On Saturday, the last day of the Ketirí week, a relentless sun rose over Tauride. Lakua and Kamar were still staying in the big house, enjoying Jorge's hospitality. They had breakfast, lunch, and dinner together, conversing naturally about politics, strategy, and various anecdotes. But the rest of the time, each one delved into their own affairs, immersed in a delicate balance between calm and latent tension.

Following Jorge's direct orders, the patrols relentlessly scoured every inch of his estate, a vast territory of over six hundred square kilometers. It was an immense expanse, a labyrinth of hills, bushes, and dry river beds where a man could easily disappear. Every two hours, detailed reports arrived at the big house, charting the slow but inexorable progress of the search, which did not stop even with the setting sun or the cold of dawn.

The soldiers of Tharakos, disciplined and silent, wore camouflage uniforms designed to blend in with the dusty earth and sparse vegetation. Their equipment was that of an elite force: night vision goggles, thermal sensors, precision rifles... Everything had been carefully adapted to function under the electromagnetic interference that protected Ketiris from the outside world.

One of these men burst into the big house with the urgency of someone carrying a life-or-death message. He firmly asked for the lord of the estate. Jorge, who was at that moment with Eukario, ordered that the soldier be brought to him immediately. He sensed at once that the soldier had something more than a routine report.

The meeting took place in one of the interior salons, a cool and spacious area where the marble columns cast elongated shadows over the polished stone floor. The soldier stood rigidly before speaking.

—Sir, I bring news.

His breathing was quick, and sweat beaded on his forehead despite the controlled temperature of the room.

—What is it about? —Jorge asked, fixing his gaze on the man's face.

—We have found the infiltrators.

Jorge felt a shiver in the pit of his stomach.

—Where?

The soldier swallowed hard.

—Inside the premises of the big house, sir.

The silence that followed was unbearable. Jorge felt the security of his estate crumbling around him. The intruders were not hiding in the ravines or the distant hills: they had been there, within his walls, breathing the same air, lurking in the shadows.

—Are they alive? Have you interrogated them? —he asked, striving to maintain his calm.

—We captured them alive, but they resisted —the soldier reported in a tense tone—. They are under custody in a nearby facility. The commander is preparing the interrogation, sir.

Jorge exchanged a glance with Eukario. His first reaction was to summon Yusuf. The security of the estate was his responsibility, and someone had to answer for the fact that the intruders had made...