The old vault's doors creaked as they pushed deeper inside, the stale air heavy with the scent of metal, ancient parchment, and something faintly electric.
Selene Varis walked slightly ahead, her golden hair catching the dim blue light emitted by the strange floating crystals embedded into the walls. Eliar kept a cautious hand near his waist where his newly issued Academy badge was pinned — not that it would help in a place like this.
"This vault feels… forgotten," Selene whispered, her voice barely echoing against the towering shelves.
"Or left untouched for a reason," Eliar murmured back.
The further they moved in, the more anomalous it became. Machines half-eaten by time, scrolls written in languages neither could recognize, and strange devices that hummed weakly even after centuries of abandonment. It wasn't just a relic — this was a graveyard of technology and magic.
They stopped before a massive terminal — a crystalline construct pulsing faintly. Selene's eyes gleamed.
"If we can access the data stored here, it could change everything," she said, already working her fingers across the ancient console.
Eliar scanned the surroundings. Something isn't right.
Suddenly, a screen flared to life, displaying an old, worn emblem — a sigil neither of them recognized. Below it, words in ancient runes translated automatically:
"Property of the Genesis Initiative — Sky District Command. Level 7 Clearance Required."
Eliar's breath caught.
"Genesis Initiative?" he asked.
Selene looked equally shaken. "I've only heard myths about it... they said the Genesis Initiative was responsible for the early colonization of Elyndor's continents after the Great Fall."
Before they could speak more, a mechanical voice echoed through the vault.
"Intrusion detected. Security countermeasures activating."
From the shadows, constructs stirred — metallic humanoid figures whose eyes burned with crimson light.
"Run?" Eliar suggested.
"Fight," Selene corrected, pulling a slender wand from her side.
The first construct lunged at them. Eliar ducked, pulling a small arcane blade from his boot, and slashed across the thing's midsection. Sparks burst but it wasn't enough to stop it. Selene unleashed a barrage of focused light magic, searing through another's core.
Still, more kept coming.
"We need to find a way to disable them!" Eliar shouted.
Selene pointed toward a crystalized node at the center of the room. "The power source! If we overload it—!"
Together, they fought their way toward it, every strike precise, desperate. Eliar, moving faster than he ever thought possible, reached the node and stabbed his blade deep into the crystal's core. A shockwave exploded outward, knocking both of them backward.
The constructs froze mid-attack. Then collapsed, lifeless.
Panting, Selene helped Eliar to his feet.
"That was insane," she gasped, half laughing, half terrified.
Eliar dusted himself off, wincing at the bruise forming on his ribs.
"Welcome to Cyralis Academy," he joked weakly.
They returned to the terminal, now unguarded. The interface had changed — it now displayed a file directory. Selene tapped the first entry.
A holographic map of Elyndor appeared — but it wasn't like any map they had seen in their studies.
New regions were highlighted, areas marked with words like "Oblivion Rift," "Titan Relics," and ominously, "5th Quadrant — Classified."
Selene frowned.
"5th Quadrant... we aren't supposed to even know it exists."
Eliar leaned closer.
"Why would they hide an entire quadrant?"
Before they could explore further, the terminal flickered violently. A voice, old yet powerful, whispered from the depths of the system:
"To awaken the Genesis, you must first uncover the Five Pillars... Seek the Scions of Old. Beware the Shadows."
The terminal went dead.
Both stood frozen, a million questions racing in their minds.
Who were the Scions? What were the Pillars? And what shadows did the voice warn about?
Selene broke the silence.
"We need to get out of here... now."
Eliar nodded, but deep inside, he knew —
This wasn't over. It was just the beginning.
And somewhere far above, in the shining heights of the Sky District, old forces stirred from their slumber.
The chamber trembled faintly, ancient mechanisms grinding to life after centuries of silence. Dim light flowed from the intricate patterns carved into the walls, revealing rows of strange devices — half magical, half mechanical — lying dormant beneath layers of dust.
Selene's violet eyes shimmered with curiosity and excitement.
