Chapter ONE
Mira
Athens, 2 a.m. - The rain slicks the marble steps of the Ministry of Antiquities, turning the city’s ancient lights into a watery blur. Inside, a sterile hallway hums with low-frequency drones. A door marked ∆-07 slides open. Mira Argyros steps through, her boots silent on the solid floor. She’s in a sleek black tactical suit, a thin, transparent visor covering her eyes. The visor flickers with a soft green overlay: TARGET IDENTIFIED—0 m.
She lifts a compact shield plate, engraved with an old serpent motif, and presses a thumb to the biometric scanner. A hiss, then a voice, warm yet metallic:
“Welcome, Medusa. Mission parameters loaded.”
A holographic map of Mykonos blooms. The target: Visillis Kostas, a notorious art thief, hosting a private auction in a Cliffside villa. The agency believes he possesses a mirror fragment rumored to reflect the true nature of any soul.
Mira’s fingers trace the edge of the shield. She feels the familiar sting at the back of her neck. The serpent shifting beneath her skin, a reminder that the curse never sleeps.
Jerry Pierre, an ex-military drill instructor, is already there, perched on a rooftop across the sea. He’s snapping the villa’s security cameras, his cameras flash catching the rain. When his lens pans to the balcony, their eyes meet through the visor’s augmented reality.
For a heartbeat, the world blurs. The visor flickers, ANOMALY DETECTED - STONE IMMUNITY. Jerry’s grin is crooked, unafraid.
“You’re not the first monster I’ve photographed,” he whispers into the comms, the words crackling through Mira’s earpiece.
She smirks, the serpents on her head rustling in response.
Mira vaults over the balcony, shield raised. She lands behind a guard. The guard reaches for his sidearm: stone erupts from his hand, shattering the night.
Jerry snaps a picture, the flash momentarily blinding the security drones.
Mira sneaks into the villa, her visor allowing her to blend in: almost all the guests have masks on. She picks up a glass of Champaign from one waiter as she approaches the center of the room. As she walks through the open room, the scent of freshly baked bread wafted from the nearby tables, and the echo of a tiny bell from the kitchen transported her back to the fateful day Medusa struck. The bell sound and the smell of fresh yeast enveloped her, and suddenly she was ten years younger, standing in Granny Betties bakery, Daniel next to her, picking out freshly baked pastries for the day. The sun beats down on the window, and she felt the cool breeze of the village when another customer entered. The doorbell rang lightly, like the fading echo of a church bell. The sounds were carried away by chirping birds and the distant laughter of children playing by the river.
Fingers brush against fingers, sending sparks. Daniel’s hand found hers, gentle pressure, and warm palm. A soft squeeze, a loving touch – hearts racing with every secret caress amidst strangers faces.
“Are you two trying to make us believe in love again?” A bitter old man sitting in the corner yelled.
“Leave them Ducats!” Granny interjected, “What will it be today?”
Unfazed by the remarks, Mira continued, pointing out her top three pastries: Croissant’s, Danish pastries and Cinnamon rolls. “Two of each, please.”
Granny picked out the pastries, placing them in a paper bag. One would think the service would be slow, with an old woman behind the counter. Granny B proved every doubter wrong, and she was pushing 80.
“That will be fourteen dollars.” Granny said, “Pick out two muffins, I won’t charge you for those.”
Mira picked out the chocolate coated, with coconut sprinkle, and then paid for the pastries. On their way out, the old man made one more comment.
“Are you two newlyweds…… with attention?”
Daniel snapped, approaching the old man, “That’s rich, coming from someone alone in public.” His momentum stopped by Mira pulling his jacket. One look at her face, he knew he had messed up. The walk to their apartment was unpleasant. It got worse when he slammed the door of their apartment.
“Why would you talk like that to an elderly person, in public?” Mira questioned.
“He was out of line Mira!” Daniel yelled, throwing his jacket on the couch, “Why are you always defending scumbags anyway?” Daniel mumbled.
“What was that? So you think acting like that made you any better?” Mira questioned. “What was that last part? I defend scum......” She didn’t finish her sentence; she staggered to the kitchen counter. Daniel approached Mira, but was waved off. She centered herself, balancing her equilibrium.
“Is it another headache?” Daniel asked calmly, “I’ll get you some pills.”
Mira was sucked into a vision. Ancient Athens landscape unfolded like a canvas of grandeur, with majestic temples standing sentinel, their columns etched against sky like giant stone sentinel. The scenery was from above, a bird’s eye view with majestic energies swirling around her. The scent of burnt offerings wafted through the air, heavy with anticipation.
Mira shook her head, hoping to get rid of the images. It didn’t help.
The vision moved faster through the temple, speeding up time, and then slowed down in a hallway. Two golden doors stood closed and tall. The vision darkened, leaving a small white center, as if Mira had pressed her eye to the key hole, the room beyond sprang into focus. A woman stood with her back to Mira, hunched over a table, their breathing the only sound. She had Long hair, and was medium height, dressed in a white robe.
The vision slowed even more. Now Mira could see herself behind the woman.
“What is this?” Mira questioned, reaching out to the figure.
Suddenly, the figure turned, screaming at Mira. Her eyes were hard, shiny, with a hypnotic intensity that seemed to bore into her soul. Her skin was a living geometry: repetitive hexagonal or diamond patterns as nature’s precise tessellation, a seamless, mathematical design stretched over muscle. A ghostly remnant of a creature, a transparent blueprint of its former self. Mira was frozen not into stone, but in time. The figure’s lower body turned into a serpent, her jet black hair into snakes. She was an inch from Mira’s face, the snake gently biting Mira. Each bite left a mark that glowed brightly, and then faded into her skin.
