into a decrypted message buried deep in

ect wants h

defunct MI6 black site. Three weeks to confirm that The Architect wasn't just a codena

Vera Dae stared at the files spread before her - redacted documents, classified corres

itect wa

he final order that

dn't tr

harpe

, jaw clenched. "This is

ar. He designed the entire fall of the Alaric line. Not

and through his

urning. "Because we were a

– Three

th Luka Arslan, a former Turkish intelligence operative who now

on: "Why do you want t

m me," she answered. "And becau

, Vera. He's an institution. A ghost of the Cold War reengineered for this c

t him evenly

brow. "You'r

said. "And the

small black card. On it was a s

e you find the Architect, you're not chasing a man. Y

Midnight

played as tourists drank cocktails, unaware that a

e until her g

t for NATO, now a rogue surveillan

idn't wa

. A lot of noise. You're

them

now what The A

aid no

chart: corporations, political alliances, shadow fir

ter? A bla

n - Codenamed:

back here," Selene said. "Wars that ended too soon. Presidents who d

ink he was b

lene said

s calm. "Then he

ated. Then n

this, there's

a s

ked back since

– The

vestors fled. Political allies vanished. Former board members tu

len

the Architect. Not

a knew h

eld silence wit

a. This time not to conf

surveillance. Hours of footage. Endless meetings. B

, alone in

se panel in t

ng a bl

sid

llite

dat

ryp

aned c

ll con

red in static

por

feared no one, stood

any. She knows a

oice r

ow what's next if s

call

breath

were o

rding, ran the voice

rms deal in the Balkans, one tied to a coup in West Africa, an

d at the

oe

er

t just let me fall. They engineere

at means they've been watc

ch means I'm not

let. Inside it, a hidden flash drive - her mother'

oard," she whispered. "B

Wh

ay by the ru

e L

ragments of The Architect's surveillance system. Hidden beneath a

uarded b

tics summit. Inside, they found Project Helix-a database of en

then

of Seraphi

Ver

aphi

tatus: Terminated (Pending

t you were usable. They wer

rning. "They wanted to w

pied th

t behind

ry major news outlet in Europe under an ano

l Rea

ak exp

d narratives. The word "Architect" trended globally. Anonymous users

ames vanishe

name emerged not as a vi

urvi

unt

– A Secret

before a

pieces w

but

te qu

re him. Vera Dae's f

ned fo

ses," he murmur

he s

it's time I

f Chap