The moment Maya stepped outside the safe house, she knew something had changed. The morning fog was thicker, heavier, curling around the cracked sidewalks and half-lit windows like a living thing. Every breath she took tasted like warning. The city itself seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Her phone buzzed again. A new message this time: We know what you're looking for.
Maya's fingers clenched. Whoever was watching wasn't just tracking her—they were taunting her. The Serpent wasn't just playing a game. It was a deadly puzzle, and she was caught in the middle.
"Leo," she said, voice tight as she closed the door behind her. "They're watching us. Closer than ever."
Leo's sharp eyes scanned the street, then narrowed. "That message? It means we're close to the core. They want you rattled. To make a mistake."
Maya didn't answer. Her mind replayed the files in the briefcase, the name that kept haunting her. That name wasn't just a clue. It was a key—one that could unlock the truth about her family, about everything she'd tried to bury.
But the more she uncovered, the more dangerous it became.
"Tell me what you remember about her," Leo said suddenly. "The woman who attacked you."
Maya hesitated. The memory was sharp and chilling—a face she couldn't forget, even if she tried. "Her name was Selene," she said. "She's… connected to the Serpent. More than anyone I've seen before. She knows me."
Leo's expression darkened. "Then this just got personal."
The safe house was a thin veil of safety in a city that threatened to swallow them whole. Maya and Leo worked in silence, piecing together the encrypted files, tracing the tendrils of the conspiracy thread by thread.
Hours passed, turning into a restless night. The glow of the laptop cast long shadows across the room, painting their faces with a mix of determination and exhaustion.
Finally, Maya found it—a hidden folder buried deep inside the data. She opened it and froze. Photos, documents, videos—all linking her family to a secret project called "Protocol Serpent." The project had vanished from official records years ago, but here it was, alive in the digital shadows.
Her breath caught. This was the heart of the Serpent Protocol.
And her family was at the center.
"Leo," she whispered. "This… this explains everything. Why I was targeted. Why I have to finish this."
Leo leaned in, eyes scanning the screen. "Then we have to move fast. If they know you're onto them, they'll come for you."
Maya nodded, but beneath the resolve, fear flickered. She was no stranger to danger, but this was different. This was personal.
Suddenly, the room's lights flickered. The safe house felt colder, smaller. Maya's heart slammed against her ribs.
"Power's unstable," Leo said, standing and moving toward the door. "They're trying to cut us off."
A crashing sound echoed from the street below—a car barreling toward the building.
"Get ready," Leo warned.
Maya grabbed her pistol, the weight familiar in her hand. Her eyes met Leo's—steady, unwavering.
They were not going down without a fight.
Outside, the black sedan from the previous night reappeared, sleek and silent, rolling to a stop beneath the safe house windows. More figures emerged—masked, armed, methodical. The Serpent had found them.
Maya and Leo moved quickly, barricading the door and scanning the dim hallway. The attackers were closing in, their footsteps a thunderstorm outside the fragile walls.
"Why us?" Maya muttered under her breath. "Why now?"
Leo's voice was grim. "Because you hold the key. And they will do anything to keep it hidden."
The door rattled under the first blow. Gunfire erupted, echoing in the narrow corridors. Maya and Leo returned fire, every shot a battle cry against the darkness.
Amid the chaos, Maya caught a glimpse of movement—a shadow darting toward the back exit.
"Cover me," Leo shouted.
Maya nodded and laid down suppressing fire. Leo slipped past the attackers, disappearing into the night.
The gunfight was relentless, adrenaline pumping through Maya's veins. She moved like water—quick, fluid, dangerous. But as the last attacker fell, a cold realization settled over her.
Leo was gone.
Her heart twisted with panic. She could not lose him. Not now.
She bolted toward the back door, but before she could reach it, a gloved hand clamped down on her shoulder.
Maya spun around, pistol raised.
It was Selene.
The woman's eyes were icy, unreadable.
"You're running out of time, Maya," Selene said, voice smooth as silk. "The Serpent will swallow everything you love. Including him."
Maya's grip tightened on her gun. "Where is he?"
Selene smiled, a cruel, slow smile.
"That is for me to know. And for you to find out."
Before Maya could react, Selene vanished into the shadows, leaving behind a promise as chilling as the night air.
Maya sank to the ground, chest heaving. The city outside was a blur of lights and sirens, but inside, the silence screamed.
She had a choice—chase Selene and risk everything, or stay and protect what was left.
Her phone buzzed again. Another message from an unknown number: Find him before it is too late.
Maya's fingers trembled as she typed a reply: Where?
No answer came.
But she knew one thing with absolute certainty—
The Serpent's grip was tightening.
And the clock was running out.