This is part of an original serialized fiction project written and edited by the author. All story elements and characters are fictional.

Leo looked toward the open box.
"What if he's here for this?"
Teodora nodded, quickly closing the box and wrapping it in a cloth.
"It's possible. We need to hide it now."
Another knock sounded on the door, this time accompanied by Méndez's voice.
"I know you're in there. We need to talk."
"What do we do?" Lucía asked in an urgent whisper.
Teodora pointed toward the bathroom.
"Hide the box there. I'll take care of distracting him."
Lucía took the box and, together with Leo, hurried toward the bathroom. Meanwhile, Teodora partially opened the door, standing her ground.
"What do you want, Méndez?"
The man stood with a tight smile, his tall figure partially blocking the hallway.
"Good evening, Teodora. I just came to discuss something important. Something that, I'm sure, interests both of us." Teodora raised an eyebrow, feigning disinterest.
"And what could possibly interest us both?"
Méndez looked over her shoulder toward the apartment.
"I know they found something at Cárdenas's house. I'm not here to take it, just to make sure they don't make a mistake."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Teodora replied firmly.
Méndez smiled, though his eyes showed impatience.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. That fragment you have is dangerous. More than you can imagine."
"And you want to protect us?" Teodora asked sarcastically.
"I want to protect what can be achieved with the right knowledge," Méndez replied. "If we work together, we could unlock the Chamber's true purpose."
"For what?" Teodora retorted, her tone cutting. "To manipulate secrets at your whim?"
Méndez's smile disappeared, his face hardening.
"You don't understand the potential of what you're wielding. If that fragment is used correctly, it could change everything."
"And if it's used incorrectly?" Teodora took a step forward, staring at him. "How many lives would you ruin for your ambitions?"
Méndez watched her silently for a moment before taking a step back.
"I hope you reconsider, Teodora. Time is not on your side."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked down the hall, leaving an air of menace behind him.

When Leo and Lucía emerged from the bathroom, they found Teodora leaning against the door, her face tired but determined.
"What did she want?" Leo asked.
"What she always wants: power. But now we know she knows about the fragment."
Lucía placed the box on the table, looking at Teodora with concern.
"If she's right and this is as dangerous as she says, how do we protect it?"
Teodora turned to the two of them, her expression filled with resolve.
"We must hide it in a place where even we can't easily access it. If Méndez returns, he must find an answer that doesn't lead him to this fragment."
Leo nodded slowly.
"So we hide it from the Vault as well?"
Teodora looked at the black crystal in the box, its internal light pulsing gently as if responding to her decision.
"Yes. If this fragment is as crucial as it seems, it mustn't fall into the wrong hands."
As the Emerald Building remained eerily silent, the three began to plan their next move, aware that the real confrontation was yet to come.