RickAdams

A war-scarred military commander. A world-renowned doctor shrouded in mystery. Bound by secrets, hunted by enemies, and tied by a vow soaked in blood — together they must fight the forces that seek to tear them apart.
Love, power, and revenge converge in this spellbinding romance where nothing is as it seems.

Tactical Desires

Location: Tavara – Kane Estate, Moonlit Balcony

Damien stared at the insignia in Nora's hand—a crimson cloak over a golden dagger. It shimmered faintly under the moonlight, a symbol long thought to have been erased from existence.

"Scarlet Cloister," Damien repeated, voice low. "The hidden strike force of the old world. Thought to be disbanded after the Northern Pact fell."

Nora closed her hand over the emblem. "We were never disbanded. Just scattered… repurposed. I swore never to reveal it, not even to you. But now, things have changed. The Obsidian Protocol cannot stand alone."

Damien's jaw tightened. "So you're Nightshade."

> "I was their youngest operative. Top medic. Stealth assassin. The Cloister operated where governments feared to tread. I executed missions in Tavara, Elvane, the darker regions of East Eurasia... All under deep black authorization."

He stepped closer, the wind stirring the silence between them. "Does your family know?"

"My parents suspected. But no one knew the full extent." Her voice was a whisper. "When I saved you back then… when I took you into my family home… I was still bleeding from a mission the night before."

Damien's gaze darkened. "And I thought I was protecting you all this time."

They stood quietly, history and emotion rippling through the night. Finally, Damien spoke, voice resolute.

> "Then I need you now more than ever. The Obsidian Protocol is in motion. But the council… Xian, Ravich, even Alphonzo—they'll strike faster than we can rebuild. We need the Cloister's network."

Nora nodded. "Then we begin with the Cipher Sisters. If we reach them, we can reawaken what's left of our base in Volvaran City."

Location: Volvaran City – Underground Communication Grid

A digital pulse shot through defunct communication lines, traveling beneath the city like a ghost signal. Buried under decades of concrete and forgotten security layers, a monitor flickered to life.

> "Nightshade requesting encryption lift: Class Theta-Echo."

> "Confirmed. Cipher Sisters activating. Coordinates uploaded. Long live the Cloister."

Location: Obsidian Blacksite – North Tavara Ridge

Raven stood in front of a glowing hologram. Images of exiled operatives flickered: Kuro Reign, Vena Drahl, Eltan Vyrm, and now... Nightshade.

"Scarlet Cloister…" she murmured.

Damien's voice cut in over her commlink. "Prepare an intercept team. I want the Cloister's satellite uplink operational by midnight."

Raven nodded. "And the old rebel guild?"

"We may need to ally with them—at least temporarily."

Raven turned to the hologram again, a small smile touching her lips. "This is going to stir every sleeping giant on the board."

Location: The Dark Council's Hidden Fortress

Lady Xian slammed a chalice against the table. "They've awakened Nightshade. He's found her."

Ravich narrowed his eyes. "Then the map to the Vault of Kings is no longer safe."

"We move up the timeline," Xian hissed. "Release the Dread Consulate."

Location: Nora's Private Chamber – Kane Estate

Nora sat in silence, staring at a photograph of her old team. Some dead. Some missing. Some… possibly waiting.

> "Long live the Cloister. We rise again."

Behind her, Damien entered, carrying two encrypted scroll drives.

"This is everything from my father's hidden war files. Including what he knew about the Cloister's original directive. You may want to read it."

As he handed her the drives, their fingers brushed.