The Hidden Passage

The low rumble of the sliding panel echoed through the silent office.

Adrian stood motionless.

The bookshelf had shifted only a few inches, revealing a narrow stone staircase descending into darkness. Cold air drifted upward, carrying the scent of damp stone and old wood.

He swallowed hard.

"Should I really do this?"

Every instinct warned him to stay where he was.

But curiosity had always been both his greatest strength and his greatest weakness.

Taking a careful step forward, he reached for the wall. His fingertips brushed against rough stone, worn smooth by years of use. Whoever had built this passage had intended it to remain hidden.

He descended slowly.

The light from the office faded behind him until only a faint glow remained above.

Mmm

The staircase twisted downward before opening into a long underground corridor.

Small wall lamps cast a warm amber light across the stone floor.

The passage wasn't abandoned.

Someone maintained it.

His footsteps echoed softly as he walked farther inside.

Paintings lined the walls—not portraits of smiling families or peaceful landscapes, but scenes of old battles, ancient castles, and noble families dressed in crimson robes.

At the end of the corridor stood an enormous iron door engraved with a single symbol:

A crimson seal formed by two intertwined ravens.

Adrian traced the carving with his eyes.

"The Red Covenant..."

He didn't know why those words came to mind.

The symbol felt older than the mansion itself.

Before he could study it further, voices echoed from beyond the door.

He froze.

"...the council has arrived."

"The northern family refuses the agreement."

"We expected that."

Adrian carefully stepped closer.

The voices became clearer.

"They believe Miss De Luca has grown too powerful."

"And if they break the covenant?"

A brief silence followed.

Then another voice replied.

"Then there will be war."

Adrian's pulse quickened.

War?

What kind of organization held meetings beneath a private estate?

He leaned slightly toward the heavy door.

Just enough to listen.

Inside, several men and women sat around a circular table carved from black marble. Maps of Europe covered the walls, marked with pins and handwritten notes.

At the head of the table sat the woman in black.

She listened more than she spoke.

No one interrupted her.

No one questioned her decisions.

One older man finally stood.

"We should eliminate the witness."

The room fell silent.

Adrian's breath caught.

They were talking about him.

Another council member nodded.

"He knows too much."

A third disagreed.

"He's a university student. He's no threat."

The older man slammed his hand on the table.

"Every threat begins as a small mistake."

All eyes turned toward Miss De Luca.

She remained perfectly calm.

Finally, she spoke.

"No."

The single word carried enough authority to silence everyone.

The older man frowned.

"You're risking everything."

"I'm making a decision."

"He could betray us."

"He hasn't."

"And if he does?"

Her gaze never left the table.

"Then I will deal with it myself."

The discussion ended there.

No one challenged her again.

Adrian stepped back, his thoughts racing.

Why had she defended him?

She barely knew him.

Unless...

She had another reason for keeping him alive.

A sudden creak echoed behind him.

Adrian spun around.

One of the guards stood at the end of the corridor.

Their eyes met.

For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Then the guard shouted,

"He's here!"

Footsteps thundered through the underground passage.

Adrian turned and ran.

The corridor seemed twice as long as before.

He slipped on the damp stone but caught himself against the wall and kept moving.

Behind him, the guards closed the distance.

He reached the staircase and climbed two steps at a time, his lungs burning.

Just as he emerged into the office, someone grabbed his wrist.

"Enough."

It was her voice.

Calm.

Controlled.

He looked up.

Miss De Luca stood before him, her expression unreadable.

The guards rushed into the office moments later.

"We're sorry, Boss—"

She raised one hand.

They fell silent immediately.

Her attention remained fixed on Adrian.

"You've seen something you weren't meant to see."

Adrian met her gaze.

"You kept me alive."

"I did."

"You protected me in that meeting."

She didn't answer.

Instead, she walked toward the fireplace.

"You ask too many questions."

"And you never answer them."

For the first time, the faintest smile crossed her face.

"Perhaps."

She turned back to him.

"Tell me, Adrian..."

It was the first time she had spoken his name.

"...if the truth destroyed everything you believed about justice, would you still want to know it?"

Adrian didn't answer.

Because, for the first time in his life...

He wasn't sure.

Outside, thunder rolled across the Roman sky as rain continued to fall over the De Luca estate.

Somewhere beyond those walls, a new enemy had already begun watching both Adrian and Miss De Luca.

And before dawn arrived...

The first move against The Red Covenant had already been made.

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