1. The Secret of the Cube

  The Secret Room

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  A black van glided to a stop outside Victor Shaw's house on the edge of Brooklyn. The door slid open, and agents in dark suits emerged one by one from theshadowy interior. They exchanged silent glances, communicating without words, then strode toward the house with the rehearsed precision of men who knew exactly what they'd come for.

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  Rush hour had long since passed, and the neighborhood lay still as frozen time. The houses stood at generous intervals, watching each other in mute solidarity. Even the occasional car that drifted by moved with a languid rhythm, far removed from the city's chaos. A dog on a morning walk barked once at the agents, then disappeared around a corner, tugged along by its owner's leash. In this stillness, the agents moved quickly yet carefully, leaving barely a trace.

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  They reached the front door and pressed the doorbell several times. No answer. After a brief wait, they produced their equipment—a portable touchpad. A few taps of the keypad, and the door lock vibrated softly before clicking open with a quiet snick.

  ? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ?? ????, ? ???? ??? ??? ??? ???. ?? ??? ?, ??? ???? ??? ?????. ??? ????? ? ?? ??? ????, ???? ?? ???? ‘??’ ?? ??? ???.

  The agents opened the door and slipped inside with well-trained efficiency, crouching low. Two remained outside, scanning the street—watching the windows of the house across the way, tracking the rare pedestrian who passed. Then they, too, followed inside.

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  At first glance, Victor Shaw's home felt warm and ordinary. Bookshelves lined the walls, arranged with meticulous care—books sorted by color, height, thickness. The kitchen and living room were spotless, stripped of the usual clutter of daily life. The space reflected its owner: orderly, disciplined, precise.

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  Yet beneath this calm surface—this tidy family home—lay a secret no one knew. A space known only to Victor and his daughter, Sophia. A chamber where fragments of humanity's lost past were preserved. A tomb of time, filled with ancient relics and documents. It was a place where stories the world preferred to forget slept quietly, waiting.

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  The agents moved methodically through the house, searching for the hidden room. They checked kitchen cupboards, examined the gaps between bookshelves, looking for any clue that might lead them to it. But there were no signs—no hidden buttons, no doorways revealing themselves. The house seemed to be hiding, evading their eyes in silence.

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  They headed upstairs to the second floor, scanning the bedroom that appeared to belong to Victor's daughter. After a quick sweep of the cluttered space, they returned to the first floor. Finally, they decided to give the study one more thorough look.

  ??? ?? 2??? ???. ??? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???? ? ??? ??? ?? ?, ?? ??? ????. ????? ??? ???? ????? ??.

  Inside the study, the agents began their search with renewed intensity, more tenacious than before.

  ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ????.

  One agent ran his hand along the desk, feeling for a hidden button. The others worked with practiced hands, pulling books from the shelves one by one, replacing them carefully, searching for any overlooked clue.

  ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ? ??? ?????, ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??.

  Then one agent's gaze stopped on a single book. It was slightly misaligned compared to the others—just a fraction off. Whether intentional or not, it stood out like a signal. The cover bore a familiar name: East of Eden by John Steinbeck.

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  The moment he pulled the book, a low, heavy mechanical sound echoed through the room. In the silence, it was unmistakable—the sound of something unlocking. Then the pencil holder on the desk began to rotate slowly in a circle. Beneath it, a hidden circular keypad emerged, gradually revealing itself. It was a thoroughly modern device, yet it radiated an eerie presence—like a ceremonial door rising from an ancient altar.

  ?? ??? ??, ‘??’ ?? ?? ??? ???? ? ?? ???. ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ????. ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????. ? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????. ??? ??? ???? ?????, ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????.

  The agents stood before it in silent bewilderment. They'd known the hidden room existed, but now they had to guess the password. As the silence stretched, Team Leader James stepped forward. He leaned back in the leather chair, casually propped his feet on the desk, and looked up at a corner of the ceiling—at the nearly invisible lens of a CCTV camera. He spoke slowly, as if calling an old friend.

  ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ??? ????? ? ???. ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ????, ??? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ????. ??? ??? ???, ?? ???? ??? ???. ?? ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ???. ???? ?? ?? ??, ?? ??? ?? CCTV ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???.

  "Dr. Shaw, we know you're there. Did you really think we'd recruit you without studying your home's layout? You need to think about your daughter. Sophia's still in high school."

  “?? ???, ?? ??? ? ? ???. ??? ? ? ??? ?? ? ??? ????? ???????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????.”

  Down in the secret room, Victor had been hastily packing a travel bag when he heard the words. He froze. On the CCTV monitors mounted on the wall, he'd been watching the Heritage agents enter his home, watching them search every corner of the house.

  ??, ??? ??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ? ?? ?? ?? ????. ?? ??? ?? ?? CCTV ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ?? ???, ? ?? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???.

  The security system in his secret room was airtight—he'd believed no one could get in. No matter what they said, he had no intention of opening the door. But the mention of his daughter's name made him pause mid-motion. The moment they said Sophia, the iron walls of his resolve began to crack.

  ??? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ??? ? ??? ??? ???, ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???. ??? ?? ??? ????, ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ?? ? ?? ???. ??? ‘???’? ??? ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???.

  James, as if anticipating the silence, smiled faintly and continued.

  ???? ??? ??? ????? ?, ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???.

  "As you know, the ancient artifact box has gone missing. The Foundation considers you a prime suspect. But if you return it, the Chairman has assured me there will be no consequences. To be honest, Dr. Shaw, no one ever thought you'd steal from the Foundation's collection. You were one of the most diligent and precise scholars we had. That's what makes this so strange. Why would you do something like this?"

  “?????, ?? ?? ??? ??????. ????? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???. ??? ??? ???? ??????, ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?????. ??? ???, ?? ???, ??? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ???? ????. ???? ???? ??? ??? ???????. ??? ? ??? ???. ? ?? ?? ??????…”

  James leisurely lit a cigarette.

  ???? ???? ????? ?????.

  "The Foundation believes you made a simple mistake, Dr. Shaw. We were always going to meet. Now, please—open the door to your secret room."

  “????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ????. ?? ???, ??? ??? ??? ?? ????. ?? ??? ? ?? ?????.”

  James stared directly at the CCTV and delivered his final line.

  ???? CCTV? ???? ??? ?? ???.

  "The other team is nearly at Branson High School to meet Sophia. You're running out of time, Doctor."

  “?? ? ?? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???. ??? ????, ???.”

  The moment they invoked Sophia's name, Victor's decision was already made. He watched as Team Leader James pointed at his watch, using his daughter as leverage—a battle he could never win.

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  He exhaled a deep, resigned sigh and pressed the button on the wall. With a soft click, the first-floor study began to transform. The desk and chair where James sat slid to one side, and the floor split down the middle, revealing a staircase descending into the basement. The agents, standing in place, watched the door to the "secret room" open and cautiously observed the staircase leading underground.

  ?? ?? ??? ??? ????, ? ? ??? ?? ??? ???. ?? ‘??’ ??? ?? 1? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????. ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????, ??? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????. ???? ??? ? ?? ??? ‘??? ?’ ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????.

  As the agents descended step by step, lights flickered on in sequence, as if guiding their way. After walking a few meters down the narrow passage, Victor's secret room gradually came into view.

  ???? ??? ?? ????? ? ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???. ?? ?? ?? ? ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ????.

  At the bottom of the stairs, they finally faced it. This was no ordinary basement. It was a library that had forgotten time, a vault where civilizations hid their treasures, a place where stories humanity might not be able to bear lay sleeping. Massive shelves on both sides were filled with manuscripts and relics that had endured hundreds—even thousands—of years. It was like a small universe, holding its own timeline in the darkness.

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  Victor's secret room felt like a space suspended at the boundary between the ancient world and the present. It was as spacious and cozy as if the warm living room upstairs had been transplanted below, yet the objects it held were anything but ordinary. The relics placed there were not mere remnants of ancient glory. They were memory itself, inheritance—stories passed down through thousands of years, from hand to hand.

