Chapter 3: Hanging by a Thread

Lara arrived at the British Museum and parked her bike in the parking area. As she walked up to the building, she could see her longtime friend Jake Diener standing by the entrance. She noticed he hadn't seen her yet as she climbed the stairs and took note of several changes. The man had changed a lot since the last time she saw him: his dress style, weight loss, and the cigarette in his hand.
'Wait! He's a smoker now.' she thought.
She knew he hated smokers but seeing him now as one made her wonder what had happened in the last few years.

"You know, smoking kills." She said sarcastically, making him turn towards her in confusion.

"Lara, is that you?" He asked as he squinted his eyes, unsure if the person before him was the same girl he knew all those years ago.

"Yes, it's me." She answered him with a smile.

"Wow, you look so thin, not that that's bad but... wow." He said as he returned the smile.

"I hope that's a good thing," she said with a cheerful voice, trying hard not to show him how she had been hurting these last few months since Kurtis's death.

"Of course! Come, let's go to my office, I need to talk to you about something." Jake beckoned her to follow him inside, to which she accepted. The trip to the office was noticeably quiet until they reached the inside of his office, she sat on a chair opposite Jake at the desk, but he didn't take a seat, instead, he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed, a pensive look on his face. He looked at her for a few seconds and looked as if he were about to say something but stopped. Whatever it was, it was clearly making for awkward silence, so Lara was the one to break it.

"I knew you wanted to work at a museum, I just never thought it would be this one." She said with a smile, only for it to falter slightly when he sighed.

"Yeah, well I wish I never did." He said, to which Lara raised an eyebrow. There was an odd sense of dread in his voice.

"Why?" she asked as she leaned back into the chair with her arms folded, resting her legs up on the table.

"Because I found something that I shouldn't have." He started pacing around as he rubbed his chin agitatedly. "Something alarming."

"What did you find, Jake?" Lara's tone was low as he stopped pacing and looked at her.

"A scroll." He answered simply as he walked up to a shelf and pulled out a set of books, revealing a secret safe. After he pushed the pin number on the storage container, the light went from red to green as he opened it and took out the contents. He walked back to the desk and sat down this time, placing the scroll on the table.

Lara eyed the item with curiosity. "What does it say?" she asked as she looked up at him, a tense look on his face as he explained.

"I hope I read it wrong because my Latin is a little rusty but it tells of a great danger, the," He waved his hands around dramatically as he chuckled nervously. "'End of the world' if the last of the 'Light of Truth' member dies-" He paused to take a breath and went on, "Were that to happen, crazy and unnatural events start happening. Even if this person, the last member, is on his deathbed then the world will know about it." He stopped and Lara only looked at him, her mind going through some acrobatics until the dream comes into her thoughts again as her eyes widened. Karel said that the world would die once he hunted...

"May I read the scroll? I'm not rusty in my Latin." She quickly asked as he only nodded and gave Lara the scroll. Lara opens the scroll carefully so as not to damage it and she reads out loud:

"It has been written that when the Knight Templars split up into groups, a group formed from the remnants of the Templars known as Lux Veritatis. This order has dedicated itself to fighting and destroying evil, committing to this thankless task for as long as every member, past, present, and future, could stand and fight. But everything comes to an end someday, should the last of Lux Veritatis perish, the world would find itself in great danger. Nature would go beyond its natural course of law, indiscriminate as everything is torn asunder by unstoppable means. One by one, the nations of man would crumble, fleeing would only delay the inevitable, ceasing in its razing of humanity only until naught is left but dust and ash. If the Amazonian has not yet arisen, then the world will be swallowed by darkness. And when light is banished, the Angels will descend and sing their song of disaster, and the last-"

Lara stopped reading because the next part had been torn off. With shaky hands, she looked up at Jake, startled.

"Where's the other piece?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. It wasn't with this piece. Look, Lara, I know you are still deciding on whether or not to continue tomb raiding but we need you on this, I need you." He added but could see Lara isn't interested.

"The world can help itself this time." She stated with finality as she got up and put down the scroll on the table.

"Lara, please," Jake begged but Lara slammed her fist on the table, her brow furrowed in rage. "No! I have been saving the world since Yamatai. That's all I have ever done and at the same time, this world has taken so much from me. I have had enough of it."

"I'm sorry Jake, but I can't help you. Whatever plan you have, find someone else. I'm sorry." Without another word, she left the office. But Jake knew that his friend was going through something, not that he knew what it was but he knew her better than anyone. So, for Lara Croft, of all people, to actually say that they have had enough meant that something terrible happened. Maybe someone died? A broken heart would help no one.

With much deliberation, he sighed and dialed a number on his phone as he looked out the window to see Lara pull off on her bike and into the busy streets.

"Hi, I need your help," he said as the call connected.

"Yes, what's the matter, Jake?" Asked the person on the other side of the phone.

"It's Lara."

"What? Where is she?"

"She's here in London," Jake answered.

"Right, I'll be there in five minutes. I'm also in London, see you soon."

"Thank you," Jake said before ending the call. He sighed deeply as he put his hands into his pockets and looked out at the city, watching the everyday commerce of life. Couples walking across the sidewalks, children playing amongst their friends, and families spending precious time with their loved ones. All of this was at stake if the scroll read true. It was an ancient item and many things of the past have been proven otherwise but... if it were true...

I only hope she can join us.