The safehouse in Florence was quiet—too quiet. Santiago couldn't sleep. He paced the halls, his forensic instincts twitching.
Then he saw it.
The security camera feed blinked once—twice—and went black.
"Get down!" he shouted, grabbing Amara and Israel as the window exploded inward.
Masked attackers stormed the house. Gunshots echoed. Santiago pulled his family into a hidden passage the judge had installed under the floor. He slammed the trapdoor shut just before the door was kicked in.
Bianca arrived with backup within minutes, guns drawn. The attackers had fled—but not before leaving behind a symbol.
A burning ouroboros.
Santiago picked up a strange metallic pin one of the masked figures dropped. It had a Latin inscription: "Sanguis Est Imperium" — Blood Is Power.
He and Bianca brought it to the judge immediately.
The judge's face went pale. "I've seen this… when I was a young prosecutor. It belonged to a group called La Linea Nobile. A secret bloodline society. Extremely powerful. And extremely deadly."
"They're killing off their own?" Santiago asked.
"They're cleaning the past. Hiding what their ancestors did. And now you've made it personal, Santiago."
Meanwhile, Amara found something strange tucked inside Israel's toy—a microchip. Inside were digital files. Video recordings. Names. Documents from the past… showing dark alliances, assassinations, even rituals.
And one name stood out.
Lara Santos.
Alive.
The judge stared in disbelief. "She disappeared two years ago. We thought she was dead."
"She may be our key witness," Santiago said. "And I'm going to find her."
"But how?" Amara asked.
Santiago's eyes hardened.
"With the blood of the past and the truth of the present."