The figure then forced Mira’s mouth open and screamed one last time. Like a true coiled serpent, waiting in ambush, she lunged forward into Mira’s mouth: shrinking small enough to force herself down into her victim. The act defied science and logic. The vision ended as the tail went down her throat.
She still stood at the counter, Daniel still four feet away, looking dumb folded. She gasped for air, and then a gust of wind exploded from her body, throwing Daniel to the wall behind him and everything else around her. As the source of the explosion, she was unharmed. Daniel got up; before he could say anything, he saw something moving on Mira’s neck: under the skin.
He inched closer, each step heavier than the last. Every breath, deep and calm: an illusion of composure. He was trying to keep himself centered, he was going to help Mira: if he could.
Mira stood there, motionless. Whatever was moving up her neck split into five smaller objects: still under her skin, but now on her cheek. They converged when they reached her mouth. A finger came out, then another, and then another. Like a true quadratic equation, what was happening on the right side was also happening on the left. Soon, ten fingers were out.
Daniel stopped in his track, his mind desperately needing to make sense of what he was seeing.
Two hands; covered in a slimy good. They grasped on to Mira’s mouth: top and bottom lips. A figure shot out of her mouth screaming.
Daniel fell backwards onto the couch, he wasn’t in a hurry to get out from that cover, but he was good with peeping over the arms of the couch.
Half of a long haired woman was coming out of Mira’s mouth, like a bungee Cord; she was jerked back towards Mira. Instead of going back inside Mira, the apparition enveloped Mira: like a glove onto a hand. This glove had a mind of its own. After the full coverage of the entity over Mira; it tried to escape the cocoon it was now trapped in; only able to project itself out of its host about two inches. A clear face, but the hair was a number of snakes; which hissed when she screamed.
“What the HELL!” Daniel screamed.
This alerted the gorgon, it retracted back into Mira as it turned to face him. Mira’s eyes glowed bright yellow. Daniel had a choice, save his own life, or try saving his girl; if she was still there. The door was four meters away, but he could be cutoff. He went for it anyway. He didn’t get far; it only took four steps to intercept him. He was caught firmly, and got thrown back into the lounge. He fell onto the glass coffee table, shattering it instantly. This time he never got the chance to get up; the possessed Mira was already kneeling over him.
“Mira stop!” He screamed, raising his right hand towards Mira’s throat.
The attempted attack was parried, and then he arm pinned to the carpet. The left arm was pinned before it could react. A scream; the face was out again, protruding from Mira’s face about two inches. The snake hair wiggled, the serpent heads open wide.
Frost crept into Daniels eyes, the iris and pupil turning into rigid stone. Lifeless marbles now stared at Medusa, and like a ripple, his whole body turned into granite inch by inch. He was now a statue, frozen in terror and mid-scream, petrified by the unblinking gaze of Medusa. The gorgon retreated back into its cocoon.
Mira returned to her normal self, her eyes, her skin, her senses, but her strength was drained. She fell next to the stone statue, losing consciousness. She came to two hours later, in a room with a huge mirror on one side, no windows and a door. She had something covering her eyes. A woman entered the room, sat on the chair opposite Mira and placed a file on the desk.
She started explaining what had happened, but Mira could not hear a word she said. It all sounded like the lady was speaking under water, or to be more precise: drowning.
“I know you can hear me Medusa. The visor stops you from coming out at will and it gives your host some power over you. “The woman said, “Mira! Mira!”
“Yes.” Mira responded.
“Did you get anything I said?”
“What did you say your name was again, and where am I?”
“I am Dr. Janet Shannon. Welcome to the Agency.”
The vision faded like a sunset, leaving her standing in the bright light of reality.
“Mira! Snap out of it. Mira!” Jerry yelled over the earpiece.
“Stop yelling, I can hear you clearly.”
“You were not responding again, it’s the fourth time this month. Your brain wave was also off the charts.” He notified.
“I’m fine!”
“Surely you can’t be fine; looks like you were lost in thought for some time, are you okay?” A gentleman said standing next to her.
“I’m fine, thanks. Just enjoying some quiet time.” She responded.
She switched off the visors camera feed, leaving Jerry blind, but not deaf.
She turned to look at the gentleman who was showing genuine interest in her. Instantly, her visor warned her of an anomaly. She did not care.
He wore a tailored black leather jacket with fitted waist and silver hardware, with a white dress shirt with slim collar and French cuffs. Dark grey slim-fit trousers with subtle stripe pattern, paired with black leather dress boots with low heel and silver buckles. He topped off the look with a slim black leather belt, simple silver watch, and elegant silver cufflinks. A black leather camera strap hung on his shoulder. Attached to it was a black full-frame DSLR camera with magnesium alloy body and leather grip. A high end 24-70mm lens, external flash unit with bounce head and LED video light. He was about 6’1” with athletic yet lean build body, maybe mid thirties, piercing brown eyes with a sharp gaze and his hair was stylishly messy.
“Totally understand, I just thought you looked a bit lost, I’ll leave you to it then.” He stated.
“Oh, no it’s okay. I was getting a bit bored actually.”
“I was surprised to get an exclusive invitation to this event; I don’t hang around these crowds much. Pappas, Leon Pappas.” He declared.
“Finally, a gentleman with a name. Ethan, a head-turning name indeed.” She exclaimed.
“Perhaps, if I knew your name I could keep you company long enough for this event to end, and you won’t be bored.”
“Ladies and gentleman, may you proceed to the courtyard please. We have three items for sale today, the auction will begin momentarily.” A voice echoed in the villa.
