The morning sun stretched over Cairo, painting the sky in hues of orange and gold. Nick stirred awake, the weight of the previous night pressing down on him like an iron chain. Aisha's words still echoed in his mind.
"The Lost Stone... The Order of the Scarab... Your mother was close to the truth..."
He sat up, rubbing his temples. He had come here searching for answers, but now the answers only led to more questions. And the more he uncovered, the more dangerous this became.
After a quick shower, he pulled on a fresh shirt, grabbed the parchment Aisha had given him, and headed downstairs.
Dr. Hassan was already waiting for him at a quiet corner of the hotel café, sipping his usual dark coffee. His eyes lifted as Nick approached.
"You look like you've seen a ghost," Hassan remarked, setting his cup down.
Nick didn't waste time. He pulled out the parchment and slid it across the table. "Aisha came to me last night. She told me about The Guardians… and The Order of the Scarab."
Dr. Hassan's fingers hovered over the ancient document, his expression unreadable. "She told you about the Order?"
Nick frowned. "You knew about them?"
Dr. Hassan sighed. "I suspected. The more we uncovered about the Library, the more I feared we were not the only ones searching."
Nick leaned forward. "She said the Order doesn't want to preserve history… they want to control it. To rewrite it."
Dr. Hassan nodded grimly. "There have always been those who seek to manipulate history for their own gain. If what Aisha says is true, then we are dealing with something far more dangerous than we thought."
He turned his attention to the parchment. His eyes widened as he traced the eighth symbol. "This… this wasn't in the temple mural."
Nick shook his head. "Aisha called it The Lost Stone. She said it was erased from history."
Dr. Hassan studied the markings. "If this is true, then we may be missing the most important piece of the puzzle." He gestured to the poetic map they had recovered earlier. "We believed the seven stones were the key to unlocking the Library. But if there is an eighth… it could change everything."
Nick ran a hand through his hair. "Then we need to find it before the Order does."
Dr. Hassan leaned back, deep in thought. "We need more information. The poetic clues on the map might help, but first, we must confirm the existence of this eighth stone."
Nick nodded. "Where do we start?"
Dr. Hassan reached into his satchel and pulled out a worn leather journal. "Your mother's research. She compiled everything she knew about the Library and its secrets. If she ever found mention of this lost stone, it will be in here."
Nick took the journal carefully, his throat tightening. His mother's handwriting, precise and elegant, covered the pages. He skimmed through, searching for anything about an eighth stone.
Then, a passage caught his eye.
"There are whispers of an artifact beyond the seven. A stone unseen, hidden from history's gaze. Its location remains unknown, its power unfathomable. Some say it was cast into the void, never to be found again."
Nick looked up. "She knew. She knew it existed."
Dr. Hassan tapped a finger on the page. "But she never found it."
Nick exhaled. "So we're chasing a ghost?"
Dr. Hassan shook his head. "Not necessarily. If the stone was erased from history, there must be a reason. Something—or someone—didn't want it to be found."
Nick's mind raced. "If it was erased, that means there must be records of it somewhere. A place the Order didn't reach."
Dr. Hassan's eyes sharpened. "A hidden archive."
Nick's pulse quickened. "Where do we find one?"
Dr. Hassan hesitated, then spoke carefully. "There is one place that comes to mind. A place that has remained untouched for centuries. The Monastery of St. Catherine, in the Sinai desert."
Nick raised a brow. "A monastery?"
Dr. Hassan nodded. "It holds one of the oldest libraries in the world. Ancient texts, forgotten scrolls… if there is any mention of the lost stone, it may be there."
Nick sat back, considering. "Then that's where we go next."
Dr. Hassan offered a small smile. "We must move carefully. If the Order is watching, they will not let us search freely."
Nick clenched his jaw. "Then we make sure they don't see us coming."
SSF Surveillance Van – Watching From the Shadows
Rachel Kim adjusted her earpiece as she listened to the conversation unfold. Her team had been monitoring Nick and Hassan all morning.
She turned to Jackson. "Did you get all that?"
Jackson smirked. "Loud and clear. They're heading to St. Catherine's."
Rachel tapped her comms. "Director Reed, we have confirmation. They're searching for an eighth stone. Destination: Sinai."
Reed's voice was calm, controlled. "Good. Let them do the work. Once they find what we need, we take it from them."
Rachel leaned back in her seat, watching the feed of Nick and Dr. Hassan.
The game was in motion. And they were always one step ahead.