"This place... it's not just old," she whispered, stepping lightly over the cracked tiles. "It's a piece of lost history."
Eliar followed closely, his senses sharpened. The Vault smelled of metal, old parchment, and something faintly electric — a charge that made the hair on his arms stand.
As they moved deeper, the Vault opened into a wide circular hall. In the center stood a pedestal, upon which rested a crystal orb, swirling with a misty silver light.
Selene stopped short.
"This is it... the Heart of the Vault," she said.
Eliar frowned.
"Doesn't seem like just a power source," he muttered. His instincts screamed that this was no ordinary relic.
Before they could examine it further, a voice boomed through the chamber, cold and mechanical:
"Access Detected. Identity Verification Required."
Glyphs flared along the walls, forming massive arcane patterns. Selene and Eliar exchanged a glance.
"Bloodline Recognition: Initiated."
From the orb, two beams of light shot out — one struck Selene, the other Eliar. A searing warmth filled Eliar's chest, and he instinctively stepped forward, shielding Selene.
The lights dimmed.
The orb spoke again:
"Recognized: Descendant of Thorne. Recognized: Descendant of Varis. Access Granted to Secondary Chamber."
Part of the wall shuddered... and split open.
Selene exhaled in awe. "The Vault... it's alive."
Together, they walked through the new passage.
Inside, things grew stranger.
There were floating capsules, old spellforged weapons, tomes sealed inside protective glass, and strange artifacts humming with an eerie life of their own.
One device — a silver gauntlet — pulsed when Eliar approached it.
Selene noticed and said cautiously,
"Be careful. Some relics are bound. They might reject or... attach themselves."
Eliar hesitated — but something inside him pulled toward it. Against his better judgment, he reached out.
The gauntlet latched onto his arm like a predator. Energy surged into him — wild, chaotic, painful — and for a moment, he thought he'd black out.
Selene cried out, stepping back in fear.
"Eliar!"
But then, the pain subsided. The gauntlet, once mechanical and clunky, now gleamed smoothly, almost like it was part of his skin.
"Synchronisation: 5%."
Words flashed inside Eliar's mind. A series of images — battles, towers falling from the skies, a man standing alone against legions — assaulted him.
Selene grabbed his shoulder, grounding him.
"Hey! Stay with me!"
Eliar gasped, the visions fading. He stumbled back, clutching his head.
"What... was that...?"
Selene's face was pale.
"Some of these artifacts... they're not just tools. They're... memories."
Just then, the Vault began to quake again.
A hidden door opened — but this time, something else stirred.
Footsteps echoed from deep within the darkness.
Selene immediately raised her hand, summoning a faint shield.
"We're not alone."
From the shadows emerged... a figure, clad in robes so old they seemed to dissolve into mist.
But it wasn't human. Its eyes glowed a dull crimson, and a hollow voice spoke:
"You who bear the blood of Thorne and Varis... You are early. The Heir is not yet ready."
Selene and Eliar froze.
"What do you mean?!" Eliar demanded.
The figure ignored the question, simply pointing toward a giant sealed door further inside. Upon it, ancient carvings depicted a massive city floating in the sky — unmistakably Sky District.
The figure continued:
"Only those who awaken the blood may open the Gate. Until then, you remain... unworthy."
Without another word, it dissolved into mist.
Selene stared at Eliar, her voice barely a whisper:
"Eliar... your family, the Thornes... there's more to them than anyone knows. And you... you're the key to something far bigger."
Eliar felt a cold weight settle in his chest.
His simple desire to survive, to escape weakness, to rise above scorn — it was just the beginning.
This was a war for something much greater.
Something buried deep within the continent itself.
The Vault fell silent again.
But the feeling of watchful eyes remained.
As they turned to leave, Selene glanced back at the sealed gate and murmured:
"The Fifth Quadrant... the Sky District... the Bloodlines... everything's connected."
Eliar nodded grimly, feeling the gauntlet pulse faintly against his skin.
But he didn't know —
outside Cyralis Academy, forces had already begun to move.
And some of them...
wanted him dead before he could awaken anything at all.
[To be continued...]