"Crime Scene: The Macabre Theatre"
Rose, in her Knight Stalker uniform, arrived at the crime scene on the outskirts of Bloom Town—an abandoned, strangely lit theatre. Captain Kaelen Brice was there, his usual stoicism fighting a hidden fury.
"He left us no doubt about his signature, RoB," Brice muttered.
The victim sat at a makeshift gambling table. In front of him, a chess board was set up: small, wax-sealed poison vials for the black pieces, vitamin capsules for the white. The man's face was frozen in terror. The black vial he had drawn was empty.
"A blind wager," Maya interjected, leaning over the table. "The victim had to choose a piece and swallow it. If he chose a black piece, he lost."
"There's one more thing," Brice said, pointing to the floor.
In the dust, a unique symbol was drawn in white chalk: a complex circular motif resembling a stylized rose whose petals were actually eyes.
"The Echo of Amnesia"
Maya approached the symbol. The moment her eyes focused on the chalk, her millennial composure shattered. A high-pitched sound hissed in her head, her vision blurred, and she heard the whisper of a dead language.
She stumbled backward.
"Maya! What is it?" Rose worriedly grasped her shoulders.
Maya forced herself to speak. "I… I don't know. That symbol." She pointed to the chalk with a shaking hand. "It's not modern. It's… ancient. So ancient. I think I know the hand that drew it. It's… personal." She shivered. "I have amnesia, Rose. I have holes in eight centuries of history."
Brice intervened. "If there's a connection, we must follow it. Gambler is personally linked to the Order, or to you, Maya."
Rose photographed the symbol. Brice confirmed the lead: "The witness said Gambler mentioned the Palladium in Rome. A casino that attracts the occult wealthy. You leave in four hours."
Rose nodded, her determination redoubled by her friend's distress.
"The Call to Robert and Departure"
Moments after Rose's departure, Christian Cilantro stood alone in his living room, phone to his ear. The scent of the cooled dinner amplified his bitterness. He had called his friend Robert.
"So, you owe me 20 bucks?" Robert asked mockingly.
Christian rubbed the fatigue from his eyes. His voice was irritated, yet defeated.
"She promised... I understand lives are at stake, but what about ours?"
A silence followed. Robert understood the weight of the moment.
"Look," Robert conceded, the mocking gone. "If I didn't know Rose, I'd tell you to pack your bags and move on. But she's a good person doing complicated work; you knew the risks getting involved with her."
"I knew she was dedicated, I didn't know she was on a secret intercontinental mission with no return date!" Christian felt the anger rise. "She said she was going far. Far, Robert. Is she supposed to be going to Rome for tax fraud?"
"You're a journalist, Christian, you're not stupid. This is the biggest crime story the city has had. She's on it, whatever she says. Let her do her job, and focus on yours."
They talked for a long time. Christian finally cut the call short and went to bed, alone.
"Flying into the Heart of the Ancient"
A few hours later, Rose and Maya were aboard a private jet, thousands of miles over the Atlantic. Rose held the hand of Maya, who was still pale, wrapped in a blanket.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Rose asked softly.
"I'm immortal, Rose. I saw the Roman Empire fall. I'm not okay, but I'm functional." Maya lifted her hand. "That symbol... It woke up something that was supposed to be dormant. It's like a fragment of my past life in Egypt suddenly returned, but without the history. Just the feeling that danger is coming."
The plane landed in Rome a short time later.
"The Rome HQ"
They were greeted by Octavia Sylva, Director of the Knights Stalkers HQ for the Rome-Athens region. Octavia, a forty-something with her hair in a ponytail.
"Welcome to Rome, agents," Octavia said. "The HQ is beneath the Colosseum, but the cover here is a customs office. Don't wander into the catacombs."
She led them into an unmarked civilian vehicle.
"The Palladium is under surveillance. It's a favorite hangout for shadow mages and illusion merchants. And it's a trap," Octavia announced. "Gambler's method is an affront to the Order. We're going to catch him in the act."
She turned to Maya. "The Rome Order has archives and connections with local sages dating back to your Egyptian period. If that symbol is linked to your past, we need to discover it before The Gambler uses your weaknesses against you."
The game in Rome was about to begin.