The car sped down the narrow mountain road, the headlights cutting through the mist that clung to the Carpathians. Serena sat in the passenger seat, her heart pounding with the adrenaline of their escape. The image of the collapsing monastery was still fresh in her mind, the weight of the *Crux Ignis* now heavy in their possession. Every bump in the road made her flinch, as if the artifact's volatile power was seeping into the air around them, waiting to unleash itself.
Alexander's knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel, his eyes locked on the road ahead. He hadn't said much since they fled the ruins, and Serena could feel the tension radiating off him. In the back seat, Rebecca was hunched over the wrapped cross, her expression grim as she kept a close eye on the readings from her handheld scanner.
"The energy levels are fluctuating," Rebecca said, her voice tight with concern.
"The *Crux Ignis* is… unstable."
Serena's stomach dropped.
"What do you mean unstable? Is it like the *Sangreal*?"
Rebecca shook her head. "Not exactly. It's hard to explain, but this artifact seems to be reacting to its environment. The further we get from the monastery, the stronger its energy spikes. It's as if removing it from its resting place triggered something."
Serena cursed under her breath. "That can't be good. Is there anything we can do to stop it from… I don't know, exploding?"
Rebecca looked up, her eyes grim. "Not without a proper containment field. The one I rigged up back at the safe house won't hold much longer if the artifact keeps reacting like this. We're on borrowed time."
Alexander's jaw clenched. "We need to figure out how to neutralize it—now. We can't keep driving around with two unstable artifacts in the back seat."
Serena's mind raced, trying to piece together a plan. They couldn't go to Adrian, not after what they'd learned about the *Crux Ignis*. Handing him that kind of power would be disastrous. But they also couldn't afford to keep both artifacts in their possession, not when they were both growing increasingly volatile.
"What about hiding them?" Serena suggested, her voice strained. "Is there somewhere we can take them—somewhere remote enough that no one will find them, at least until we figure out how to deal with them?"
Alexander hesitated, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror. "There are places," he said, his voice low. "But they won't stay hidden for long. Artifacts like these attract attention. We need something more permanent."
Serena racked her brain, trying to think of anyone they could turn to for help. But the people who specialized in artifacts were few and far between—and most of them, like Adrian, were more interested in acquiring power than in keeping it out of the wrong hands.
"There's one other option," Alexander said after a long silence. "It's risky, and I'm not sure if it'll work, but it's all we've got right now."
Serena glanced at him. "What is it?"
"There's a facility, hidden deep in the mountains near the Swiss border," Alexander explained, his voice grim. "It's run by a group called the Covenant—a secret organization that specializes in containing and neutralizing dangerous artifacts. They've been doing it for centuries, but they're incredibly secretive. We'd have to convince them to help us, and that won't be easy."
Serena's pulse quickened. "The Covenant? You never mentioned them before."
"I didn't want to," Alexander admitted, his expression dark. "They're not exactly friendly. They believe in protecting the world from artifacts, but their methods are… extreme. If we go to them, we'll be putting ourselves at their mercy."
Rebecca spoke up from the back seat, her voice tense. "Extreme how?"
"They don't just contain artifacts," Alexander said. "They destroy them. And anyone who gets in their way. If they think we're a threat, they won't hesitate to eliminate us, too."
Serena felt a chill run down her spine. "So, we're trading one dangerous group for another."
Alexander nodded. "Pretty much. But right now, they're our best shot. If we can get to them before the *Crux Ignis* or the *Sangreal* becomes too unstable, they might be able to help us."
Serena weighed their options. They were out of time and out of choices. The Covenant sounded like a dangerous gamble, but it was better than handing the artifacts over to Adrian—or worse, letting them destroy everything around them.
"Okay," Serena said, her voice steady. "We go to the Covenant. But we need to be prepared for whatever happens when we get there."
Alexander nodded, his eyes flicking to the GPS as he adjusted their course. "We're a few hours away from the border. If we push through the night, we can be at the facility by morning."
As the car sped through the winding mountain roads, Serena couldn't shake the sense of impending doom. The *Crux Ignis* was growing more unstable by the minute, and the *Sangreal* was still a ticking time bomb. They were caught between two deadly forces, with no clear way out.
Hours passed in tense silence, the night stretching on as they made their way toward the Swiss border. The narrow roads grew steeper, the trees taller and thicker, until finally, the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn. The mountains loomed around them, jagged peaks piercing the sky as they approached the facility.
"There it is," Alexander said, pointing to a structure hidden in the distance. It was barely visible through the mist and trees, a series of low, stone buildings that seemed to blend into the landscape. A tall fence surrounded the perimeter, and as they drew closer, Serena could see heavily armed guards patrolling the grounds.
"This place looks like a fortress," Rebecca muttered, her eyes wide. "Are you sure we can trust them?"
"I don't trust anyone," Alexander replied, his voice grim. "But right now, we don't have a choice."
They pulled up to the entrance, where a guard waved them to a stop. Serena's heart pounded as Alexander rolled down the window, offering the guard a set of identification papers.
"We're here to speak with the Covenant," Alexander said, his voice calm but firm. "We have something they'll want to see."
The guard glanced at the papers, then at the containment case in the back seat. His eyes narrowed as he radioed in to someone inside the facility. After a moment, he nodded and waved them through.
"Proceed to the main building," the guard said, his voice clipped. "You'll be escorted from there."
As they drove through the gates, Serena's pulse quickened. They had made it this far, but what awaited them inside was still a mystery. The Covenant had a reputation for being ruthless when it came to dangerous artifacts, and there was no guarantee they would help without exacting a steep price.
"Stay alert," Alexander warned as they parked the car and stepped out. "We don't know what kind of welcome we're going to get."
Serena nodded, her heart racing as they approached the main building. The air was thick with tension, and the guards surrounding the facility watched their every move.
The heavy wooden doors swung open, and a tall, imposing figure stepped out to greet them. Dressed in a long, dark coat, the man's piercing blue eyes locked onto Serena's with an intensity that made her breath catch.
"Welcome," he said, his voice smooth but cold. "You must be the ones carrying the *Sangreal* and the *Crux Ignis*."
Serena's blood ran cold. He knew.
The man smiled faintly, as if reading her thoughts. "You've brought something of great value to the Covenant. Now, let's see if you're willing to pay the price for our help."