Shadows We Keep

Chapter 14 : Sanctum of Shadows

The slums smelled of raw sewage and burning plastic. St. Lazarus loomed, its bell tower broken, moonlight pooling in cracked windows. Leila clutched the sketchbook, its pages fluttering like nervous birds.

Inside, the Ember Guard patrolled with makeshift weapons. Marco led the way, his old instincts kicking in. A sudden c***k—one guard fell, a blade in his back. Marco shoved Rae and Leila behind a shattered pew.

“Go! I’ll hold them,” Marco whispered, eyes fierce. He detonated a grenade, the explosion echoing through the nave, dust swirling.

Leila’s sketchbook fell open; a hidden map glowed faintly in the ink. The crypt lay beneath the altar. Rae dragged her through debris, the scent of incense mixing with gunpowder.

In the crypt, a stone slab held a silver chest. Inside, the ledger—a thin, leather‑bound codex, pages filled with numbers, names, dates. A soft chime rang as a voice crackled from a hidden speaker: *Mia.*

“Leila, I’m sorry. I worked with Victor Jr. to protect you. I never wanted this.”

Leila’s heart pounded. “Mia, what—”

Rae slammed the chest shut. “We take it. We end it.”

They fled as the church collapsed, Marco’s silhouette disappearing in flames. Back on the streets, sirens wailed. Kira waited with a van, eyes wide.

“It’s done,” Rae said, breath ragged. “Now what?”

Leila opened the ledger, a single line catching her eye: “Account 7‑12‑9. Sunrise.”