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PROLOGUE
"And God said, "Let there be light,"
and there was light.
God saw that the light was good,
and he separated the light from the darkness...”
Genesis 1:3-4
2148 AD
"And when thefourth stamp was undone, the voice of the fourth beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see. And I saw a grey horse, and the name of him who was seated on it was Death; and Hell came after him. And there was given to them authority over the fourth part of the earth, to put to destruction by the sword, and by taking away their food, and by death, and by the beasts of the earth," Michael spat out, and in the next moment slammed the thick ancient book vigorously shut. His breath was rapid, and his pulse raced. Irrevocably, the biblical quotation from the apocalyptic Revelation of John echoed within him.
"The Four Horsemen are here," he whispered more to himself. "It has begun. Earlier than expected, but it has begun." Without giving his visitor another glance, he walked over to his desk to pull out a flask of whiskey from a hidden alcove. Before taking a sip, he paused.
"John, we have no choice. This is what theKnights of the Sealswere founded for. What our ancestors worked so hard for. In secret."
Finally, he allowed himself the burning drink. Warmly, it poured down his throat. He hoped it would calm his nerves.
"You're right, Michael. The time has come. The outbreak of war, then death by war, hunger, and now ... now also illness. For more than 100 years, civilization has held its breath, and progress and evolution have been interrupted. On most continents, peace is now only a word whispered. We must put an end to it all and save the world before it is too late and the next seals are opened," John said.
"That means we will reveal our secret to the world and overrun it at the same time," Michael laughed mirthlessly. He was not at all comfortable with the thought of how many lives it would cost. A coup on a global scale. There had never been anything like it before. Only briefly did his thoughts flit to his wife and two daughters. He swallowed the uneasiness and put the bottle back into its hiding place. With trembling hands, he opened the top buttons of his shirt and revealed a chain with a key. His visitor already held the counterpart in his hands.
Together, they stepped in front of the precious painting on the wall. A painting, several centuries old, just like this house, which had been inherited for generations, along with its associated task. Michael had always hoped not to be the one whose fate it would be to fulfill that task. And yet here he was, lifting the precious artwork from the wall to reveal a safe behind it.
The two men locked eyes. Both of their faces reflected fear and sadness but also hope. Hope for a future for mankind. A rescue would bring significant consequences. The creation of a new world order and, with it, the reparation of a mistake that humans committed together with other gods millennia ago and for which this one God was now punishing the world.
Determined, they simultaneously inserted the keys into the two locks, and with a few turns of both, the safe swung open. Inside lay old parchments. Writings with codes that triggered a tsunami as soon as they were sent out. A tsunami of violence, without which there would be no peace.
Carefully, Michael took the secret pieces from the wall safe and brought them to his desk. There, he retrieved the Morse device from the bottom cabinet of his desk and immediately sent this message out into the world, to the future regents of every continent. During the night, it would reach millions of brothers of the Order. The power of theKnights of the Seals could becompared to nothing.
Finally, he wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief. "We have to findher.As soon as possible. Otherwise, our mission will fail," he said to the other man standing at the window with his back to him.
"Wewillfind her," he replied with a firm voice while turning his face to Michael. "The first step towards that has already been taken. No woman will live in freedom from this day forward. It will be easy to expose her." A diabolical grin settled over John's features.
Michael recoiled briefly in his desk chair and lowered his gaze to avoid looking his counterpart in the face any longer. What had he done? How was he supposed to explain this to his family? His two daughters were studying law at university. Two worldly young ladies who would, from now on, be trapped in a golden cage.
This was not abouttheirwell-being but about the future of humanity. Yes, we would all have to make sacrifices, but now, there was no turning back.
"May God help us," Michael sighed before gently placing the old documents back in the safe. Then, he stood next to his guest at the window and observed the nighttime streets of London. They still lay there peacefully, but not for long. Soon, they would be stained with blood. Blood that could secure the way to a future for the survivors. He only had to trust and believe.
CHAPTER 1
The first rays of sunlight crept through the tent walls, bathing the land in its golden glow. The felt of the nomadic dwelling fluttered in the wind, letting a light breeze blow inside. It would be a hot day on the steppe.
Reluctantly, I opened my eyes and waited for them to adjust to the still-dim light in the tent. My head ached. Yesterday, there had been much to celebrate and drinking too much, and taking a hemp steam bath with Bateia to prepare me for the rest of the night was now taking its revenge.
My gaze fell on the
men I had shared the bed with afterward. For the first time, I had fulfilled this duty as an Amazon—to bear offspring, daughters. As queen of my tribe, I was bound to this more than any other woman. It was part of our oath when we became a valid Amazon—a full sister.
"Myrina, are you awake yet?" I heard Matrak's voice whisper beside me. He was, as well as the other two of my bedfellows, from the settlement two hours west of us. His finger slid gently over my tattooed arm. Evidence of my warrior accomplishments. Of my prowess as a warrior and queen. Ihad worked hard to earn every one of the black lines. They were my pride and joy. My heart was bound to my sisters, tribe, and the war. That's what I lived for. That's what I was—an Amazon.
There was only one thing to which the heart of an Amazon could never be bound: to a man. Matrak was handsome and robust, yet he had taken me gently tonight. Almost lovingly.
His charming brown eyes were daring— a deep affection lay hidden behind the white pupils, reminding me of the light that embraced me. His face would grimace from unclear emotions as he peered at me. I turned my feet in from under me as a smile swelled past my lips; my thoughts were unheard and long unnoticed, just as a remnant of a beautiful song-like voice that was forbidden to speak.
