The Price of Knowledge

Adam sat in the dimly lit chamber of the underground hideout, his fingers steepled together as he stared at Kara. She was bound to a chair in the center of the room, her face bruised from the struggle. Evelyn and Marcus flanked him, their expressions unreadable, but the tension in the air was palpable.

"Let's make this simple," Adam said, his voice void of emotion. "Tell me what you saw. Tell me why you betrayed us."

Kara let out a dry laugh. "You think you're the only one who's seen the future, Adam? The only one burdened with knowledge of what's coming? You're wrong. And that's exactly why I did what I did."

Adam leaned forward. "Then enlighten me."

She looked at him with something between pity and amusement. "You're fighting a war you've already lost. I saw the world burn, just like you did. I saw gods walk the Earth, just like you did. But unlike you, I saw who truly wins in the end. And it isn't you."

Evelyn shifted, her grip tightening on her weapon. "And you think aligning yourself with the enemy is the answer?"

Kara's expression darkened. "I aligned myself with survival. There is no winning this war, only choosing how you die. You refuse to see it, Adam, but I had the chance to pick the lesser evil. I took it."

Adam remained silent for a long moment, his mind racing. If Kara had truly seen a different version of the future, then that meant something—or someone—was manipulating the visions. Either she was being deceived, or he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle.

"Who showed you?" he finally asked. "Who gave you your vision?"

Kara smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

Adam sighed, then stood up. "Evelyn. Do what you have to."

Kara's smirk faltered slightly as Evelyn stepped forward. "You're making a mistake, Adam," she said, her voice tight with something almost like regret. "The things I know… you need them. Torturing me won't change what's coming."

Adam turned his back to her. "I don't need you to change it. I just need to understand it."

Kara's scream echoed through the chamber as Evelyn got to work.

Shadows of the Past

Hours later, Adam stood in the hideout's war room, staring at the digital map projected on the wall. Red markers blinked across it, representing locations compromised or under surveillance. The enemy was tightening their grip, and time was running out.

Evelyn entered, wiping blood from her hands. "She talked."

Adam turned to her. "And?"

Evelyn exhaled. "The faction she's working with… they call themselves The Scions of the First Dawn. They claim to have knowledge older than the gods themselves. And they're not just preparing for the Age of Eternity. They want it to happen."

Marcus cursed. "Religious fanatics?"

"More than that." Evelyn hesitated. "She said they have… prophecy fragments. Ancient ones. Ones that predate even the known pantheon."

Adam felt something cold settle in his gut. Prophecy fragments? The idea that there was knowledge older than the gods themselves, knowledge being used by his enemies, was deeply unsettling.

"Where?" he asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "She doesn't know. She was only a messenger. But she does know where to find someone who does."

Adam clenched his jaw. "Then that's our next target."

Into the Lion's Den

The Scions were operating out of an abandoned cathedral in the heart of the city. The building had once been a monument to a forgotten faith, its towering stained-glass windows now cracked and darkened. It was the perfect hiding place for a group that claimed to serve an unseen power.

Adam and his team moved through the ruins silently, their weapons drawn. The enemy wouldn't expect an assault so soon, which gave them a rare advantage. But stealth could only take them so far.

They reached the entrance, and Adam signaled Marcus to place the charges. The old wooden doors exploded inward, sending a shockwave through the cathedral. As the dust settled, armed figures scrambled into view, shouting orders.

The firefight was immediate and brutal. Gunfire echoed through the hollow halls, bullets tearing into stone and flesh alike. Adam moved with ruthless precision, taking down enemies with cold efficiency. Evelyn fought beside him, her movements sharp and deadly. Marcus led a secondary squad, clearing the side chambers.

But as they pushed deeper, the resistance grew fiercer. These weren't just foot soldiers—they were zealots, willing to die rather than be captured. And they fought like demons.

Adam pushed forward, reaching the inner sanctum. The chamber was dimly lit, candles casting flickering shadows across the walls. At the center, an altar stood, covered in ancient runes and old blood.

And before it, a figure in white robes knelt, murmuring in a forgotten tongue.

"You must be the one we're looking for," Adam said, his gun trained on the figure.

The robed man turned slowly, revealing a face covered in ritual scars. He smiled. "You are too late, Adam. The path has already been set. The Game is merely a formality."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Then tell me what you see."

The man chuckled. "The end of all things. The gods. The Game. The worlds beyond. They all burn. And from the ashes, something new will rise."

Adam stepped forward. "And who controls it?"

The man's smile widened. "Not you."

Evelyn fired before Adam could stop her. The robed man's head snapped back, blood spraying against the altar. His body crumpled to the floor.

"Damn it, Evelyn!" Adam snapped.

She glared at him. "He wasn't going to talk."

Adam clenched his jaw. She was probably right. But something about the way the man had spoken unsettled him. He knelt beside the body, searching through the robes. A small, tattered scroll lay tucked inside the man's belt.

Adam unrolled it, scanning the faded text. His blood ran cold.

The words were written in a language older than any known civilization. But he could understand them. As if they had been burned into his mind long ago.

They spoke of a being beyond gods. Beyond the Game. A force that existed before eternity itself.

And it was waking up.

The Truth Buried in Time

Back at the hideout, Adam sat alone, staring at the ancient text. If this prophecy was real, then everything he thought he knew was wrong. The gods weren't the ultimate power in this game. Something else was pulling the strings. Something far older.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Evelyn stepped inside.

"What now?" she asked.

Adam's voice was quiet. "Now? We change the plan."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

Adam set the scroll down. "We're not just fighting to survive anymore, Evelyn. We're fighting to uncover the truth. If what this says is real, then we've been playing by the wrong rules this entire time."

She crossed her arms. "And if we don't like what we find?"

Adam exhaled. "Then we burn the board."

The Age of Eternity was coming. But now, Adam realized, the gods weren't the biggest threat.

Something much worse was waiting in the dark.

And it had just begun to stir.