The vault door was a massive round slab of solid iron, reinforced with dark-matter plating. In the center sat a copper handprint scanner, pulsing with a faint, silver light.
Vikram placed his hand on the copper plate.
A red light flashed. "Access Denied. Bio-signature mismatch."
"Vikram," Rhea's voice was urgent. "The lock is coded to the founders' DNA. It requires the specific genetic frequency of Amar Rathod or Devendra Malhotra."
"My father is gone," Vikram said, his hands clenched. "And Devendra is upstairs."
"The genetic marker, Vikram!" Rhea cried. "You have the same blood. But you have to align your Prana to match your father's frequency. Remember the cipher!"
Vikram closed his eyes. He remembered the bloodstained paper his father had left, the mathematical sequence of numbers and symbols. It wasn't just a code; it was a frequency.
He began to breathe slowly, letting his bio-electric energy pulse in a rhythmic pattern—five short pulses, followed by one long wave. He channeled this energy through his hand, letting it flow into the copper scanner.
The silver light on the plate began to flicker. The red light faded, replaced by a warm, golden glow.
The heavy iron gears inside the door began to turn, a deep metallic groan echoing as the vault slowly swung open.