The rain in Bangkok came down in sheets, blurring the neon glow of the city. Helena stood with her coat pulled tight, eyes scanning the crowded street market. The three sisters—Elise, Marta, and Hana—walked close behind her, their youthful faces masked by the same tension that coiled in Helena's chest.
They weren't just here for the spy anymore. The captured commander had given them a clue before he was transported back to Germany. A fragment of a plan. A whispered phrase.
"The Coil Awakens."
Helena repeated it silently as they slipped into a quiet tea house where a government informant waited. The man's hands shook as he poured steaming cups, glancing nervously at the window as though Black Serpents might slither in at any moment.
"They are gathering in the ruins beneath Angkor," he whispered. "Not just soldiers, not just assassins. Priests. Architects of the Coil."
Elise frowned, crossing her arms. "Architects?"
The informant nodded quickly. "They build—not with stone or steel, but with sacrifice. They plan to weave together the remains of ancient serpent cults into one ritual. They will cut the world in two—destroying this one, and birthing a new realm where they reign supreme."
The sisters exchanged looks. Marta's fists clenched.
"Then we'll cut them first," she muttered, her strength sparking in her knuckles.
Helena shook her head, her tone sharp. "This isn't a fight you rush into. If the Serpents have found a way to use ritual and power like this, they're working on a scale we've never faced before. We need proof. And we need to know how close they are to finishing."
The youngest sister, Hana, tilted her head. A faint hum of electromagnetic energy crackled at her fingertips.
"What if the Dagger can stop it? If their ritual cuts the world, maybe the blade can… redirect it."
Helena looked at her, thoughtful but grim. "That's a possibility. But it means putting all of you right in the center of the storm."
Elise grinned suddenly, quick and reckless as always, her speed making her words tumble out.
"Then that's where we belong."
The informant leaned forward, voice dropping lower. "The Serpents move quickly. They already have three of the seven keystones needed for the Coil ritual. Once they reach Angkor with the final four, nothing will stop them."
Helena pushed her chair back, standing tall.
"Then we stop them before that happens. We'll move tonight."
The three sisters rose with her, determination burning in their eyes.
For the first time, Helena didn't see orphans at her side. She saw warriors.
And together, they would carve a path straight into the heart of the Black Serpents' darkest plan.