Chapter 13: The Vault of Serith
The Caeloran map glowed faint red as Eron traced his finger over the mountains. The blinking signal beneath Mount Serith had grown more distinct — and more unstable.
"Signal clarity dropping," Eric said. "Either interference or tampering."
Eron looked toward the eastern pass. "Then we move now, before it's gone."
---
Preparation
Eron selected a small team:
Kale, for frontline strength.
Sira, for tracking and pathfinding.
Nira, for… reasons even she didn't fully understand. Rurik and Lyra would remain behind to secure Caelora's defenses and complete the next wave of vault upgrades.
Before they departed, Eric embedded a shard of his core into Eron's pendant.
> "This will allow limited communication inside the vault.
But if the seal collapses—I'm blind."
> "We'll manage," Eron replied.
---
Journey to Serith
The path to Mount Serith wound through ash-coated forests, twisted cliffs, and quiet stone fields long abandoned. By day three, the wind had changed.
They reached the mountain base under thick gray sky.
> "This place feels wrong," Sira whispered.
> "It remembers things," Nira said.
They stood before a fractured obelisk — half-sunken, wrapped in roots, but still humming faintly with red light. The Caeloran crest on Eron's emblem lit up in response.
> [System Recognition Complete – Vault Lock Disengaging]
Stone split. The mountain opened.
---
Inside the Vault
The air was cold, dry, and silent.
Glowing runes lined the walls, pulsing in time with Eric's heartbeat pattern. Old technology. Not dead. Waiting.
The first chamber held a spiral staircase — descending deep into the rock. As they reached the bottom, massive sealed doors loomed ahead, engraved with three sigils:
Caelora's flame
A symbol of balance — two rings
And a third, scratched out, almost violently
> "This wasn't just our vault," Eron said.
"This was shared."
> "The missing dynasty," Eric said. "They removed themselves from the pact."
> "Or were removed," Nira added.
---
Inside the vault chamber, crystalline pillars stood in a circle. In the center was a pedestal — empty.
Eric's voice trembled slightly.
> "The Core Node is missing."
> "Stolen?" Eron asked.
> "No," Eric said. "Activated elsewhere."
Suddenly, warning lights blinked along the ceiling. The vault began to hum.
> [Proximity Alert – Hostile Approach Detected]
Estimated Arrival: 4 Minutes
Faction: Unknown – Identified Tag: Hollow Flame Mercenaries
Kale drew his blades. "They tracked us."
Eron raised his pendant.
> "Then we hold this ground. We finish what we came for — or no one leaves with it."