Marcus knocked once, then opened the door.
Adrian was at his desk, as always. The morning light filtered through the windows. The city below was waking up.
“You asked for an update,” Marcus said, setting a tablet on the desk.
Adrian didn't look up. “On what?”
“The symbol. The snake. You said to research it.”
Adrian's pen stopped moving. He set it down and picked up the tablet.
The screen showed a collection of images—carvings, paintings, photographs of ancient artifacts. A snake coiled in a circle.
“Ouroboros,” Marcus said. “Ancient symbol. Appears in multiple cultures. Represents cycles, eternity.”
Adrian scrolled.
“There's a variant that appears in Eastern European folk art. The same basic shape, but with specific stylistic details.”
Marcus pulled up another image. “This one is
