Valemir had always been a city of glass and steel, of quiet ambition and roaring power beneath polite smiles. But tonight, the city felt... different.
Like it was watching.
Like it was waiting.
—
Jefferson Global – War Room
Elsa sat in the dim-lit, ultra-secure command suite hidden two floors beneath Jefferson Global's headquarters. Around her were holographic projections of energy readings from the Chamber of Echoes, blueprints of ancient structures beneath Valemir, and a slowly building heat map of spiritual activity across the city.
Across from her stood Nyra.
The two women had clashed before, both strong-willed, both sharp. But in this moment, they were allies under shared urgency.
"You said you heard the tablet speak?" Nyra asked, arms folded, her tone unusually grave.
Elsa nodded, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It called me a carrier. Chess thinks it's connected to my bloodline. That maybe… I'm not fully human."
Nyra didn't blink. "You're not."
Elsa looked up sharply.
"What?"
"You ever wonder why your grandfather tried so hard to keep you out of the deeper family matters?" Nyra leaned in. "Why you were always shielded, even from the darker dealings of Jefferson Global?"
Elsa's voice dropped. "You know something."
Nyra nodded. "Your grandmother wasn't from Valemir. She came from a place few remember. A sanctuary of ancient knowledge that believed in… bloodlines that could awaken relics."
Elsa's heart pounded. "Why wasn't I told any of this?"
"Because the moment you know what's inside you… everyone else will too."
—
Meanwhile – Aeris Holdings Private Intelligence Hub
Chess stood before a roundtable of handpicked operatives — members of The Veil. Each one dressed in muted suits, but their auras screamed danger. These weren't just information brokers — they were shadows given flesh.
"Update," Chess commanded.
A red-haired woman with a crescent-scar below her eye stepped forward.
"Mandari's been in contact with a rogue sect," she said. "Former allies of the Fallen Phoenix Clan. They're watching Elsa. Quietly."
Chess's eyes narrowed. "Why quietly?"
"Because they're waiting. Something about her bloodline — they don't want her dead. They want her ripe."
That single word slammed into the room like a gong.
Chess clenched his fists, the veins in his hands pulsing with restrained power.
"She's not a fruit to be plucked," he said coldly. "She's a storm. And anyone who tries to harvest her... will taste thunder."
Another agent leaned forward. "Sir. We intercepted a sealed communication from Kip Mandari's estate. He's preparing for something called 'The Unveiling.'"
Chess's voice dropped to a deadly whisper.
"Track every move he makes. Leak nothing. And prepare the Veil for shadow deployment."
—
Elsewhere – A Rooftop Deal
Kip stood on the rooftop of an old art museum, dimly lit by flickering red lanterns. Across from him stood a figure in a flowing black robe — face veiled, presence ancient.
"The seal has reacted," Kip said.
The figure nodded.
"Then the girl is waking," the voice rasped. "Our blood calls to hers."
"She's not ready."
"Then make her ready."
Kip smiled. "That's the plan."
He passed over a small vial. Inside it, a sliver of energy — glowing crimson, humming with cursed resonance.
"Your job," Kip said, "is to make sure her awakening doesn't make her stronger than me."
The robed figure chuckled.
"Careful, Kip. Power doesn't obey commands. It devours them."
—
Back at Jefferson Global – Elsa's Penthouse
That night, Elsa stood by her window, overlooking the heartbeat of Valemir.
Chess appeared beside her, his presence grounding, calm.
"What's on your mind?" he asked.
She didn't speak for a while.
Then: "I'm scared."
He didn't flinch. "Good."
She turned to him, surprised.
He smiled gently. "Only fools are fearless. Fear sharpens us. And when the time comes, we'll use it."
Elsa leaned her head on his shoulder, and for a moment, the world faded.
Just two people — one forged in battle, the other waking into power she never asked for.
"I trust you," she whispered.
"And I'll never let you fall," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
—
Ending Beat – Underground Archives, Kavaria
In a forgotten chamber beneath Kavaria, a different mirror cracked.
A figure emerged from the shadows, cloaked in ancient robes. His eyes were pure silver, and his voice was like sand scraping against time.
"She has awakened."
Another voice, from the dark: "And so begins the war of inheritance."