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  The artifacts neatly preserved on the shelves seemed to glow with a strange, living light, quietly proving their existence. The documents were not simple records. They were the crystallized wisdom of Victor Shaw, the footsteps of a passionate search for truth etched into every page.

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  Inside glass cases, the relics were arranged in pristine order, silent but surrounded by a cutting-edge laser security system designed by Victor's daughter, Sophia.

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  An invisible shield encased the artifacts, ensuring that no intruder could easily extract anything from inside the glass.

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  In one corner of the room, several servers hummed continuously. The small LED lights flickered rhythmically, as if they too were alive, adding a subtle tension to the quiet sanctuary.

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  One thing particularly stood out: just as there was a fireplace upstairs in the living room, there was a separate fireplace here in the underground secret room. It seemed designed to maintain a warm temperature during winter and eliminate the damp humidity of the basement—a natural climate control system to protect the ancient manuscripts.

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  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  At the edge of the fireplace lay a pile of ash from burnt books, still giving off a faint wisp of smoke. Among the charred remnants of paper were fragments of a notebook that had escaped complete incineration. It was a trace of something hidden—or perhaps the final desperate act to erase a secret that should never be revealed to the world.

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  Standing hunched near the entrance to the secret room, Victor no longer resisted. He met the agents with a calm expression. James spoke in a smooth, almost collegial tone.

  ??? ? ??? ????? ? ?? ??? ? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ????. ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???.

  "Where is the ancient artifact box?"

  “?? ????? ??? ?????”

  Victor answered briefly and clearly.

  ??? ?? ???? ????.

  "It's not here."

  “??? ????.”

  The air in the room grew cold. The agents' eyes sharpened as they glared at Victor. For a moment, Victor looked flustered, averting his gaze as he made excuses.

  ? ??, ? ?? ??? ?????. ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????. ??? ?? ??? ? ??? ??? ??? ?????.

  "The truth is... I lost the bag that had the box in it."

  “??… ??? ?? ? ??? ???????.”

  Team Leader James stared at him with a look of disbelief.

  ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????.

  "You lost the artifact box? Where?"

  “?? ??? ???????? ??? ?????”

  "At the Lee Avenue bus stop. My bag got switched there."

  “? ??? ?? ??????. ???? ??? ?????.”

  James smiled with a trace of skepticism.

  ?????? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???.

  "Doctor, the box is just an old wooden crate. Why would you steal an insignificant piece of scrap wood and go through all this trouble?"

  “???, ? ??? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?????. ??? ?? ?? ?? ?????? ? ???, ??? ???? ?????”

  Victor pressed his lips together in silence. After a long pause, he lifted his head and spoke quietly.

  ??? ??? ??? ??? ???. ? ?? ??, ?? ??? ?? ??? ???.

  "I just... wanted to study the box a little more, so I brought it home."

  “?… ??, ? ??? ? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????.”

  "You expect me to believe that?"

  “?? ?? ??? ???????”

  James suddenly erupted, unable to suppress his rising anger.

  ???? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?? ??? ?????.

  "Do you not realize that the Heritage Foundation's research systems are far superior to your study? Not to mention, you completely violated the Foundation's protocols."

  “???? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???????.”

  Then came the cold question again.

  ??? ?? ? ?, ??? ??? ????.

  "Where is the ancient artifact box?"

  “?? ????? ??? ?????”

  Victor lowered his head and whispered, almost inaudibly.

  ??? ??? ???, ?? ???? ???.

  "I really did lose it."

  “??? ???????.”

  James clicked his tongue in derision.

  ???? ?? ?? ????.

  "Come on, Doctor. You expect me to believe you stole something so important and then carelessly lost it? If I were you, I'd come up with something more plausible. That's the kind of answer a kindergartner would give..."

  “?? ?? ?? ????. ?? ? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ? ? ???. ???? ?? ??? ???…”

  He gestured to the agents around him.

  ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???.

  "Search this secret room thoroughly. There are plenty of places to hide things here, so don't miss a single spot. The artifact scanner won't work—there are too many ancient documents down here. You'll have to search manually."

  “?? ??? ?? ??? ????. ?? ??? ?? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???! ?? ???? ??? ????? ?? ??? ? ? ?? ???. ???? ??? ?? ????? ??? ????.”

  The agents immediately began combing through the room. They searched the floor, pulled books from the shelves one by one, opened drawers, and tapped on walls. They examined the manuscripts and relics Victor had so meticulously organized, searching for any trace of the ancient box. The agents upstairs used artifact scanners to sweep every corner of the first and second floors, but the box was nowhere to be found.

  ??? ?? ?? ???? ?? ? ?? ??? ????. ???? ??? ???, ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??, ??? ??, ?? ????. ??? ??? ??? ?? ????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ?????. 1?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???? 1?? 2?, ? ? ????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???.

  Then one agent shouted. He'd been tapping on a wall that sounded hollow.

  ??? ?, ? ??? ????. ?? ?? ???? ‘??’ ?? ??? ????? ???.

  "Leader, there's a hidden compartment here."

  “???, ??? ?? ??? ????.”

  James finally smiled—a bitter grin. He looked at Victor with mockery, as if he'd just caught a criminal red-handed.

  ???? ??? ??? ??? ???. ?? ????? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???.

  "I knew it, Dr. Shaw."

  “??? ?????, ?? ???.”

  He placed a hand on Victor's shoulder and spoke in a soft voice.

  ?? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???.

  "Now, would you mind opening this safe for us?"

  "?, ?? ? ??? ????????”

  Victor looked visibly flustered. He hurried to make excuses.

  ??? ??? ??? ????. ?? ??? ??? ?????.

  "That's... just something my daughter and I made for fun. There's really nothing important in it."

  "??… ?? ? ?? ???? ?? ????. ?? ?? ????.”

  Unable to resist James's veiled threats, Victor reluctantly opened it. When the agents checked inside, they found a jumble of accessories, trinkets, and a small notebook.

  ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ?? ? ?? ?????. ???? ??? ?? ????, ??? ??? ????? ????, ??? ?? ??? ??? ???.

  One agent picked up the notebook and flipped through it before reporting.

  ? ??? ??? ?? ?? ???? ????.

  "This looks like... a collection of poetry. There are several poems written inside."

  “??… ?? ????. ?? ?? ? ?? ?? ?? ????.”

  James took the notebook and turned to the first page. There was a rather enigmatic poem with his daughter's name written at the top:

  ???? ??? ?? ?? ? ???? ?????. ???? ?? ??? ???? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???.

  Garden of green,

  beautiful as joy's bloom,

  Beloved daughter Sophia.

  Remember history,

  cry out for truth.

  Our lives will find peace.

  Have faith.

  ?? ??.

  ??? ??? ????,

  ???? ? ???.

  ??? ????, ??? ?? ???.

  ??? ?? ??? ?? ???.

  ??? ???.

  James glanced at the poem and shook his head.

  ???? ?? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???.

  "We came here to find the ancient artifact box. Don't waste time on poetry. Put it back."

  “??? ?? ???? ??? ? ???. ?? ?? ??? ?? ?? ??. ? ??? ???.”

  His voice was cold as steel. The agent reluctantly returned the notebook to the hidden safe.

  ?? ???? ??? ????. ??? ?? ??? ? ??? ?? ??? ?? ?????.

  The agents searched the secret room thoroughly. Medieval-style maps were faintly drawn on the walls, and the bookshelves were packed with documents written in Latin and ancient Hebrew. But there was no trace of the artifact box.

  ???? ??? ?? ??? ???. ???? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???, ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ????. ??? ????? ??? ???? ???.

  "Leader"

  “???,”

  One agent reported in a low voice.

  ? ??? ?? ??? ????.

  "There's nothing here. Should we search the first and second floors again?"

