Nikolai stands in front of his office's enormous windows, gazing up at the New York skyscrapers rising beneath the gloomy afternoon sky. When it was discovered that Ivy, the woman he trusted, was a traitor, everything became clear. The hidden message he received a few weeks ago has now been proven real.
"Snakes in the nest," Nikolai whispered to himself, remembering the words of the message, obscure yet piercing. He still wasn't sure who had sent the note. And he wanted to find out. Nikolai sat in the huge chair behind the maple desk, typing a brief message on his cell phone. He meticulously crafted a puzzle to entice the strange messenger.
The message:
"Only those who are familiar with the dark can hear the sound of snakes. You gave me the first hint; dare you reveal yourself? I'll wait where shade meets light, where we can chat silently."
Nikolai sent the message discreetly, sure that whoever was in charge of this sensitive information would not disregard it. The message was obscure yet obvious enough for those who understood, challenging the messenger to expose himself. His cell phone started vibrating. The response came faster than he expected.
The response was:
"The voice of the serpent is only heard by those who do not ignore their instincts. I'll give you an answer tonight; just know that you're not alone in the dark."
Nikolai narrowed his eyes, provoked. Not only did the messenger know about Ivy, but he might also know a deeper secret. A web of betrayal larger than just Ivy and Tiber. Now Nikolai had a new goal: to find out who was really behind it all, and why they had chosen him as their ally in this dangerous game.
That afternoon, Nikolai waited patiently, strategizing how to deal with the shadowy figure he was hunting.
***
Nikolai traveled alone through the long-abandoned train tunnel at night, the only sound coming from his footfall bouncing off the cold stone walls. The light of the full moon shining through the holes in the tunnel's ceiling formed a faint shadow, cautioning his heart.
"Nikolai," a raspy voice muttered from the distance. Soft but resonant, as if emanating from shadows deeper than the night itself. Nikolai paused and blinked in the direction of the voice.
"You sent the message," he stated bluntly, his voice trembling with anxiety.
The voice laughed quietly and coldly. "Messages are just the start of a bad path, Mr. Drakos. Are you ready to discover who your true enemy is?"
"Who are you?" Nikolai inquired, searching for a shadowy face in the tunnel's gloom. Soft footsteps approached, but the figure remained hidden in the darkness.
"I am a part of the shadow left behind," he said with a poetic tone. "Rejected by the hands that once held me. You understand, Nikolai, that when a serpent loses its power, it becomes merely a toy. I was once trusted, a member of the same power that is now destroying you."
Nikolai recognized this man was Tiber's erstwhile confidant, and he knew a lot about grief and treachery. "You want revenge on Tiber?"
The voice laughed deeper this time. "Nikolai, I want more than revenge. I want to destroy him from his crucial roots."
Slowly, the man stepped into the moonlight streaming from the aperture above the tunnel. In the dim light, the face appeared: sharp, icy, scarred, and filled with intense anger. The name was Archer Blackwood.
"I am the shadow that was once loyal, I was formerly his head of cybersecurity. But Tiber Marlowe has no loyalty. After determining that I was useless, it discarded me as if I were a meaningless fragment. And now I shall return that anguish to her, many times more than I have ever felt."
Nikolai stared at Archer with caution, knowing that he was dealing with an unforgiving individual. "Why should I trust you?"
Archer grinned weakly as he paused in front of Nikolai. "Because I know his flaws and darkest secrets. Do you want to destroy the Tiber? Then, Nikolai, we must work together. He possesses power, but we have darkness. And darkness has its own way of winning."
A cold wind blasted through the tunnel, causing Nikolai to feel suffocating stress. He understood he had an ally who was as vile as his adversary, maybe as dangerous as Tiber.
"Very well, Archer," Nikolai eventually said, his voice quiet but firm. "Tell me about your plan. I'm ready to start the war."
At that night's meeting in the dark tunnel, Archer Blackwood arrived with a calm but intimidating stride. Tiber has previously trusted Archer with its cyber security due to his competence and unequaled ability to detect even the smallest flaw in the system. However, that trust had now evolved into a menace, lurking in the shadows, full of malice and inconceivable ambitions.
Archer chuckled, his voice bouncing off the tunnel walls and carrying dark, menacing overtones. "Tiber... he forgets that for each labyrinth I create for her, I keep the secret key. Ironic, isn't it? Like a serpent building its own nest, only to be trapped inside by its adversary."
Nikolai's eyes were wide and interested as he glanced at Archer. "What exactly are you planning?"
Archer smiled softly, but it offered no serenity, rather like the shadow of an approaching storm. "You see, Tiber believed he had removed all of his adversaries. But he forgot that shadows never really fade. I'm that shadow, the path he unknowingly left behind. And this time, I'm not just here to clean up the mess. I've come to quietly but steadily erase everything she's ever built."
Nikolai felt his hair standing on end. "You really intend to destroy him, don't you?"
Archer nodded slowly, the nasty smile remaining on his face. "Imagine... the security apparatus that used to defend it is now its own nose. Every bit of information, every file, every secret he's ever kept... I'll open it cautiously, like if I were cutting a thorny rose. And only when he kneels before me, with only the remnants of destruction in his hands, will he realize that trust is the sharpest of blades."
Archer paused for a bit before looking at Nikolai with confidence. "And this time, the shadows will leave nothing to recall. Tiber Marlowe will be a legend, gone in digital dust in my hands."
Under the deep light of the full moon, the two men stood side by side, poised to carry out the darkest scheme they could think of—one that would shake everything Tiber Marlowe had ever been.
***