Chapter 14: The Vault’s Reckoning

A low rumble shook the chamber, the sound growing into a groan that vibrated through Kai's bones. He stood hunched before the dim pure time stash, its faint glow pulsing in his hands, his vision blurring at the edges—not from blood or exhaustion, but something deeper, a shift in the air itself. The vault was waking, and it wasn't happy. His paradox mark flared, sharp and unsteady, aging his fingers a fraction—skin tightening, veins bulging—before snapping back with a sting.

"Kai, we've got to move!" Lena's voice was raw, cutting through the dust-thick air. She limped toward him, her leg a mess of blood and torn fabric, her dagger clutched tight despite the tremble in her grip.

He blinked, shaking off the haze, and gripped the stash tighter. "Yeah—go, now!" His voice cracked, rough from shouting over the chaos. The chamber trembled harder, cracks spidering up the walls, relic-light flickering like a dying pulse.

Markus hobbled forward, his cane tapping a frantic rhythm, his gray face etched with panic. "The vault's collapsing—it knows we took it!" He pointed at the stash, his hand shaking worse than ever.

Quiet woman darted to Tali, hauling the frail girl up—her gray hair hung limp, her broken relic slipping from her hands as she stumbled. "She's barely with us," quiet woman muttered, her voice low but firm, her knife still ready in her free hand.

The rumble spiked, a roar now, and the floor buckled—tiles splitting, relic-traps springing to life. Spikes shot up, jagged and glowing, one grazing Kai's arm as he dove aside. Time twisted where it hit—his sleeve aged to threads, then snapped back, leaving a burn. "Shit—watch the floor!" he yelled, rolling to his feet.

Lena slashed at a spike, her dagger sparking, but another thrust up near her, forcing her back. "These damn things are everywhere!" she snarled, her leg buckling under her weight.

Kai's mark flared brighter, the stash's power syncing with it, and he swung his fist at a spike—time snapped, the metal aging to rust and crumbling. "Keep moving—door's ahead!" He pointed to the passage they'd come through, now narrowing as stone groaned and shifted.

Markus staggered, his cane catching on a crack, and he fell—quiet woman grabbed him, pulling him up as Tali clung to her side. "We're too slow," Markus rasped, his breath a wet rattle. "Leave me if you have to."

"No chance," Kai snapped, shoving past a crumbling pillar. "We all get out."

The ceiling cracked, dust raining down, and a new sound pierced the chaos—buzzing, sharp and mechanical. Syndicate drones swarmed in from the passage, their relic-lights cutting through the haze, red eyes glowing like embers. "Intruders detected," one droned, its voice flat and cold, a relic-gun humming as it charged.

"Great—more company," Lena muttered, slashing at a drone. It dodged, firing a bolt that aged the wall to ruin where she'd been standing.

Kai clenched the stash, its light dimming, and swung his mark-lit fist—time bent, the drone slowing, then bursting into dust as he connected. "Keep them off us!" he shouted, pushing toward the passage, the stash's weight dragging at him.

Quiet woman tackled another drone, her knife sinking into its core, sparks flying as it crumpled. Tali whimpered, ducking a bolt, her frail frame trembling. Markus swung his cane, cracking a drone's lens, but it fired back—his arm aged, skin sagging, before snapping back with a groan.

The passage loomed closer, but the vault fought harder—stone slabs slid shut, sealing it inch by inch. Kai's mark burned, his hair graying a streak, and he roared, shoving Lena toward the gap. "Go—now!" She stumbled through, followed by quiet woman dragging Tali, then Markus.

Kai dove as the slabs slammed shut, dust choking the air behind him. He hit the ground outside, gasping, the stash's light flickering in his hands. They were out—but not safe. Through the storm's haze, Syndicate enforcers waited, their relic-guns glowing ominously, ready to strike.

Kai scrambled to his knees, the storm outside the vault biting into his skin—dust and grit stung his eyes, the air thick with a howling wind that drowned the vault's dying groans. The stash pulsed weakly in his hands, its light barely cutting through the haze, and his mark sparked, unstable, aging his knuckles with every flare before snapping back. His hair was half-gray now, his breath ragged, but he forced himself up, scanning the chaos.

Lena crouched beside him, her leg bleeding fresh, her dagger up despite the pain etched into her face. "We're out—but we've got bigger problems," she said, nodding toward the enforcers. Their cloaks flapped in the storm, relic-guns humming, their forms shadowy but closing fast.

Markus leaned on his cane, his aged arm trembling, his voice a hoarse whisper. "They knew we'd make it—set a trap." He coughed, dust coating his lips, and pointed at the stash. "That's their lifeline—they'll kill us to get it back."

Quiet woman stood over Tali, her knife steady, her gray hair whipping in the wind. "We're down to four," she said, her tone flat but sharp. "Tali's useless—can't fight like this."

Tali huddled in the dirt, her frail hands clutching her relic's shards, her eyes wide and glassy. "I—I can try," she stammered, but her voice broke, lost in the storm.

"No," Kai said, his voice hard. "Stay down—keep breathing." He turned to the enforcers, counting six—tall, armored, their relic-guns glowing red. The stash's power pulsed in his grip, faint but alive, and he clenched it tighter. "We've got this."

The first enforcer fired—a bolt of relic-light streaked through the haze, aging the ground to dust where it hit. Kai dodged, the mark flaring, and swung his fist—time bent, the bolt slowing, then bursting apart mid-air. "Spread out!" he shouted, charging forward.

Lena moved left, her limp slowing her, slashing at an enforcer's leg—her dagger sparked off armor, but it stumbled. Quiet woman went right, her knife sinking into another's side, dust spilling as its cloak frayed. Markus swung his cane, cracking a gun barrel, but a bolt caught his shoulder—his skin withered, then snapped back, leaving him gasping.

Kai reached the center, the stash's light dimming further, and slammed his mark into an enforcer's chest. Time shattered—the figure aged to ruin, crumbling to dust, but the effort cost him—his arm grayed, veins bulging, and he staggered, the mark sparking wildly.

"They're too many!" Lena yelled, dodging a bolt that aged her jacket to threads. She tackled her enforcer, driving her dagger into its neck—dust burst out, but another grabbed her, twisting her arm. She screamed, her skin wrinkling, then snapped back as she broke free.

Kai's vision blurred, the stash's power fading, and he swung again—another enforcer down, but his legs aged, knees buckling. "Hold them off!" he rasped, forcing himself up, the storm howling louder.

Quiet woman took a hit—a bolt grazed her side, her hair whitening fully, but she kept fighting, her knife slashing through a third enforcer. Markus collapsed, his cane useless, a bolt aging his leg—he groaned, clutching it as time rewound.

The last two enforcers closed in, their guns charging, and Kai's mark flickered—weak, unsteady. He gripped the stash, its light nearly gone, and roared, slamming it into the ground. Time cracked—a wave blasting out, aging the enforcers to dust in an instant. The storm swallowed their remains, leaving silence.

Kai sank to his knees, gasping, his hair fully gray now, his hands trembling. Lena limped over, blood dripping from her arm, and hauled him up. "You're a damn fool, Voss."

"Got us out," he panted, the stash dim in his grip. Markus crawled to them, his leg still frail, while quiet woman pulled Tali up, her face grim.

"We're alive," Markus rasped, "but they'll send more."

Kai nodded, staring into the storm. "Then we hit them first."