  “???? ????. 1?? 2?? ?? ? ? ??? ????”

  James shook his head decisively.

  ???? ???? ??? ???.

  "If it's not even in the secret room, then it's really not here..."

  “??? ??? ???, ??? ?? ?? ????…”

  He fell silent for a long moment. Quietly surveying the room, his hand slipped inside his coat. As if confirming the cold touch of metal, his fingers wrapped around the grip of his pistol. He bowed his head and drew it out.

  ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???. ??? ??? ???? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????. ??? ??? ??? ????, ??? ??? ???? ???, ?? ??? ??? ??? ?????.

  "Doctor"

  “???,”

  James said softly, his gaze fixed on Victor.

  ???? ??? ???? ??? ? ???? ???.

  "Will you bet your life on that worthless wooden box? You know how the Heritage Foundation operates. I'll ask you one more time. Where is the box?"

  “? ??? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? ? ?????. ?? ?????. ??? ??? ?????”

  His voice was quiet but edged like a blade.

  ?? ???? ????? ?? ? ???.

  Victor stepped back, panic spreading across his face, waving his hands.

  ??? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ????.

  "It's the truth! I really did lose it. I had it in my burgundy leather bag—the one I always carry. I was about to get on the bus when my bag got switched. I'll find it myself! Right now, if I have to!"

  “?????. ?? ??????. ?? ? ??? ??? ??? ? ????? ?? ??? ??? ???, ?? ??? ??? ??? ????. ?? ?? ?? ?????. ?? ?????!”

  James sneered.

  ???? ?????? ?? ??.

  "From where? Where will you find it? Do you even know whose bag you switched with?"

  “????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ?????”

  Victor's lips moved as if to speak, but no words came out. His voice scattered into the air like vapor.

  ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???, ?? ?? ? ? ???. ???? ?? ?? ???? ????.

  "I have no choice. I must follow the Foundation's orders."

  “?? ? ???. ?? ??? ??? ?? ? ?? ????.”

  James exhaled a long sigh—not weariness, but cold resignation. Before the sigh had even ended, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

  ???? ? ??? ???, ??? ???? ????. ??? ????????? ????. ??? ? ??? ???? ??, ?? ???? ?? ???? ???.

  Two more shots rang out. Victor clutched his chest and collapsed to the floor without a sound. As he gasped for breath, coughing up blood, his eyes grew dim, and soon his breathing stopped completely.

  ??? ? ? ? ??? ??? ??? ????, ???? ?? ?? ? ???? ????. ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??????, ?? ??? ?? ?????.

  One of the agents approached and checked his pulse, then nodded.

  ??? ??? ? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?????, ??? ????.

  "No movement."

  “??? ????.”

  James lowered his gun and spoke.

  ???? ?? ??? ???.

  "Drag him to a corner of the room. Make it look like suicide. Put the gun in his hand."

  “?? ??? ??? ? ??? ??. ??? ??? ??? ???. ?? ?? ?? ????.”

  The agents moved with trained efficiency. No one showed a trace of emotion. A short while later, the agents returned to the first floor, awaiting James's next order. James stood at the top of the stairs, looking down one last time at the secret room, and gave a brief command.

  ???? ???? ????? ??? ????. ??? ??? ??? ??? ???. ?? ?, 1??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???. ???? ?? ?? ?? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?, ?? ??? ???.

  "Erase every trace we left behind. Then we leave."

  “??? ?? ??? ?? ??? ???.”

  Following orders, the agents cleaned up everything—repositioned glasses, wiped fingerprints from doorknobs, erased every footprint. Then, as if nothing had happened, they slipped out of Victor Shaw's house.

  ??? ?? ???? ???? ??, ? ???? ??, ???? ???? ???? ????. ??? ?? ?? ???? ?, ??? ?? ?????.

  Outside, they silently climbed into the black van. The engine hummed to life, and the vehicle glided away down the street.

  ??? ?? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????. ?? ??? ??? ???? ???, ??? ??? ????? ?????.

