Chapter 10: Secrets Uncovered
The trio receives an encrypted message with instructions to meet in the Roman Catacombs at midnight. The message hints at answers waiting for them there but warns that only those "willing to confront their past" will find the truth. The cryptic words echo in their minds, a warning that makes each of them uneasy but also resolute.
As they enter the dark, narrow passageways of the catacombs, their flashlights reveal centuries-old bones and remnants of ancient crypts. The chilling atmosphere mirrors the dread they feel, but they press on, following the instructions they memorized from the message.
They arrive at an underground chamber marked with symbols that Amelia recognizes from her research—a crest that belonged to a secret society of art dealers and collectors, a group infamous for trafficking stolen masterpieces. The Architect's origins, she realizes, are deeply entwined with this society. Among the relics, they find a worn journal filled with details about the society's activities, including a ledger of transactions that ties The Architect to Amelia's grandmother. Shocked, she discovers that her grandmother was forced into hiding due to her knowledge of the society's crimes.
But before she can absorb the revelation, they hear footsteps approaching. Amelia barely has time to hide the journal before a figure emerges from the shadows: the same hooded man they encountered in the monastery. He claims to be a former associate of The Architect, a man known as "The Keeper," tasked with guarding the secrets of the society. He warns them that the deeper they dig, the more they risk becoming pawns in The Architect's twisted "masterpiece."
The Keeper implies that each of their families has something to hide, secrets that The Architect will use to control and manipulate them. He leaves them with one final cryptic message: "In the end, you may find that your enemy was closer than you thought." As they exit the catacombs, the weight of the journal and the Keeper's words linger, deepening their fears and mistrust.