Louis Kindsor stood silently in the living room of the luxurious villa he shared with his wife, Vivian Howard.His face was a mask of calm, but his eyes betrayed a storm of emotions. In his hand, he held a tablet displaying surveillance footage that would change everything.As Vivian entered the room, her smile faltered at the sight of Louis's serious expression."What's wrong, dear?" she asked, her voice tinged with false sweetness.Without a word, Louis turned the tablet towards her. The footage showed Vivian entering a hotel with another man, their body language leaving little doubt about their intentions.Vivian's eyes widened, then narrowed. Instead of shame or remorse, her face twisted with anger. "You had someone follow me?" she hissed.Louis shook his head slowly, in disappointment."That's all you have to say? No explanation, no apology?"Vivian laughed dismissively, as if she didn’t care the least that Louis had caught her in an affair. "Why should I apologize? This is p
The journey began at dawn.The road to the mountains was unforgiving, winding through dense forests and narrow cliffs.Pearl sat in the backseat, her injuries bandaged but her strength still waning. Despite her condition, she refused to be left behind."I can fight," she insisted, though her voice lacked its usual fire."I’m not sitting this out."Louis shot her a warning look."You’re barely able to sit up. You’re staying in the car when we get there."Pearl’s glare was weak but defiant."I’ve come this far. You think I’m going to back out now?"Juliet sighed from the driver’s seat."Both of you, save your energy. We’ll need it when we get there."The mountains loomed ahead, their jagged peaks cutting into the sky like teeth. As they neared the monastery, the air grew colder, the weight of their mission settling heavily on their shoulders.When the car finally stopped at the edge of a rocky trail, Louis stepped out, helping Pearl to her feet despite her protests."I’m fine," she mutt
“Get down!” he shouted, pushing Juliet behind him.Pearl immediately moved to the side, pulling out her gun.“We’ve got company,” she said, her voice steady despite the situation.A figure appeared in the doorway, silhouetted by the dim light from the hall.His face was concealed by a black mask, but the cold glint in his eyes was unmistakable—this was no ordinary assassin.Juliet’s heart skipped a beat as she recognized the type of threat.“It’s a hitman,” she whispered, her voice low but urgent.“They’ve found us.”Before anyone could react, the man lunged forward, aiming a silenced pistol at Juliet.Pearl’s reflexes kicked in immediately. She lunged forward, knocking Juliet out of the line of fire just in time.The bullet grazed Pearl’s side as she took the hit, her body twisting with the force.“No!” Juliet cried, scrambling to help her as Pearl staggered back, her hand clutching her wound.“I’m fine,” Pearl gasped, her voice strained as she fired at the assassin, forcing him to r
Louis sat at the table, the remnants of his mother’s journal spread out before him.Pearl stood by the window, eyes scanning the darkened streets below.Juliet paced, her phone pressed to her ear as she spoke in a low, urgent tone."Yes, I know the risks," Juliet said, her voice sharp."I don’t need a reminder. Just get us the safe passage. We can’t afford to wait any longer."She paused, listening intently, her brow furrowing. "Understood. Make sure it’s secure. We’ll be there tomorrow."She hung up and turned to Louis, her face grim. "They’re in position. We leave at dawn."Louis looked up, his jaw clenched. "And the Arbiter?""His men are everywhere." Juliet’s voice was laced with frustration. "He’s turning the city against you. The law enforcement, the media—everyone's bought into his lies. The entire city is a powder keg, and we're the match."Pearl turned away from the window, her expression hardening. "It won’t be easy. You can’t just walk out of here with your head held high.
