2026-10-11 17:32:05
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The Memory in the Chamber
The room behind the door was very small. It held only an old iron bed frame without a mattress, a small writing desk, and a dull wall calendar frozen on a month long past."There's nothing here," Robert said, sweeping his flashlight across the peeling cement walls. "Just a sickroom nobody cleaned.""No," I cut in. I knelt beneath the iron bed, my fingers feeling for ceramic tiles that were colder than the floor around them. "System, activate the Essence Appraiser's Eye."A thin violet tint filled my vision. In the middle of the plain tile floor beneath the bed, thin circular lines glowed faintly, giving off the same energy as the Heir's Ring."Under this bed," I whispered.Robert helped push the old iron bed aside. The screech of iron on tile echoed loudly through the narrow room. I wiped the dust from the floor with the cuff of my jacket and exposed a round metal plate a meter wide, set neatly into the cement.In the center of the plate were three curved notches, each the size of a h
The Way Out
A string of massive explosions from the lower floor shook the entire structure of the old museum. Cement dust, shards of brick, and orange tongues of flame surged up through the main stairwell, shattering the stillness of the exhibition hall where we stood.Xander sprinted toward the stairs, cocking the pistol in his hand, leading what remained of his men to hold back the wave of attackers sent by Dr. Victor Hart."Move now or we both get crushed under this old roof!"Robert yanked the sleeve of my Italian jacket through the rain of glass and cement dust. The heat of the Heir's Ring and his bronze ring flared against my skin, forcing me to stumble after him."The photo," I said. With trembling hands I slid the old sheet of paper Xander had given me into the inner pocket of my jacket. "This photo can't be damaged.""Think about your life first, you fool!" Robert snapped, dragging me down the iron emergency stairs at the back of the building, which had begun to billow thick black smoke.
The Photograph from the Pier
Xander glanced at Robert briefly, his jaw tight. "Your eyes look just like your father's when he accused us forty years ago.""Don't talk about my father!" Robert snapped, stepping forward two paces."Enough, Robert!" I shoved his arm away and looked straight at Xander. "If you really aren't here to take the Heir's Ring, why is your force surrounding this place?""To give you this," Xander reached into the inner pocket of his leather jacket. He drew out an old printed photograph of medium size, its corners yellowed and creased.Xander tossed the photo onto the floor, right between my feet and Robert's."What is this?" I asked without looking down, my eyes fixed on Xander's every move."Open your eyes and see for yourself," Xander said coldly. "What you were told about your grandfather's death forty years ago was staged, and this is the proof."My chest felt struck by a heavy weight. I knelt slowly on the dusty tile floor, never taking my eyes off Xander. My shaking hand felt across th
The Second Collapse
CRASH!The glass roof of the museum above our heads shattered into pieces. A rain of sharp glass and chunks of concrete fell across the old tile floor of the hall, followed by the thick roar of helicopter blades churning the night air. The sharp smell of sulfur and flare smoke instantly burned my throat.The old man in the gray coat did not flinch. He stood rigid before the rotting wooden table, his eyes calmly watching the collapsing ceiling."Alsean, get down!"Robert's shout broke my paralysis. He yanked my arm roughly behind a thick concrete pillar. I clutched the copper canister in my right hand until my knuckles whitened. On my left ring finger, the Heir's Ring trembled hard, giving off an unstable violet pulse that merged with my racing heartbeat.Through the gray smoke and the blinding flash of flares, tactical ropes dropped. Figures in black tactical gear descended like shadows of death, locking down every corner of the hall within seconds.Before Robert or I could draw a bre
The Copper Canister
Robert turned sharply, his eyes narrowing at me. "Don't believe this old man so quickly, Alsean. They're all trained to manipulate the minds of Heirs.""I'm not asking for your trust, Robert," the old man said without turning. "But look at what has moved around you these past few days. Who leaked the artifacts' locations to you? Who held the attacking force away from the cemetery last night?"I froze. My memory raced back to the empty cemetery. "The black box truck across from the gallery.""That was our surveillance unit," the old man cut in. "We held back the northern branch's masked group so you would have enough time to finish searching the records of your grandfather's death.""Why would you do that?" I asked, my voice lowering. "What does your faction gain?"The old man reached into his coat pocket and took out a small copper canister with intricate engraving. He set it right beside the lantern. "Because only the Seventh Heir can open the underground seal in your grandfather's o
The Faction That Protects
"You are making too much noise in a place of our ancestors' history," the man said, his voice hoarse and calm, yet carrying an authority that pressed on my chest.The silence in the old museum hall suddenly felt thick, pressed down by the green glow of the ancient lantern held by the old man in the gray coat. The violet glow of the Heir's Ring on my finger and the golden flicker of Robert's bronze ring pulsed slowly, as if dimming out of respect for the figure who had appeared from behind the pillar's shadow."My name is not important, Seventh Heir," the old man said quietly, his eyes fixed on me before turning to Robert. "What matters is that you two have just touched the wrong memory seal.""What do you mean?" Robert reached toward his jacket pocket and nudged my shoulder lightly to keep us close together."History written by the victors is always flawed," the old man smiled faintly, a smile that carried deep sorrow. "You believe the Guardian Mark hunts you out of hatred. Yet some o
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