The address burned in Ethan's mind as he prepared to leave.He'd seen it before, in one of the photographs from the Dominion archives. A safe house his parents had used before the fall. A place where they'd made their final plans, hidden their final secrets.And now someone wanted him to come there alone."It's a trap," the guardian said, her voice flat. "You know it's a trap.""Probably." Ethan checked his equipment, his movements methodical. "But it's also the first real lead we've had on my father. Someone knows something, and they're willing to talk.""Or they're willing to kill you.""Then at least I'll know who they are."The guardian stepped closer, her expression tight with frustration. "Ethan, you can't just walk into an unknown situation without backup. Let me come with you. I'll stay back, keep out of sight, but I'll be there if something goes wrong."Ethan considered this. The offer was tempting. The guardian had saved his life more times than he could count. Having her ne

The chamber beyond the door was not what Ethan had expected.He had imagined something grand. Something worthy of the Dominion's legacy. But the room before him was simple, almost austere. Stone walls, bare floor, a single source of light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once.The only thing that marked it as significant was the symbol carved into the center of the floor.A circle with a line through it.The same symbol from the Crimson Ledger.Ethan stood at the threshold, his hand still resting on the doorframe. The Ring on his finger pulsed with warmth, responding to the chamber's presence. He didn't step inside.Instead, he turned to face Cassian."Why did the door open for me?"Cassian stood a few feet away, his posture unchanged. Calm. Controlled. "Because you're the Heir. The facility recognizes your bloodline.""That's not what I asked." Ethan's voice was sharp. "You've been here for years. You said you've been waiting. If the facility recognizes the Heir's b

The voice faded, and the world changed. Ethan felt the stone floor dissolve beneath his feet. For a moment, he was falling through darkness, his stomach lurching, his arms reaching for something to hold onto. Then the sensation stopped, and he was standing somewhere else entirely. The chamber was gone. He was in a settlement. Dominion architecture surrounded him, buildings of gray stone and dark wood, their windows shattered, their walls scarred by fire. Smoke rose from a dozen different locations, thick and black against the pale sky. Somewhere in the distance, an alarm bell was ringing, its tone urgent and desperate. People were running. Ethan watched them move through the streets, their faces twisted with fear. A woman carrying a child. An old man stumbling toward a damaged building. A group of teenagers helping a wounded man toward cover. They moved without direction, without

The words hung in the air, burning themselves into Ethan's mind. HEIR ABILITY: COMMAND SENSE — UNLOCKED. He stared at the Ring, his heart racing. The new symbol pulsed with quiet light, ancient and unfamiliar. He didn't know what it meant, but he could feel something shifting inside him. A new awareness. A new connection. "What is Command Sense?" he asked. Astra's voice came through his earpiece, tinged with surprise. "I'm not certain. The Dominion archives mention Heir Abilities, but the records are fragmentary. Most of them were destroyed during the fall." "Can you tell me anything?" "It appears to be a perception-based ability. Something connected to leadership and strategy. But I don't have the details." Ethan looked at Cassian. "Do you know what this is?" Cassian's expression was unreadable. "I know of it.

The words still echoed in Ethan's mind. The next heir cannot be allowed to repeat my mistake. He stood in the chamber, the Ring cold against his finger, his father's voice fading into memory. The sealed recording had ended, but its weight remained—a burden he hadn't asked for, a question he couldn't answer. What mistake? What had his father done that was so terrible he'd dedicated his final years to preventing it from happening again? "Ethan." Cassian's voice cut through his thoughts. "There's something you need to see." Ethan turned. The old Keeper stood near the chamber's entrance, his expression unreadable. "What?" "The archive. There are records you haven't accessed yet. Records about the Bloodline Trials. About the heirs who came before you." Ethan felt his pulse quicken. "Heirs who cam