Debt of Souls

Chapter 4

Lightning flashed through the vault’s skylight as alarms wailed. The vault’s emergency lights stuttered, casting Charlie’s master in fleeting frames of light and shadow. 

Thunder rolled outside, echoing down the steel-lined hallways like the growl of something ancient. Charlie froze. “No… you’re supposed to be dead.”

His voice cracked against the walls. The Game’s glowing symbols pulsed brighter, as if feeding on the tension.

The man, broad-shouldered, hair slicked with rain, smirked. “Dead? You should know by now, Charlie, the Game doesn’t let valuable pieces leave the board so easily.”

Lucas, wide-eyed, whispered, “Who the hell is this?”

Charlie didn’t take his eyes off the man. “This is Kessler.”

Kessler stepped forward, boots clicking on the marble floor. “You’ve been busy. Fifty million already? Impressive for someone who couldn’t pay his debts last week.”

“You left me bleeding in an alley.” Charlie’s fingers twitched near his holster.

“I gave you an audition,” Kessler replied calmly. “The Game found you worthy. You should be thanking me.”

“Thanking you?” Charlie spat. “You used me.”

Lucas edged back, eyeing the sealed shutters. “Uh, guys? The exits are still locked.” A blue holographic display flared in midair:

Challenge Initiated: Secure or Sacrifice.

Asset: Kronberg Vault, Section C

Contenders: Charlie Charlie vs. Kessler Raan

Timer: 00:20:00

Kessler’s smirk widened. “Looks like we’re opponents now.”

Charlie squared his shoulders. “Then let’s finish what you started.”

Kessler raised his pistol, but instead of shooting, he gestured toward the vault corridor. “The asset isn’t just money, Charlie. Section C holds secrets, secrets powerful enough to buy nations. First to claim them wins. Loser… well, you know the rules.”

The Game’s voice whispered in Charlie’s mind: Warning: Defeat may result in deletion of all acquired assets, and life.

Lucas hissed, “Deletion? That doesn’t sound metaphorical.”

Charlie’s mind raced. The vault layout was a maze of biometric doors and laser grids. Kessler had insider knowledge, but Charlie had desperation, and Lucas’s hacking skills. “Lucas,” Charlie murmured, “you up for cracking some of Europe’s tightest security?”

Lucas swallowed hard. “I was hoping for something easier… like robbing a bank blindfolded.”

Kessler’s voice cut in, mocking. “Tick-tock, boys.”

The lights flickered again. Somewhere deeper in the vault, a mechanism whirred, Section C’s door was starting to close.

Charlie bolted forward, drawing his pistol. Kessler cursed and gave chase, gunfire echoing through the corridor. Marble shattered as bullets ricocheted.

Lucas scrambled behind, tablet glowing as he tried to jam the security protocols. “I can slow the door, but I can’t stop it!”

“Slow it, then,” Charlie barked.

They ducked behind a steel column as Kessler’s shot sparked against it. Charlie leaned out, returned fire, one bullet grazed Kessler’s shoulder, making him stagger but not fall. “You’ve improved,” Kessler said, voice amused. “But not enough.”

The timer ticked down: 18:47

They reached the first laser grid, thin red beams humming across the corridor. Lucas scanned it with the tablet. “Motion-sensitive. And they’ll fry us if we trip one.”

Charlie’s eyes darted to an overhead maintenance panel. He fired a shot, shattering the latch. 

The panel dropped open, exposing wires. “Can you reroute power?” he asked.

Lucas climbed onto a marble ledge, hands trembling as he pried open the wiring. Sparks popped. “I can try, just buy me thirty seconds!”

Kessler’s footsteps approached, echoing. Charlie ducked out, firing three shots to drive him back. “You’re not winning this, Kessler!”

Kessler laughed, low and cold. “I already have.”

The lights above flickered as Lucas yanked a cable free, the laser grid fizzled, then went dark. “Go!” he shouted.

They sprinted through, just as Kessler reappeared, firing. Bullets whined past Charlie’s ear. One clipped his jacket sleeve.

They rounded a corner and found another obstacle: a biometric lock glowing blue. Charlie cursed. “We need a print.”

Lucas’s gaze flicked to the security camera above. “Or a hack. Stall him.”

Kessler’s voice drifted closer. “Running won’t save you, Charlie.”

Charlie leveled his gun at the corner. “Neither will arrogance.”

The timer glowed: 15:10

Rainwater dripped from the ceiling, pooling on the polished floor. The vault felt like a steel tomb. Charlie’s pulse thundered in his ears. “Lucas,” he whispered, “get that door open.”

“I’m working on it!” Lucas muttered, fingers flying over the tablet screen.

The door beeped. Still locked. Kessler’s silhouette appeared, calm, deliberate steps echoing. Charlie tightened his grip on the pistol and prepared to make his move.

The echo of Kessler’s boots was steady, almost mocking. Each step sounded like a countdown to execution. “Come on, Lucas,” Charlie muttered, eyes locked on the corridor.

Lucas cursed under his breath, sweat beading on his temple despite the cold. “This lock’s got triple-layer encryption. Whoever designed this was paranoid.”

“That’s why it’s perfect for the Game,” Kessler called, his voice smooth. “They don’t just test your skills, they test your nerves.”

Charlie angled himself, using the steel wall as cover. He glanced at the timer hovering midair: 13:22

“Lucas,” Charlie whispered, “stall tactics aren’t going to save us if that timer hits zero.”

Lucas didn’t look up. “I know!”

Kessler’s shadow lengthened as he neared. Then came the distinct metallic sound of a magazine sliding into place. “Charlie, you should’ve stayed dead.”

Charlie fired two shots down the corridor, one to keep Kessler back, the other to shatter a ceiling light. 

Glass rained down, plunging half the hall into darkness. Kessler’s chuckle echoed. “Clever. But shadows won’t hide you.”

Lucas’s tablet chirped. “Got it, biometric spoof engaged!” The door beeped and slid open.

“Go!” Charlie hissed.

They sprinted through the doorway just as Kessler fired again. A bullet clipped Charlie’s leg, tearing through his jeans. Pain flared white-hot, but he kept moving.

The next chamber was a sprawling vault room lined with safety deposit boxes. At its center stood an armored pedestal with a shimmering blue shield around it: Section C.

A new prompt appeared: Asset Locked. Challenge Escalation Imminent.

Lucas’s voice cracked. “Escalation? What does that mean?”