The plane ride to the south of France was quiet, the weight of the Montgomery family's revelations still lingering in the air between Serena and Alexander. The Hargrove family had once been an integral part of the alliance that protected the map, but after years of obscurity, finding them felt like searching for a ghost. The only clue they had was the location of the old Hargrove manor—a place abandoned for decades, but potentially still holding the secrets they desperately needed.
As they landed in Nice and drove into the countryside, the landscape shifted from bustling city streets to sprawling vineyards and ancient chateaus. It was a stunning contrast to the weighty mission they were on, but neither Serena nor Alexander could take in the beauty. Their thoughts were focused on what lay ahead—the abandoned Hargrove estate, the fragment of the map, and the mysterious artifact that had been hidden for generations.
The drive to the manor took several hours, winding through narrow country roads and past small villages that seemed untouched by time. Finally, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a golden glow over the rolling hills, they arrived at their destination.
The Hargrove manor was a crumbling relic of its former grandeur. The once-stately mansion was now overgrown with ivy, its windows boarded up, and the grounds wild and untamed. It was clear that no one had lived here for a long time.
Serena stepped out of the car and stared up at the decaying building, a sense of foreboding settling over her. "It feels like the house itself is hiding something," she said softly.
Alexander joined her, his gaze fixed on the manor's darkened windows.
"Let's hope it's the map."
They approached the large iron gates that led to the manor's entrance, finding them slightly ajar. Pushing the gate open, they made their way up the overgrown path, the crunch of gravel beneath their feet the only sound breaking the stillness.
As they reached the front door, Alexander tested the handle. It creaked open easily, as though the house had been waiting for them. The inside of the manor was just as decayed as the outside—dust and cobwebs covered the furniture, and the air was thick with the scent of damp wood and abandonment.
"This place has been forgotten by time," Serena murmured, her voice echoing in the vast, empty hall. "But we're here for a reason."
They moved carefully through the house, using flashlights to illuminate their path as the last light of day faded. The manor was large, with long, winding hallways and rooms that seemed to stretch endlessly. The walls were lined with portraits of the Hargrove family, their faces long forgotten, staring down at them as though they were watching intruders in their ancestral home.
As they searched, Serena's heart raced with anticipation. The Montgomerys' fragment of the map had led them here, but there was no guarantee they would find what they were looking for. The Hargroves had gone to great lengths to protect their secrets—would they have left something behind?
After nearly an hour of searching the manor's main rooms, Serena and Alexander entered what appeared to be the library. Unlike the rest of the house, this room seemed better preserved. The shelves were still filled with books, their spines cracked and worn, but intact. In the center of the room stood a large, oak desk, its surface covered in papers that had long since yellowed with age.
Serena approached the desk and began sifting through the papers, hoping to find something that would point them in the right direction.
"If the Hargroves hid their piece of the map, it has to be here," she said, her voice determined.
Alexander was scanning the room, his eyes drawn to a painting that hung on the far wall. It depicted a grand estate, much like the one they were standing in, but in its prime—lush gardens, a sprawling lake, and the manor itself in pristine condition. Something about the painting caught his attention, and he moved closer, examining it carefully.
"There's something off about this painting," Alexander said, his hand brushing against the ornate frame.
"Look at the way the light is hitting the trees. It's almost as if it's… pointing."
Serena crossed the room to join him, her gaze following his hand. The sunlight in the painting was indeed shining through the trees in an unusual way, casting a beam of light toward the base of a large oak tree on the far side of the estate.
"Do you think it's a clue?" Serena asked, her eyes widening.
"It has to be," Alexander said.
"It's too deliberate to be a coincidence."
Without hesitation, they hurried outside, making their way around the back of the manor. The grounds were overgrown and wild, but as they approached the area where the oak tree in the painting should have been, they found it—a towering, ancient tree, its branches stretching high above them.
At the base of the tree was a small stone marker, weathered by time and covered in moss. Kneeling down, Alexander began to clear the dirt and leaves from the marker, revealing an inscription:
"Here lies the second piece of the path. Only the worthy may continue."
Serena's heart raced as she knelt beside him.
"This is it," she whispered. "The map fragment."
Alexander began to dig carefully around the stone, and within minutes, they uncovered a small, iron box buried in the ground. He lifted it from the dirt and wiped it clean, his hands trembling slightly with anticipation.
"Let's see what we've got," Alexander said, unlocking the box with a small, rusted key they had found next to the marker.
Inside, wrapped in faded cloth, was a piece of parchment—a map fragment, just like the one the Montgomerys had shown them. Serena unfolded it carefully, her eyes scanning the page. The fragment was old, but the details were clear—lines and symbols that matched the first piece of the map.
"We found it," Serena said, her voice filled with a mixture of relief and excitement. "This is what we came for."
Alexander smiled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
"One step closer."
As they studied the map, Serena noticed something that hadn't been immediately clear. There were more symbols on this fragment, marking locations that hadn't appeared on the Montgomery map.
"There's another clue here," Serena said, pointing to a symbol that resembled a starburst.
"This could be the location of the next fragment."
Alexander nodded, his expression serious.
"Then we have our next destination."
But even as they prepared to leave, Serena couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The Hargrove manor, despite its abandonment, felt alive with the weight of history. And as they walked back to the car, she cast one last glance at the crumbling mansion.
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together, but they were not alone in this race. Vanguard was still out there, searching for the same thing—and every step they took brought them closer to a dangerous confrontation.
As they drove away from the forgotten manor, Serena and Alexander knew that the path ahead was fraught with peril. But they were more determined than ever to protect the artifact, no matter what it took.