’t mean we stop. We’ve come too far to back down now.”Gabriel’s gaze flicked to Julian, who remained si

The sun sank beyond the jagged skyline of the city, casting long, dark shadows over its forgotten corners. Gabriel stood on the roof of the safehouse, watching as twilight thickened into night. Every flicker of light from the distant buildings felt like a signal, a warning, reminding him how close they had come to losing everything. Below, the sound of hurried footsteps broke the quiet. Amara emerged, her sharp silhouette cutting through the dim glow of the streetlamp.“We can’t stay here much longer,” she said without preamble, her voice a blend of urgency and exhaustion. “Volkov says the Syndicate has been sniffing around.”Gabriel nodded, but his eyes didn’t leave the horizon. “We’ll move soon. But we’re not running this time. Elysia’s moves are becoming predictable. We can end this.”Amara crossed her arms, her gaze hard. “You sound sure, but she’s outmaneuvered us every step of the way.”“She’s slipping,” Gabriel said, finally turning to face her. “Last night proved that. We just