A knock at the door jolted Nick awake. His mind was still tangled in the remnants of his dream—whispers of forgotten civilizations, the glow of ancient symbols, and the unshakable presence of Aisha's warning: "You're playing with fire."
He sat up, rubbing his temples. The hotel room was dimly lit, the neon glow of Cairo's streets casting shifting shadows on the walls. Another knock, more urgent this time. Nick exhaled sharply, grabbing his watch. 2:47 AM.
"Who is it?" he asked.
A pause. Then, a familiar voice.
"Aisha."
Nick hesitated. He had every reason to distrust her, yet something told him she held answers he desperately needed.
He opened the door. Aisha stepped inside, dressed in a loose desert shawl, her expression unreadable. The weight in her gaze told him this wasn't a casual visit.
"We need to talk," she said, her voice hushed.
Nick locked the door behind her. "About what?"
Aisha scanned the room, as if sensing unseen eyes. "About The Guardians. And The Order of the Scarab. You need to understand what you're getting into before it's too late."
Nick crossed his arms. "Go on."
Aisha sat at the small table, brushing back a stray strand of hair. "The Guardians—my people—exist to protect knowledge. The truth about our world, the ancient civilizations that came before us, and the power they left behind." She paused. "But there are others who believe knowledge should be controlled. The Order of the Scarab is one of them."
Nick frowned. "Controlled how?"
Aisha's fingers traced the rim of a forgotten coffee cup. "They want the Library for themselves. Not to preserve history, but to rewrite it. Imagine if they could alter the past, erase enemies, change the fate of nations." She met his gaze. "Would you trust them with that power?"
Nick's pulse quickened. "And you? What do The Guardians want?"
Aisha's lips pressed into a thin line. "To keep the Library out of the wrong hands. It's our duty, passed down for generations. My family has been part of The Guardians for centuries."
Nick studied her. There was something deeper beneath her words, something personal. "And you? Why are you here?"
Aisha inhaled sharply. "Because my father died trying to protect the Library."
Silence stretched between them.
Nick's voice was careful. "The Order of the Scarab?"
Aisha nodded. "They ambushed him. He was one of the last guardians of the Library's entrance. He refused to tell them how to open it."
Nick clenched his fists. "I'm sorry."
She shook her head. "I don't need sympathy. I need to finish what he started. And you, Nick—you're part of this now."
Nick leaned forward. "Because of my mother?"
Aisha's gaze softened. "Yes. Her research brought her dangerously close to the truth. The Order took notice. Now, they'll come for you too."
Nick felt the weight of it all pressing down on him. He had started this journey seeking answers, but now he was caught in something far bigger—a war between those who protected knowledge and those who wanted to control it.
Then, Aisha pulled something from her pocket. A folded parchment, its edges worn with age.
"This," she said, "is what your mother was working on."
Nick unfolded it carefully. It was a fragment of the poetic map, the same one from the temple. But now, with fresh eyes, he noticed something else—an eighth symbol, one that hadn't been on the temple's mural.
Aisha's voice was barely a whisper. "The Lost Stone."
Nick's breath caught. "There's another stone?"
Aisha nodded. "It was erased from history. But if we find it... it might be the key to stopping the Order for good."
Nick stared at the parchment, thoughts racing.
Aisha stood up, wrapping her shawl tighter around herself. "I've told you what you need to know. What you do next is up to you."
She turned toward the door.
Nick hesitated. "Why tell me all this? Why now?"
Aisha glanced over her shoulder. "Because you're running out of time."
And with that, she was gone.
---
Outside the Hotel – SSF Surveillance Van
Rachel Kim watched the infrared feed of Nick's room. Her earpiece buzzed as Jackson, the team's tech expert, adjusted the signal.
"They're talking about an eighth stone," Rachel said, her voice sharp with interest.
Victor Chen's voice crackled over the comms. "Interesting. That wasn't in the original intel."
Rachel tapped a screen, zooming in on Aisha. "She's revealing too much. We should intervene before they get ahead of us."
"No," Director Reed's voice cut in. "We let them lead us to the stones. We need that map intact. Keep watching."
Rachel frowned but obeyed. She knew the game well enough—Nick was the unwitting pawn, and when the time was right, SSF would take what they needed.
For now, they waited.
---
Nick's Room – Moments Later
Nick sat motionless for a long time, staring at the parchment. The Lost Stone.
He reached for his phone, his fingers hovering over Dr. Hassan's number. He needed answers. Tomorrow, he and Dr. Hassan would go over everything.
For now, though, exhaustion claimed him once more.
As Nick drifted off, the small blinking device in the corner of his room continued its silent work—transmitting every word back to the SSF.
The hunt for the Library had truly begun.