The snow crunched under Franziska's boots as the black SUV rolled to a stop in front of an unmarked building in downtown Ottawa. To the ordinary eye, it looked like a forgotten government facility—gray, windowless, and uninviting. But deep beneath its concrete foundation lay the Vault of Aegis, the most secure chamber in Canada—and the final legacy of Elena Ravenhart, Franziska's mother.
Franziska stood alone at the entrance as her team swept the perimeter. Her breath fogged in the cold air, but her hands were steady. In her ear, Lucas' voice crackled through the comms.
> "South entrance clear. No sign of breach—yet."
> "North side secure," came another voice, Agent Mara.
Franziska didn't respond. Her eyes were fixed on the biometric scanner embedded into the steel door before her. She took a deep breath, removed her right glove, and placed her hand on the scanner.
> "Identity confirmed. Welcome, Lady Franziska."
A soft click echoed as the door unlocked with a hiss. She stepped inside alone, as only she had the clearance to enter. The hallway descended into darkness, lit only by occasional security lights. As she walked, memories pressed in from every side—her mother's voice, sharp and kind, instructing her never to open the Vault unless the world was about to turn.
And it had.
Franziska entered the main chamber—a massive circular room with walls lined in ancient steel and crystal sensors. In the center, atop a pedestal, sat a single black book bound in dragonhide leather: The Blood Ledger.
She approached cautiously. The air was colder here, heavier. Her fingers hovered above the cover. But before she could touch it—
> "Access log triggered," came Lucas' voice in her earpiece. "Wait... We've got movement. Someone's inside. How—?"
The lights flickered.
And then she saw her.
A figure standing across the room, cloaked in shadow, just beyond the circle of light. Franziska's breath caught.
"Elena?" she whispered.
The figure stepped forward—and it was her mother. Or rather, an AI projection of her. Programmed decades ago, Elena's image flickered slightly, her voice as soft and haunting as a lullaby.
> "If you are seeing this, it means the vault is compromised. It means the Order has returned."
Franziska's fists clenched. "Why didn't you tell me you made this?"
The projection didn't respond directly, but continued.
> "The Blood Ledger holds more than names. It holds keys to vaults around the world, truths about the royal bloodlines—including your own. Franziska, you must not let the Vasilievs or the Order unlock the cipher. If they do, they will awaken Project Monarch."
Franziska's heart stopped. That name—Project Monarch—was a ghost even in her deepest files. A forgotten operation tied to genetic memory, loyalty programming, and absolute control.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed above. The projection faded.
> "Explosives on the north wall!" shouted Mara in the comms. "We're under attack!"
Franziska spun and bolted from the room, triggering the automatic lockdown. Behind her, the vault door slammed shut, sealing the Ledger once more. She climbed back up the passage as dust rained from the ceiling.
In the blinding light of an explosion, she emerged to chaos—her guards in combat, red smoke flooding the street. A figure darted past her—a boy, no older than eighteen, with eyes glowing faintly silver.
The descendant. The Cipher Keeper.
Franziska gave chase, her coat billowing behind her like the wings of a fallen angel. She couldn't let him escape. Not now.
Not when the game had finally begun.