Chapter 10: Vault of Ghosts
Some legacies are buried not to be forgotten—but to stop them from waking up.
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Ruins of the Old Virell Estate – Southern Ridge – Midnight
The land was scorched, long since reclaimed by vines and silence. What once stood as the seat of the Virell dynasty now lay in ashes and stone. But beneath the ruin, hidden by collapse and time, something still remained.
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The Vault.
Celeste Thorne stepped out of a black armored SUV, flanked by two elite guards.At her side: Julius Virell, pale, silent, broken by guilt but driven by survival.
"You're sure it's still intact?" Celeste asked.
Julius nodded, pointing toward a half-buried stone arch.
"There. Under the main stairwell. You'll need a dual-sequence key. One half's yours now. The other—"
"I have it already," Celeste said calmly. "Your family left behind more than blood."
Belowground – The Vault Door
Massive. Reinforced. Symbol of the Virell seal etched in silver across its surface.
Celeste placed her half of the key into the socket.It pulsed blue.
Julius inserted the second half.
Click.
The door slid open, revealing a long corridor descending into darkness.
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At the Same Time – Northern Watchtower
Lia crouched on the ruins of the old outer wall, eyes locked on the unfolding breach.
She'd arrived first.
She knew what the vault was.What it contained.
And why her parents never let them near it.
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Flashback – 10 Years Ago
Young Lia, running her fingers over the cold vault door.Her mother appears behind her.
"That's not for us, Lia," she says.
"Then who is it for?"
"For what comes after us."
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Present – Lia's Choice
She spoke into her comm.
"Mira. You tracking Alex?"
Static. No signal.
She cursed.
Then stood—and ran.
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Inside the Vault
Celeste moved slowly. Everything smelled like iron and dust.
Then—she saw it.
At the center of the vault sat a steel table.On it: sealed dossiers, ancient hard drives, and one object wrapped in black silk.
She peeled it back.
A gun. Sleek. Modified. Engraved with the name Arden Virell—Alex and Lia's father.
Next to it: a manifesto.
"Protocol Dominion."
Julius's breath caught.
Celeste read silently, then spoke aloud:
"In the event of our family's destruction, these are the tools to reclaim control… not just of Lancaster, but of the network hidden beneath it."
She looked up.
"It's a failsafe. One the Virells never used."
Suddenly – Explosion Above
Dust rained down.
Celeste snapped toward the door—too late.
Lia appeared, gun drawn, at the top of the vault stairs.
"Step away from my family's legacy."
Celeste raised a brow. "Ah. So we are claiming blood now?"
"I'm claiming what was stolen."
Celeste smiled.
"I'm not your enemy, Lia. I'm the only one who understands what you are. You think this vault was meant for salvation?" She gestured to the data drives.
"This was dominion. Your father built a system to control minds. To rewrite loyalty. He wanted peace—but through programming, obedience. A neural override system."
Lia's hand trembled slightly.
Julius stepped forward. "He never used it. He sealed it away. That should tell you something."
"It does," Celeste said.
"It tells me they lacked the courage to use what the world needs."
Standoff
"You don't have the right," Lia said.
"I have the will," Celeste answered.
Lia looked at the gun. At the drives. At Julius.
Then she holstered her weapon.
And pulled a small vial from her jacket.
Pure EMP compound.
She threw it.
Flash. Spark. Surge.
The vault blacked out.
The drives hissed—fried. The control system died forever.
Celeste screamed.
"You FOOL. You've doomed us to chaos!"
"No," Lia said, turning away.
"I've freed us from it."
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Later – Cliffside Road
Alex waited beside a black motorbike, watching the fire in the hills where the estate used to be.
Lia pulled up beside him, helmet in hand.
"You burned it," he said quietly.
"I burned the part of us that didn't belong anymore."
She handed him a sealed envelope. Not from the vault—but from Julius.
Alex opened it.
Inside: a picture of them as children… and a handwritten line:
"They only feared you because they knew you'd finish what we couldn't."
Alex looked at her.
"We're not done."
"No," Lia agreed.
"We're just getting started."
End of Volume 2: FIre and Thrones