“What do we do now?” Pearl asked, her voice shaky.“He’s put a bounty on your head. Everyone in the city will be after you.”Louis ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing.“We keep moving. He’s trying to flush us out, force us into making a mistake.”Juliet crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in thought.“This isn’t just about you. He’s trying to destroy any credibility we have left. If we don’t fight back with the truth, the entire city will turn against us.”“And how do we do that?” Pearl demanded.“He controls the media, the police, probably half the politicians. How do we get anyone to believe us?”Louis paced the room, his hands clenched into fists.“We start by exposing him. The journal has enough dirt to dismantle his empire, but we need a way to get it out without it being intercepted.”“And without getting killed in the process,” Juliet added.“The moment you show your face, every bounty hunter and opportunist will come running.”Louis stopped pacing, his eyes locking o
They reached a small clearing as dawn broke, the light filtering through the trees and casting an ethereal glow on the dew-covered ground.Louis finally stopped, setting the journal down on a flat rock.“We’ll rest here,” he said gruffly, avoiding Pearl’s gaze.Pearl sat down heavily on the grass, her shoulders slumping. Juliet crouched next to her, placing a comforting hand on her back.“He’s not thinking clearly,” Pearl whispered, her voice trembling.“He’s grieving,” Juliet said softly.“We all are. But he’s not wrong, Pearl. The Arbiter won’t stop unless we stop him.”“But at what cost?” Pearl asked, looking up at Juliet with tear-filled eyes.Juliet didn’t have an answer.Louis sat a few feet away, the journal open in his lap.His eyes scanned the pages, his mind racing with possibilities.The evidence inside was damning—names, dates, transactions—all tying The Arbiter to countless crimes.It was enough to take down not just him, but the entire Eternals network.But the system wa
Outside, Louis paced the clearing, his nerves frayed as the manor continued to collapse in on itself.“We can’t just leave them!” Pearl shouted, her frustration boiling over.“I know,” Louis snapped, though his own frustration was directed inward.He clenched his fists, the weight of leadership pressing down on him.Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows, coughing and limping.“Juliet!” Pearl cried, rushing to meet her.Juliet stumbled into Pearl’s arms, her face streaked with soot and tears.“Where’s Terminator X?” Louis demanded, his voice sharp.Juliet shook her head, unable to meet his eyes.“He… he didn’t make it. He’s still inside.”Louis’s stomach dropped. He turned back toward the manor, his instincts screaming at him to go back.“Louis, no!” Juliet grabbed his arm, her grip like iron.“He made his choice. If you go back, you’ll die too.”Louis hesitated, his jaw tightening as he struggled against the urge to run into the flames.“He bought us time,” Juliet continued, her
The group split, Pearl pulling Louis down a narrow passage while Juliet and Terminator X headed deeper into the catacombs.The walls groaned and cracked around them, debris raining from the ceiling as the manor began to collapse.“Are you sure about this?” Juliet asked, glancing at Terminator X as they ran.“Not in the slightest,” he replied, his lips curving into a faint smirk.“But someone’s got to play the hero.”Juliet snorted, despite herself.“Let’s just make sure it’s worth it.”Meanwhile, Louis and Pearl raced through the crumbling tunnels, the journal clutched tightly to Louis’s chest.“What if they don’t make it?” Pearl asked, her voice breaking.“They will,” Louis said, though his expression betrayed his doubt.“They have to.”Ahead, daylight filtered through a crack in the tunnel wall.Pearl tugged on Louis’s sleeve.“There’s our exit.”Louis hesitated, glancing back toward the path they had come.“Louis, we don’t have time!” Pearl shouted, grabbing his arm.Reluctantly, h
The air in the catacombs was heavy, the sound of their hurried footsteps echoing through the narrow tunnel.Louis led the way, his breaths shallow as he clutched the journal tightly against his chest.Beside him, Juliet moved with urgency, her face pale but determined.Pearl followed, her expression a mix of relief and tension as they navigated through the labyrinth.At the end of the tunnel, Terminator X was waiting, his broad frame silhouetted against the faint light of a hidden exit. His weapon was ready, his eyes scanning for threats.“You’re late,” Terminator X muttered as they approached, his tone as gruff as ever.“Blame the traps,” Juliet shot back, though there was no malice in her voice.Before Louis could respond, a faint tick, tick, tick reached his ears. He froze, his heart skipping a beat.“Do you hear that?” he asked, his voice low.Terminator X’s eyes narrowed as he tilted his head, listening intently. “It’s a timer.”Louis’s blood ran cold. “There’s another explosive
Then we move,” he barked. “Which direction?”The screen flashed with a schematic of the manor, highlighting the area where the remaining explosive was planted. Pearl pointed to the west corridor.“That way.”Without hesitation, Terminator X grabbed her arm and pulled her up.“Let’s go.”They sprinted through the dimly lit hallway, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls.The timer in Pearl’s hand continued to count down, each second a hammerblow to her nerves.“Fifty seconds,” she gasped.“Move faster,” Terminator X ordered, his voice cold and steady.Pearl glanced at him.“Easy for you to say! You’re not lugging this terminal around.”Ahead, two of The Arbiter’s men appeared, their weapons raised.“Down!” Terminator X yelled, shoving Pearl to the ground as he fired two clean shots.Both guards crumpled instantly.Pearl scrambled to her feet, clutching the terminal.“Forty seconds!”They rounded a corner, skidding to a halt in front of a locked steel door.Terminator X examine