  Inside the van, James pulled out his phone with an expressionless face. After a few seconds of ringing, someone answered.

  ? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???. ? ?? ???? ?? ?, ???? ??? ???.

  "I'm sorry,"

  “?????,”

  James said bluntly.

  ???? ??????? ???.

  "We didn't secure the artifact box."

  “????? ???? ?????.”

  A woman's voice came through the receiver—calm on the surface, but with a sharp edge underneath. After a brief exchange, her voice turned biting.

  ??? ??? ??? ???? ?????. ?????, ? ?? ?? ?? ? ???. ? ??? ?? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????.

  "How could you kill the researcher before finding the artifact?"

  “??? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?? ?????”

  Her tone maintained politeness, but it was steeped in anger. After enduring a lengthy reprimand, Team Leader James lowered his head and answered cautiously.

  ??? ???? ??? ??? ????, ??? ??? ??? ???. ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ????.

  "I acted rashly. I'll find the artifact box and return with it."

  “?? ??????. ????? ??? ??? ???????.”

  "Were there no other clues?"

  “?? ??? ??????”

  "Nothing besides the ancient documents. He did say something strange, though. He claimed he lost the artifact box he'd stolen. Said his bag got switched at the 'Lee Avenue' bus stop near his house."

  “???? ??? ????. ??? ??? ?? ?? ????. ??? ??? ????? ?????? ???. ??? ? ??? ?? ‘? ???’ ?? ????? ??? ????? ????.”

  The voice on the line scoffed.

  ?? ??? ???? ??? ?????.

  "Leader, do you actually believe that? In that situation, Victor could've said anything. He was just spouting nonsense."

  “???, ? ?? ????? ?????? ? ???? ??? ?? ?? ? ????? ?? ??? ?????.”

  James paused, then replied in a low voice.

  ???? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???.

  "It didn't feel like that. It seemed fairly credible."

  “?? ??? ??????. ??? ???? ?? ?????.”

  The voice on the phone grew even colder, like a blade.

  ??? ??? ???? ???? ? ?????.

  "You bungled this job completely! And now you're defending Victor?"

  “?? ? ??? ???? ??? ???! ?? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??????”

  The voice grew harsher. After a brief silence, a cold command came through.

  ???? ??? ?? ?????. ??? ?? ?, ??? ??? ????.

  "Fine. Head to Branson High School immediately. Find Dr. Victor Shaw's daughter—Sophia. Bring her in. Under no circumstances is she to be harmed. Don't threaten her. Don't use force. Bring her politely. She might know where the artifact box is. Or... she may already have it."

  “????. ?? ?? ??? ????? ???. ?? ??? ?, ???. ? ??? ??? ?????. ??? ??? ?? ? ???. ??? ?? ??, ??? ?? ???. ???? ???? ???. ? ??? ????? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???. ???… ?? ??? ???? ????.”

  "Yes,"

  “?,”

  James nodded.

  ???? ??? ????.

  "I won't make another mistake."

  “???? ???? ?????.”

  After ending the call, he turned to the agents in the backseat and ordered.

  ??? ?? ?? ???? ???? ???? ????.

  "We're going to Branson High School. Find Sophia Shaw, second year. The orders are to bring her in respectfully. Do not threaten her."

  “??? ????? ??. 2?? ??? ?? ???. ???? ????? ????. ??? ???? ? ?.”

  The agents slipped away like shadows, invisible to anyone. But there was one person they hadn't noticed at all.

  ???? ????? ??? ?? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???. ??? ??? ?? ???? ?? ? ??? ???.

  Across the street. Second-floor window.

  ??? ? 2? ??.

  Hidden behind a tree, barely visible—a man stood at the second-floor window of the house across the street, watching them in silence. Expressionless. Still. He said nothing, simply observing as the agents in suits entered Victor's house and, after a long while, emerged again.

  ???? ??? ? ??? ?? ?? ??? ? 2? ???? ? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???. ???? ??, ??? ??. ?? ?? ? ??, ??? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ???? ???.