Prologue
Werner's Apartment
Paris
16 November 2003
19:15
Lara Croft
Lara moved cautiously down the dimly lit corridor; each step carefully measured as she approached the apartment. The faint smell of cleaning agents lingered in the air, mingling with the distant buzz of machinery that resonated through the sterile halls. A storm of emotions raged within her. The last encounter with Werner had ended with his betrayal, leaving her for dead. That memory scorched her thoughts, but a volatile mix of curiosity, anxiety, and steadfast resolve propelled her to face him this evening. Her pulse raced as she navigated the shadowy dance of light and dark on the immaculate walls, her hand clenched into a fist as she approached his apartment door. She had to confront him; otherwise, his incessant calls would never cease. She had dismissed the calls until recently, but his relentless pursuit finally broke her resistance and the time had come for a confrontation.
Her hand, clad in a glove, ascended gradually, her knuckles tapping on the door that signified her target. The tapping echoed, lingering in the air like a pulse, signifying the end of a trek that started with a silent taxi journey through a city cloaked in twilight.
"Who is it?" came Werner's voice, laced with apprehension, from behind the door. It was heavy with a tension that suggested he was on the brink of something dire, his fear evident in each tremulous word.
Lara, detecting the anxiety in his tone, felt her heart rate accelerate. She paused, the seconds stretching out like a tightrope of hesitation.
"Lara," she responded at last, her voice a mix of firmness and a gentleness born of stirring memories.
The door groaned open to reveal Werner, his features carved with the weight of his worries. A silent strain lingered between them, as though time had scarcely softened the sharp contours of their past.
With an air of urgency, Werner motioned her into the shadowy confines of the apartment. The door closed with a definitive sound, encapsulating their tacit agreement. The chair near the round window called out to her, offering a quiet summons to delve back into a tale that had been left untold.
As she settled into the chair, her gaze met Werner's. A heavy silence laden with unspoken words stretched between them. But silence, as it often does, was fleeting.
Lara's resolve surged, a testament to her unwillingness to linger in discomfort. "What's this all about, Werner?" she asked, her words cutting through the quiet like a knife.
Werner's gaze wavered momentarily, his eyes revealing the emotions, words could not. "Help me, Lara. I need you to retrieve something for me," he confessed, his hands reflecting the inner turmoil.
Leaning forward, Lara locked eyes with him, her expression a blend of skepticism and wariness. "Continue," she urged.
Their gazes held, each silently assessing the other's resolve. "I'm tracking five Obscura paintings for a client named Eckhardt," Werner began, bitterness lacing his voice. "But he's dangerous." Lara could feel the weight of past betrayals hanging heavy in the air.
Internally, Lara's skepticism deepened scars from past betrayals still fresh in her mind. "Why should I care?" Her words were laced with detachment, reflecting her desire to distance herself from Werner and his troubles.
Desperation etched Werner's features as he stood, his urgency palpable. "Because I'm being hunted," he confessed, desperation tingeing his words. He gestured towards the window and added, "People are dying out there."
The world outside pressed against the windowpane, the city holding its breath as if waiting for a resolution. Lara's patience waned, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Handle it, Werner!" she exclaimed, defiance coloring her words.
Desperation colored Werner's actions as he reached out, pleading for her to stay. "Lara, please," he implored, holding a piece of paper trembling in his grip. "Take this, go see Carvier. She can help."
The walls appeared to close in on Lara, compelling her to exit. However, the gravity of their shared past anchored her, Werner's grip on her arm stopping her departure. The confrontation was fleeting, with Lara imposing her intent through quick, determined actions. She pushed Werner onto the sofa, a vivid reversal of their historical roles.
"Egypt, Werner," Lara's voice was a quiet yet seething whisper, filled with unresolved emotions. The intimacy of their proximity heightened the tension in the room. "You abandoned me."
The atmosphere shifted as emotions surged between them, and a gun materialized in Werner's trembling hand. The confrontation escalated, and Lara's instincts kicked in. Gunshots echoed like a haunting refrain, darkness swallowing her vision as chaos engulfed the room.