The silence inside the vault was heavy, broken only by the dull hum of the fluorescent lights. Kane kept his voice low, his eyes on Lena as she bent to lift the first heavy backpack stuffed with gold bars.
"Move carefully," he murmured. "We still have time, but the faster we're done, the less chance of trouble."
Lena nodded, her muscles straining as she hefted the pack. She didn't see the faint flicker in Kane's eyes — the subtle activation of his ability. The moment she straightened, the weight in her hands vanished into thin air. Not a single clink, not a single scrape of metal against fabric. The backpack went from a bone-crushing fifty kilos to completely empty in a blink.
"What the—?" Lena blinked, shaking the bag. "Huh… maybe I didn't load it fully."
"Must've been lighter than you thought," Kane replied casually, masking his smirk as he reached for the next pile.
The process repeated again and again. Every time Lena or Mara moved a pack or crate toward the exit, Kane's ability silently swallowed the contents into his Infinite Storage. They remained blissfully unaware, thinking the weight was shifting because they were handling the easier loads first. Kane kept the pace steady — never so fast as to raise suspicion, but swift enough that the room emptied at an impossible rate.
By the time they finished, Kane's storage brimmed with the day's prize:
32 million in pure cash, neatly stacked in vacuum-sealed bricks.
18 million in gold bars — solid, gleaming, and each weighing as much as a newborn child.
10 million in liquid assets — bearer bonds, high-value gems, and a small stash of platinum coins.
A staggering 60 million total. Enough to fund a private army, buy out half the city's remaining black-market suppliers, or build an impregnable fortress before the apocalypse descended.
The three of them slipped out through the service exit, the hum of the vault's security system fading behind them. Lena carried an empty pack. Mara cradled a small box she thought still held its heavy contents. Kane walked between them, his heartbeat steady, his mind already calculating how many drones, reinforced walls, and weapons this haul could buy.
The back alley was damp, the rain from earlier leaving slick puddles that reflected the faint glow of streetlights. Kane led them through winding streets, keeping to shadows and avoiding main roads. Twice they passed close to patrolling security vehicles, and each time Kane's instincts — honed from years of military experience — guided them into the perfect hiding spot before moving on.
When they finally reached the outskirts, Lena exhaled a long breath. "That's… more than I've ever seen taken in one night," she whispered.
"Yeah," Mara added, her tone half awed, half nervous. "We need to lie low for a while. Something like this doesn't go unnoticed."
Kane gave a noncommittal nod. Noticed? Oh, it'll be noticed, but they won't know where it went.
They reached the hidden SUV Kane had stashed earlier. The ride back was quiet, each of them lost in their own thoughts. For Lena and Mara, it was the thrill of the score. For Kane, it was the weight of what he knew — 42 days left before the world changed forever, and now he had the resources to tip the odds in his favor.
It was past midnight when they finally reached the mountain house. The lights were dim, the air cool and still. Kane unlocked the door and motioned for them to stay quiet.
Inside, Reina lay curled on the couch, a soft glow surrounding her sleeping form. Kane paused. That glow wasn't the lamplight — it was faint, shifting, almost like a veil of energy moving over her skin.
As he stepped closer, he felt it — a subtle pressure in the air, like standing too close to a live wire. Her breathing was calm, but every few seconds, tiny sparks of pale light danced along her fingertips.
She's growing stronger… even in her sleep.
Kane's mind raced. If her powers were evolving on their own, she might be far more capable by the time the apocalypse began than he'd dared hope. It also meant she'd need protection… and training.
Lena glanced toward her. "Your sister?"
"Yeah," Kane said quietly. "She's… special."
Mara's brows furrowed, but she didn't press.
After a brief discussion, Kane made his decision. The city would be too dangerous in the coming weeks, and these two — skilled, resourceful, and now tied to him by their involvement in the heist — could be valuable allies if kept close.
"You can stay here," Kane told them. "For now. Safer than the city, and I've got enough supplies for all of us."
Lena exchanged a glance with Mara, then nodded. "All right. But you sure about this?"
"I'm sure," Kane replied. He didn't mention that the 'supplies' included a fortune's worth of materials sitting in a space neither of them could imagine.
As they settled in for the night, Kane stood by the window, watching the quiet mountains beyond. The countdown in his head was unrelenting: 42 days until the first wave. But now, he had money. He had a base. And, most importantly, he had people worth protecting.
And no one — not the gangs, not the corporations, not the monsters — was going to take that away from him.