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Chapter Twelve: Mission Complete
Boom…
A wall of ice, triggered by a hanging bell, exploded thanks to Lara Croft. The pressure suggested it had been sealed for a long time.
Everyone entered, and I blended in among the mercenaries. There were two groups—neither Paul's team nor the old Illuminati group knew who I was.
Inside the cave, ancient structures depicted celestial bodies representing the solar system. Several shafts of light were scattered, mysterious and undefined.
A dog ran into one of the light shafts, revealing magical images tracing its life from infancy to the present. The passage of time was bizarre and incomprehensible—truly mysterious.
"Everyone, start searching! I want the other half of the triangle!"
All mercenaries scattered. I searched among the strange ancient items, mostly astronomical instruments. Beneath a few maps, I found a dagger with a yellow blade and a glass handle shaped like an hourglass—but it was empty. Beautiful, I hid it in my outfit. Maybe it would be useful someday, or something even more mysterious—who knows?
Minutes passed. No one had found anything.
Suddenly, the planetary models began to move. Lara's face grew serious. Paul smiled, and Alex confirmed something, holding the compass as he climbed the models, aiming for the center—the Sun replica.
Lara climbed too. Both were professionals, but the untrained mercenaries faced painful and deadly failures along the way.
Alex had to stop halfway, reluctantly handing the compass to Lara. She quickly reached the Sun model, inserted the compass, and vanished in a cloud of white smoke. Seconds later, she reappeared, dusty-faced, with the broken triangle beside her. Lara had succeeded.
The old man sprinted to take the two halves before they joined them. But a gunshot rang out. Lara's astonished face revealed Paul had shot and killed the old man. Continuous gunfire followed; Paul's mercenaries took down the old man's men, and I hid behind a pillar.
After clearing the area, Paul grabbed the two halves with excitement and, in front of the focused yet playful Lara, joined them. But nothing happened.
Paul looked at Lara and said deeply:
"Lara… I feel like you know why this is happening, but you won't tell. You've made your choice. I truly feel amazed—you're a brave and selfless woman. But if someone you care about dies in front of you, will you still sacrifice?"
Before moving, Alex was stabbed in the chest by Paul's dagger, falling into the water. Lara immediately dove after him, but it was too late—Alex lost his final breath underwater.
Lara quickly emerged, grabbed the compass from the ground, and threw it into the shaft of light. It disassembled into its components, revealing a glowing fragment. Lara placed it in the center of the triangle.
A powerful white wave radiated twenty meters from the triangle. Paul, Lara, and anyone nearby were pushed aside. Lara and Paul rose and ran for the Time Triangle—but scientifically, Lara was younger and faster.
She reached the triangle a step ahead. Upon touching it, a chain reaction of time occurred within twenty meters. Everything rewound to one minute prior. Alex emerged from the water; the dagger left his chest and moved slowly toward Paul. Lara caught it.
This time-reaction froze everything within the radius—except Lara and an anomaly named William.
I could see and understand everything, though my reaction speed was weaker. I wasn't completely frozen, but a yellow light flickered beside my chest from the ancient dagger.
Lara spun the dagger toward Paul, then aimed at the triangle with her gun. She fired—the Time Triangle shattered to dust.
The shockwave shook the entire cave, causing collapses. Paul fell to the ground, dagger in his heart, awaiting death. Alex and the mercenaries were shocked but fled as the cave collapsed.
Lara wanted to leave, but Paul called out:
"Lara… before I die, I want to tell you something. Your father begged me like a dog before I killed him. He wanted me to give this to you—but I didn't."
Paul held a pocket watch with a photo of a woman who looked a lot like Lara.
Using all his strength, Paul pulled the dagger from his chest and threw it aside.
"Come on… kill me with your own hands, and take this memento of your parents, Lara."
Lara hesitated, but Alex blocked her, unwilling to let her fall there. With Lara's insistence, he stepped aside. Lara raised her gun, approached Paul, and stretched out her hand. Her gaze was pleading yet angry—this watch was her last keepsake of her beloved father and the mother she never knew.
"Give it to me… if you want it, you'll have to kill me with your hands."
Lara dropped her guns, stepped forward, but felt a burning pain in her arm. Darkness fell. Before hitting the ground, a strong man caught her.
William was tall, clad in black armor, wearing a mask. His silver-white hair gleamed, and pale blue eyes met Lara's.
"Who… are you?"
Paul's deep voice trembled, revealing his momentary loss of composure.
The next instant, a deep voice emerged from the mask. A tunnel of darkness appeared in his eyes, and he disappeared into the void.
"Death agent, at your service."
These were Paul's final words before entering oblivion.
I held Lara and the watch, escaping the cave. Several stones hit us along the way, but my reflexes and physics helped us avoid them.
Once outside, the cave completely collapsed. Had we moved slower, we'd have been buried alive.
Dangerous.
I gazed at the girl in my arms, admiring her beauty. I removed my mask, kissed Lara's full lips, and smiled.
"This is your reward… for surviving."
I placed Lara on a sled, keeping the watch in hand, and sent her toward Alex and Bryan.
From afar, I watched Lara Croft return to her companions.
And that marked the conclusion of my first magical mission.
I smiled, glancing at the nearby frozen forest. Tonight, I would be its guest, blending with the shadows of trees and the animals asleep around me.
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