Vault Chamber — Istanbul, 5:12 A.M.
"What is this, Reyna?! This place... it's alive!" Emir took a step back, his hand trembling at his side.
"It's not the place that's alive," Reyna spoke softly, her eyes never leaving the crystal floating in the air, "but the truth they murdered... is finally waking up."
The Vault hummed softly, not like a machine... but like a heart. The dark walls now glowed gently, exhaling a thin cold mist heavy with history. The air vibrated, and each step felt like walking between time — not just space.
The crystal called Requiem Primordius floated calmly in the air. Its light pulsed red with layers of gold. It did not merely shine — it summoned, observed, judged. And when Reyna stood directly beneath it, the Vault seemed to take a breath. As if it had been waiting for her arrival for thousands of years.
"This Vault isn't just a keeper of secrets, Reyna," Emir whispered softly. "It... is aware."
"And it knows who I am."
A soft rumble echoed. The crystal shone brightly, and the world changed.
The Vault walls turned translucent, and time split open.
Reyna stood in an ancient ceremonial hall. At its center — her father, Raezmir El'Raez, stood tall in a dark robe. His eyes full of worry, his hand clutching a nearly torn letter.
In front of him, Maeryss appeared — younger, but with the same cruel eyes.
"You're protecting her? That girl?" asked Maeryss, her steps filled with rage.
"She is the only part of our legacy that's pure." Raezmir remained calm.
"You would sacrifice everything just for one child?"
"Not 'child.' The true heir. The first blood we tried to erase, but never truly killed."
And without warning, Maeryss attacked. A black dagger pierced Raezmir's chest, and Reyna screamed — but no one heard. The illusion was only meant to be seen. Not saved.
When the vision ended, the Vault echoed like a creature groaning from the depths of time. Reyna was pushed back, her body trembling. But as she touched the floor, the Vault lit up — as if recognizing her.
The crystal spun faster. A blood-red light burst from its center, forming a symbol — the El'Raez crest, carved right beneath Reyna's feet.
"She inherited it," Emir said quietly.
"No," Reyna replied. "I am it."
Reyna collapsed to her knees, both hands clutching her chest.
"All this time I thought... my father died because of politics. Power. But that's not it."
"He died to protect me."
Tears fell. But not from weakness. They came from anger, from a loss that had never been explained. Every shard of betrayal she had carried… now fused into vengeance.
"They didn't just take his life… they stole my future."
Far from there, in Torre de Madrid, Lucien woke up gasping.
His hand grasped the small pendant around his neck — Reyna's gift.
"Reyna..."
He stood before his window, looking at a sky still cloaked in darkness. But his body felt heavy — as if something had been taken from him, or maybe... given back.
He closed his eyes, and silently, he knew — Reyna was opening something. Something they were meant to open together.
The Vault slowly revealed a secret corridor. From within, a silver-bound book emerged, chained with frozen blood as hard as metal.
Reyna touched it, and the chain loosened on its own. On the first page, an engraved face appeared — a tall man, dark eyes, and a serpent tattoo on his wrist.
Lucien.
"He will love you deep enough… either to save you, or to destroy everything."
Reyna took a deep breath.
"My love... is not the answer. But it will still be the key."
Suddenly, an ancient voice echoed from deep within the Vault like a shadow long asleep.
"Blood heir... you have seen the truth. But are you ready to carry it?"
Reyna did not answer. She only closed the book slowly.
"What does the Vault ask of you, Reyna?" Emir asked softly.
"Something I'm not sure I can give."
"What is it?"
Reyna closed the book, stood tall, and looked toward the Vault's exit.
"Trust."
Silence.
Then, the Vault spoke once more.
"One door has opened. But three await. And each one… demands sacrifice."
Reyna turned to Emir. "Three?"
Emir nodded slowly. "The Vault never gives everything at once. It tests. It weighs."
Their footsteps echoed as they exited the Vault's main chamber. The light outside began to shift — from darkness to orange. The sun began to kiss Istanbul's horizon.
And far in Madrid, Lucien pressed on an old file he had kept since the day Raezmir died. On its cover — sealed with a red wax stamp.
El'Raez.
Lucien opened the file slowly. Inside, a letter from Raezmir.
"If Reyna opens the Vault before its time, then the only way she can survive… is you."
Lucien looked at the Madrid sky.
"I will find you, Reyna. Before they destroy everything."
And in the sky above Istanbul, the sun slowly rose. But the night inside La Reyna… had only just begun.