Neural Anchor

Location: Tavara – Calhoun Crypt, Hidden Vaults

Inside the deep catacombs beneath the Calhoun estate, Nora lay still—suspended in a translucent pod that pulsed faintly with light. Her face was pale, sweat beading at her brow, eyes fluttering beneath closed lids as if trapped between layers of waking and unconscious thought.

Damien stood beside her, his expression hardened by helplessness. His team worked silently around him—Monica monitoring neural feedback, Eli stabilizing the temperature, and Rafe reinforcing the vault's bio-shield.

"She's resisting the lock," Monica muttered. "Her mind is trying to purge encoded memories that have been dormant for years."

"They were never dormant," Damien replied grimly. "Just sealed—likely by her father or one of the Seraphim initiates."

Suddenly, the chamber lights flickered.

Victor arrived.

He didn't wait for permission—he moved straight to Nora's side. As he placed a hand on the pod, the entire structure responded. The lights inside brightened, the system beeped, and Nora's vitals spiked.

"She recognizes you," Rafe said, surprised.

"No," Victor whispered. "She needs me to pull her out."

Damien hesitated. "This isn't just about emotion, Victor. You're about to step into a neural link anchored by ancient Dominion tech. If you fall in—"

"I'm not falling," Victor cut him off. "I'm going in."

Monica calibrated the tether device, locking the bio-sync between Victor's and Nora's neural signatures.

The moment the connection was completed, Victor's pupils dilated—and he fell forward into the stasis chair beside Nora.

His consciousness dropped.

---

Inside Nora's Mindscape – Memory Lock Sequence

The sky was violet. Broken fragments of Tavara's skyline floated like glass in midair. Victor stood alone in the chaos, until he saw her—Nora, standing at the center of a crumbling monument. Her white coat was torn, and her hands glowed with a golden aura.

"You came," she said, voice like a whisper over a hurricane.

"I never left you," he replied.

Behind her, shadowy figures began forming—memories, regrets, echoes of pain and loss. They moved like predators, drawn to her fear.

Victor stepped forward, grabbing her hand.

"You're not alone."

As they touched, light erupted from their connection—scorching the shadows. Nora's eyes widened, and tears slipped down her cheek.

"I remember now… my father's warning. The Dominion wasn't just protecting me. They were preparing me. To lead."

The last seal cracked open in her mind.

Nora fell into Victor's arms—whole, awakened, and no longer afraid.