Part Six: The Final Vote

Dawn arrives with the certainty that today, the Church will have a new Pope.

In the Sistine Chapel, the cardinals take their seats one last time. The world waits.

Benítez is just four votes away from victory.

Lomeli feels the weight of the Pope’s letter in his pocket. The words echo in his mind.

"There is something you must know before it’s too late…"

But there is no more time. It’s now or never.

The Final Sacrifice

Lomeli stands.

—Your Eminences, before we vote, there is something I must say.

All eyes lock on him. A cardinal never interrupts the conclave.

—Our duty is not to politics, but to God. And before we elect the new Holy Father, we must ensure no secret endangers his leadership.

Silence falls.

Benítez stares at him intently.

Lomeli takes a deep breath and drops the truth like a stone into still water:

—Benítez was born out of wedlock.

A murmur ripples through the room like lightning.