Chapter 47 Chased by danger.

"They've found you..."

Mila, still catching her breath, pushed herself up on shaky arms. Her heart pounded, not just from what had transpired moments ago, but from the weight of Chad's words. Tristan and Chad were on their feet in an instant, their bodies tense, eyes sharp with readiness.

The words echoed in Milla's mind, sending a chill down her spine. "Who?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, afraid of the answer.

Chad's jaw clenched as he turned her phone towards her. The screen displayed a message with no sender ID, just a single chilling sentence: 'We know where you are.'

Tristan cursed under his breath. "We need to move. Now!"

Mila nodded, forcing herself to push aside the lingering pleasure and focus on the present danger. She threw on the first piece of clothing she could find, her hands slightly trembling as she fastened the buttons. Chad and Tristan were already dressed and securing their weapons.

Milla paused for a second "Wait... Chad? Your still here? You're not going to disappear again?"

"No princess...I'm not." He said holding her face between his hands and kissed her softly on her forehead.

Tristan also paused and turned his head and look straight at Chad. "Well then, you need to explain what happened that day when we crashed and how in the world did you manage to disappear in thin air and where to?"

Chad just laughed and said. "All in good time my friend...all in good time."

"We're close, aren't we Chad?" Mila questioned Chad, sensing he knows more then he let them believe.

"We need to get the last piece of the puzzle, that's all I know princess," Chad's voice was serious.

Tristan grabbed her arm gently, his gaze locking onto hers. "So, let's go find it, but we can't be reckless. Whoever sent this message isn't just threatening you, they want you to know they're coming."

Chad strapped a knife to his belt, his expression unreadable. "Mila, go warn Anna and Alfonso, we need all the help we can get."

"Copy that," she said and rush out to Anna and Alfonso's room.

"Chhhaaaadddd!!!!" Tristan and Chad heard Mila's scream and rush towards Anna's and Alfonso's room, they walked in and saw Mila standing in front of an empty bed with blood stains all over.

"Mila get down!!!" Tristan shout and jump both of them to the ground behind the bed. Bullets where flying all over the place. Chad stood behind the cupboard firing back every now and then. "Come I'll cover you!" he shouts to Mila and Tristan. 

They've escape the bullets and the trio moved swiftly, exiting through the back of the safehouse. The night air was thick, heavy with the scent of gun powder mixed with the damp of the earth. A full moon loomed overhead, casting eerie shadows through the dense trees surrounding them.

Their journey to retrieve the last piece of the puzzle led them to an abandoned cathedral deep in the woods. Its towering structure loomed in the darkness, the stained-glass windows cracked and lifeless. Time had not been kind to the sacred place, yet it held the final key they needed.

Chad moved first, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Tristan followed close behind, keeping Mila between them for protection.

"There's something off about this place," Mila whispered, her instincts prickling. "It feels… watched."

Tristan nodded. "Stay close."

Inside, the cathedral was hauntingly silent. Dust floated through the air, disturbed only by their cautious footsteps. The wooden pews were rotting, the altar covered in cobwebs. And at the very center of the ruined sanctuary stood an ancient pedestal.

Mila's breath hitched as she approached it, her pulse racing with anticipation. Etched into the stone surface was a familiar set of symbols, the same ones they saw when they put the puzzle pieces together. Her fingers brushed over the carvings, the cool stone grounding her.

"This is it," she murmured.

But before she could decipher the markings, a rustling sound cut through the silence.

"Get down!" Tristan barked, pulling her to the ground just as bullets ricocheted off the stone walls.

Chad returned fire instantly, his movements precise, deadly this time. " "These aren't the same people who attacked us at the safe house," He shouted 

Shadows moved at the edges of the cathedral, figures emerging from the darkness. Mila's heart pounded as she recognized one of them. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Alex..." she whisper

Tristan's eyes roll. "That asswipe again?"

"The traitor!" Chad shouted so Alex can hear him. "The man who had once been their protector, now standing among their enemies!"

Alex smirked, stepping forward with calculated ease. "You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"

Tristan's grip on his gun tightened, fury flashing in his eyes. "I thought I told your fairy not to let you out,"

Alex chuckled. "Funny Tristan, but I'm here to finish what I started." His gaze flickered to Mila, dark and possessive. "You have something I need."

Mila stood tall, defiance burning in her veins. "You'll never get it."

Alex tilted his head. "We'll see about that."

With a swift motion, he signaled his men to attack. Chaos erupted as bullets rained down, echoing through the cathedral's hollow walls.

Chad and Tristan fought with lethal precision, moving in sync as they took them down one by one. Mila dodged behind the pedestal, using it as cover while she tried to decipher the puzzle's final piece.

The symbols began to shift, glowing faintly under her fingertips. It wasn't the same map they used a few days ago, it was shifting, transforming into something she had never seen before.

"Mila, we need to go!" Tristan shouted.

"I just need a little more time!" she called back, frantically tracing the last symbol.

As the symbols on the pedestal shifted beneath Mila's fingertips, a faint hum vibrated through the air. She could feel it, something unlocking, something ancient stirring. But before she could decipher it, a strong hand clamped onto her wrist, yanking her away from the pedestal.

A gasp caught in her throat as she met the cold, calculating eyes of Alex. His grip was iron.

"Let go of her!" Chad roared, but Alex pressed a knife against her throat, halting his advance.

"Careful, Chad," Alex murmured. "One wrong move, and your precious princess won't live long enough to solve that puzzle." His fingers tightened around her arm, his grip possessive. "You were always smart, Mila. Always meant for something greater. But you chose the wrong side."

Tristan's jaw clenched, his gun aimed directly at Alex's head. "If you so much as breath wrong, you're dead."

Alex grinned. "Go ahead. But if I fall, she falls with me." His gaze flickered to the pedestal, his smirk deepening. "You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you? That puzzle isn't just a key… it's a weapon." But I promise, she won't survive it."

Mila's pulse pounded. "What do you mean?"

Alex leaned in, his breath warm against her ear. "It's the final seal. Unlock it, and the real game begins."

Her blood ran cold.

Tristan's patience snapped. "Enough."

Mila met Tristan's gaze, silently telling him to wait. She wasn't done yet.

The next second, everything happened at once.

Mila twisted sharply, slamming her elbow into Alex's ribs. He grunted, momentarily stunned. Chad lunged, knocking the knife from his hand.

Gunfire exploded through the cathedral. More figures poured in from the shattered doorway, Alex's reinforcements.

Chad didn't hesitate. He drove his fist into Alex's jaw, sending him staggering back. "You talk too much," he snarled.

Tristan fired, taking down an approaching enemy. "Mila! The puzzle, now!"

Mila scrambled back to the pedestal, her fingers flying over the shifting symbols. But now, they weren't just glowing. They were burning, pulsating with an eerie golden light.

Alex, bloody but grinning, wiped the corner of his mouth. "You think you've won?" He chuckled darkly.

"You just sealed your fate..."