The Opera House erupted into chaos.
The Director scrambled for the exit, but he was intercepted by Marcus—bloody, bruised, but very much alive.
"Going somewhere, sir?" Marcus growled, leveling his suppressed pistol.
In the Diamond Box, the Architect backed toward the glass railing. "You won't kill me, Elara. You don't have the stomach for it."
"Maybe not," Elara said, her hand trembling slightly as she held the dagger.
Silas stood up, the poison finally being neutralized by the antidote he'd secretly injected before they left the hotel—the third option he'd planned. He stepped beside her, his hand on her shoulder.
"You don't have to do it, Elara," Silas whispered. "Let the law take him."
"There is no law for men like him!" she cried.
Suddenly, the Architect lunged. He wasn't reaching for a gun; he was reaching for a hidden lever on the wall.
CLICK.
The entire VIP box detached from its moorings. It was a safety feature designed to evacuate the Architect in case of an assassination. But the cables snapped.
The box plummeted toward the stage, forty feet below.
Silas lunged, grabbing Elara by the waist as the floor fell away. They slammed into the velvet curtains, clinging to the heavy fabric for dear life.
Below them, the box shattered on the stage. The Architect lay in the ruins, motionless.
"Is he... is he dead?" Elara gasped, her fingers digging into Silas's shoulders.
"It doesn't matter," Silas said, pulling her into the safety of the catwalks. "We have the list. We have the proof. It's over."
But as they reached the roof, a sniper's laser dot appeared on Silas's chest.
A voice came over the emergency channel. It wasn't M. It was a woman's voice—cold, aristocratic, and familiar.
"You did well, Ghost. You did exactly what we wanted. You cleared the path. Now, hand over the Ares Key, or the girl dies."
Silas looked at the rooftop across the street. Standing there with a thermal rifle was the one person he never suspected.
The "Dead" wife of the Director. The woman who had started the Ouroboros.
"The Queen Bee," Silas whispered.
"Run, Elara," Silas said, stepping in front of her. "Take the Key and Leo. Get out of here."
"Not without you!"
"Go!"
CRACK.
The sniper shot rang out, echoing through the streets of Zurich.