Chapter 68: The Devil's Bargain

Serena couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in her chest as they left Adrian's mansion. The rain had slowed to a drizzle, but the dark clouds overhead mirrored the uncertainty she felt about the deal they had just made. They were about to embark on yet another dangerous mission, one that involved a second artifact, and all in the hopes that Adrian would uphold his end of the bargain. The odds weren't in their favor, and she knew it.

"I don't trust him," Serena muttered as they climbed into the car, her eyes flicking back to the mansion, where the darkened windows seemed to watch them leave.

"Neither do I," Alexander agreed, sliding into the driver's seat beside her.

"But what choice do we have? The *Sangreal* is becoming more unstable by the hour. If we don't find a way to contain it soon, it could become a threat we can't control."

Rebecca sat in the back, her hands resting on the containment case that held the *Sangreal*. The eerie red glow had dimmed slightly, but the energy emanating from it was palpable, making the air in the car feel heavy and charged.

"He's playing a game," she said quietly.

"But he's the only one with the resources to help us right now. We'll just have to stay one step ahead."

Serena sighed, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. They were trapped, forced into a dangerous partnership with a man who clearly had his own agenda. But what choice did they have? The longer they held onto the *Sangreal*, the more dangerous it became.

As Alexander started the car, the engine's low rumble doing little to ease the tension, Serena pulled out her phone and opened the file Adrian had sent them. Inside were the details of the artifact he wanted them to retrieve. The location was remote—an abandoned monastery in the Carpathian Mountains, far from civilization. The artifact itself was described as an ancient relic, something tied to the early days of Christianity, but the specifics were vague. All Serena knew was that it was powerful, and that Adrian wanted it badly.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Serena asked, scrolling through the file.

"According to Adrian, it's a relic from the early days of the church—something called the *Crux Ignis*," Alexander explained, his hands gripping the wheel tightly.

"He didn't give us much information, but from what I could gather, it's a small, cross-shaped artifact believed to hold some kind of divine power. The legends around it are murky, but apparently, it was lost centuries ago during the collapse of the monastery."

Serena frowned.

"Divine power? That's all we need—another relic with uncontrollable abilities."

Rebecca leaned forward slightly.

"Divine or not, it's dangerous if Adrian wants it this badly. He's obsessed with collecting powerful artifacts, but I doubt his motivations are purely academic, like he claims. We need to be cautious. There's a reason this thing was lost."

"Agreed," Serena said, her mind racing with questions. What kind of power did the *Crux Ignis* hold, and why was Adrian so desperate to find it? The fact that he was willing to make a deal with them—despite the risk of losing control of the *Sangreal*—meant the artifact was valuable enough for him to gamble everything.

The hours passed in tense silence as they drove deeper into the mountains. The winding roads grew narrower, the forest denser, until finally, the monastery came into view. The crumbling stone walls were barely visible through the mist that clung to the mountainside, giving the place an eerie, forgotten feel. The monastery looked as though it had been untouched for centuries, abandoned to the elements.

"This is it," Alexander said, his voice low as they pulled up to the entrance. The old iron gates were rusted and broken, hanging askew from their hinges. Beyond them, the monastery loomed, a relic of a forgotten past.

Serena climbed out of the car, pulling her jacket tighter around her as the cold mountain air bit at her skin.

"Let's get this over with," she said, her breath visible in the chilly air. "The sooner we find this artifact, the sooner we can deal with Adrian and the *Sangreal*."

The three of them moved cautiously through the gates, their footsteps crunching on the gravel path as they approached the monastery's main entrance. The building was in ruins, with sections of the roof collapsed and the stone walls crumbling, but the air was thick with an unsettling energy. It was the same feeling Serena had experienced in the cave where they had found the *Sangreal*—as though something ancient and powerful still lingered here, waiting.

"Do you feel that?" Rebecca whispered, her eyes scanning the shadows.

"It's like the air is charged."

Serena nodded.

"Yeah. Whatever this place is hiding, it's still here."

They pushed open the heavy wooden doors, the rusted hinges groaning in protest, and stepped into the monastery's main hall. The floor was covered in debris, and the walls were lined with faded frescoes depicting religious scenes—saints, angels, and demons locked in eternal struggle. At the far end of the hall, an altar stood, draped in tattered cloth, but the relic they sought was nowhere to be seen.

"This place is massive," Alexander said, his voice echoing in the empty hall.

"We'll need to split up if we're going to find the *Crux Ignis* before nightfall."

Serena hesitated, glancing at the darkened corridors that branched off from the main hall. The idea of splitting up in a place like this sent a chill down her spine, but Alexander was right—they didn't have time to waste.

"Fine," she agreed reluctantly.

"But we stay in constant contact. If anyone finds anything, we regroup immediately."

They each took a different corridor, Serena moving cautiously down the left passage, her flashlight cutting through the gloom. The air inside the monastery was cold and damp, the smell of mildew strong in her nose. As she walked, her footsteps echoed off the stone walls, the sound unnervingly loud in the silence.

The corridor twisted and turned, leading deeper into the heart of the monastery. Serena's pulse quickened as the sense of being watched grew stronger. Every now and then, she caught glimpses of movement in the shadows—nothing concrete, but enough to put her on edge. It was as if the monastery itself was alive, and whatever was hidden here didn't want to be found.

Finally, the corridor opened into a smaller, circular chamber. In the center of the room stood a stone pedestal, and on top of it, covered in dust and cobwebs, was a small, ornate cross.

Serena's breath caught in her throat. This had to be the *Crux Ignis*.

She approached the pedestal cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest. The cross was beautiful, intricately carved from silver, with small red gemstones embedded in the arms. But as she drew closer, she felt the same pulsing energy that she had felt from the *Sangreal*—the same hum of power that filled the air around her.

Serena reached out to touch the cross, but before her fingers could make contact, a voice echoed through the chamber.

"Serena, don't."

She froze, recognizing Alexander's voice in her earpiece.

"Why?" she whispered, her hand trembling above the cross.

"Because whatever that is," Alexander said, his voice tense, "it's not what it seems."

Serena pulled her hand back, her pulse racing. "Then what do we do?"

"We wait," Alexander replied. "I'm coming to you."

As Serena stood alone in the chamber, her eyes locked on the *Crux Ignis*, she couldn't shake the feeling that they had just uncovered something far more dangerous than they had anticipated.

And whatever it was, it wasn't going to let them leave without a fight.