Recife — Cavalcanti Mansion
Helena Almeida had still not recovered from what they had experienced. In her mind, it felt as if her hands were still pressed against the hot stone, her breathing broken and dust clinging to her face. Around her, the bodies of her guards lay motionless.
The smell of earth and blood filled the humid air of the Brazilian coast. In the distance, the sea remained restless.
The news of the battle in the Pacific had arrived hours earlier. The Chinese fleet had managed to contain the advance of the Kartnod armada, but the cost had been high.
And now this.
The amber-eyed woman had left, but her presence could still be felt like a deep vibration beneath the skin.
Like a warning.
Helena clenched her fists. Her legs trembled.
Rafael appeared among the collapsed columns of the east wing. Her second-in-command walked with difficulty because of a wound he had received.
—Miss Helena —he said in a hoarse voice—. I'm sorry… we couldn't stop her.
Helena slowly shook her head.
—No one could. According to the records, she has been the second strongest guardian in history.
The silence between them was interrupted by the sound of an alert from Rafael's communicator. He looked at the device, and his expression changed abruptly.
—What is it? —Helena asked before Rafael could speak.
He looked at her with an expression that needed no words.
—Atlas intelligence division has just confirmed it —he said—. The relic… is no longer in Brazil.
Helena closed her eyes for a moment and spoke with concern.
—Where is it heading?
Rafael looked again at his device before answering.
—According to the report on the magical traces, the signal is moving toward the North Atlantic. The analysts believe that… it is heading to France.
—France —Helena repeated quietly.
That can't be. The historical records from five thousand years ago… The Orleans mansion is in Marseille. And if we do some basic calculations, the main seal is in Ireland.
—Could it be that they want to use it to finally break the main seal completely? —Rafael asked.
Helena shook her head.
—I don't think that's it.
She looked toward the horizon where the sun was beginning to tint the waters of the Atlantic orange.
—What I believe is that they want to fully release the bearer.
Somewhere over the Atlantic
A private aircraft crossed the sky at constant speed, invisible to conventional radar thanks to the concealment seals activated on its fuselage.
Inside the main cabin, illuminated by a soft, warm light, Iara Nogueira sat with her legs crossed on a black leather chair.
In front of her, on a metallic table, rested a black box.
Inside it was the green stone medallion.
The stolen relic.
Small flashes of light emerged from within, as if the object were alive and knew it had been moved from its resting place.
Iara watched it silently. Her dark hair fell loosely over her shoulders. On her left arm, the mark of the coiled serpent glowed with a faint but constant intensity, responding to the proximity of the medallion.
The cabin door opened.
A tall man with graying hair and a face marked by years of combat entered without asking permission. He wore a dark uniform with a very distinctive insignia: an eagle. His bearing revealed decades of military training.
—Is everything alright? —he asked.
Iara did not take her eyes off the relic.
—Everything according to plan.
The man stepped closer until he stood in front of her, observing the box with a mixture of fascination and respect.
—I have never felt such immense power —he murmured—. The energy it releases… is overwhelming.
Iara looked at him and showed a faint smile.
—That's because you are not a magic user. To me, it feels like the beating of a heart.
The man studied her carefully.
—And that doesn't concern you?
—Concern me about what?
—That it responds to you in that way.
Iara remained silent for a few seconds before answering.
—It responds to everyone who carries a mark. That is its nature. It is… a connection.
She extended her hand and touched the surface with the tip of her fingers.
Suddenly the entire box began to vibrate, and a green light emerged from inside.
—This relic was created to do two things. The first is to seal an immense power —she continued—. And at the same time, it is the key that can release a demon.
—Are you saying that without it, the bearer could lose his sanity?
Iara nodded.
—Exactly. Without it, the bearer cannot control what he carries inside. The mark will consume him from within. But he will not die. He will suffer. He will lose control. And when that happens…
She paused.
—When that happens, he will become a danger to everyone. Including himself.
The man frowned.
—Is that what they want? For the bearer to become a threat?
Iara looked directly into his eyes.
—What Lord Valerius wants is for him to awaken.
Silence settled between them. The man stepped back, processing the information.
—I don't understand —he admitted—. If he awakens without control… the world will be at risk!
—Awakening does not mean losing control —Iara interrupted—. It means confronting what you truly are. The mark is not a curse. It is an inheritance. But for generations, the families have treated it as a burden that must be contained.
She slowly stood up. The medallion continued glowing on the table.
—The boy who carries the mark now —she continued—, Noah… has been protected. The truth has been hidden from him, and he has been kept away from everything he should know. They believe they are keeping him safe. But all they are doing is delaying the inevitable.
—And you believe revealing the truth to him is a good idea?
Iara smiled again, but this time there was something different in her expression. Something the man could not interpret.
—Sometimes —she said—, for someone to awaken, you must first remove everything that keeps them asleep.
The aircraft continued its course toward the north. The night surrounded the Atlantic.
And somewhere in northern Russia, thousands of kilometers away, the mark on Noah's back glowed faintly for a few seconds while the medical unit transported him toward France.
As if it knew something had changed.
As if it sensed that something important was about to happen.
Ó Broin Mansion — Ireland
Six days after the attack on the Cavalcanti mansion
The communication arrived when the sun was beginning to disappear behind the cliffs of Slieve League.
Maeve was in the command room of the main vessel when a message appeared on the main communicator screen. Beside her, Daniel and Orla were reviewing the latest reports on the mobilization of the family fleet.
—What is that? —Daniel asked, pointing at the screen that kept flashing.
Maeve did not respond immediately. She observed the information appearing before her: confirmation codes, a message from Atlas, and a single line of text that summarized everything.
Relic stolen in Brazil. Traces moving toward the North Atlantic. Possible destination: France.
—Mother of heaven —Maeve murmured.
Orla appeared at the doorway seconds later, her face pale.
—Mom… is it true?
Maeve nodded without taking her eyes off the screens.
—They just confirmed it.
Daniel picked up a tablet that was on the table.
—What exactly does this mean?
Maeve took a deep breath before answering.
—It means they know that Noah is on his way to France.
She turned toward her children.
—That relic stabilizes the bearer. Without it… Noah is in danger.
—Can we recover it? —Orla asked.
—I don't know. But we have to try.
She activated the emergency communicator.
—Connect me with my mother.
Minutes later, Ciara's image appeared on the main screen. Her expression was grave.
—I already know —she said before Maeve could speak—. I just received the complete report.
—What do we do, mother?
Ciara remained silent for a few seconds.
—For now, nothing.
—Nothing? —Daniel intervened, unable to hide his anger—. They just confirmed that they are heading toward Noah, and we are going to do nothing!
—If we send forces to search for them without knowing exactly where they are, we will lose more people and still fail to recover it —Ciara replied firmly—. The reports indicate that they are coming toward us.
Maeve understood before her children did.
—We will wait.
—Exactly —Ciara confirmed—. Inform the Orleans to reinforce their defenses. We will activate all protocols and wait. When they arrive, we will be ready.
The communication ended.
The silence in the room was absolute.
Daniel clenched his fists tightly. Orla watched him in silence.
And Maeve, with her eyes fixed on the dark horizon of the Atlantic, knew that the storm was approaching.
And that this time, there would be no way to avoid it.
And somewhere between Russia and Poland, the Eco-55 unit continued its journey, transporting Noah, Eleonor, and Sophie toward France.