The black stone door stood motionless.
The silver eclipse engraved upon it seemed to absorb the light around it.
Artyom couldn't look away.
---
"What did the First Family imprison?" he asked quietly.
---
Elara remained silent for a moment.
Then she answered.
"It wasn't a monster."
"It wasn't a king."
"It was an idea."
---
Artyom frowned.
"I don't understand."
---
"The belief that power exists to rule others."
Her voice was calm.
"When that belief took root, it became stronger than any army."
---
The silver pendant around Artyom's neck grew warm.
The black door slowly unlocked.
A deep metallic sound echoed through the chamber.
---
Beyond it...
A narrow corridor descended even farther beneath the mountain.
Cold air drifted upward.
Ancient chains lined both walls, each as thick as a man's arm.
Most were broken.
Some remained intact.
---
Artyom stepped forward cautiously.
The deeper he walked, the quieter the world became.
Even his own footsteps sounded distant.
---
At the end of the passage lay a vast circular prison.
Stone pillars surrounded a massive platform.
Dozens of enormous chains stretched from the pillars toward its center.
Many had snapped.
Only a few still held.
---
In the middle of the chamber stood a single black crystal.
Cracks spread across its surface.
Faint silver light escaped through them.
---
Artyom whispered,
"This is what they sealed?"
---
Caelum's voice echoed behind him.
"No."
---
Artyom turned.
Caelum had entered the chamber.
His expression was solemn.
---
"The crystal is only the lock."
---
"What was imprisoned..."
He looked toward the broken chains.
"...has already begun to awaken."
---
The floor trembled.
A low vibration echoed through the prison.
One remaining chain snapped with a deafening crack.
---
Above them, throughout the Sanctuary, warning bells rang.
Ancient crystal inscriptions lit up in crimson.
---
Back in the Grand Hall—
Dmitri stared at the control panel.
"The prison's seal has dropped to sixty percent."
---
Roman's face darkened.
"Can it be restored?"
---
Lucien answered before Dmitri could.
"Only by the heir."
---
Viktor immediately turned toward the corridor Artyom had taken.
"I'm going to him."
---
Caelum raised a hand.
"He must face this part alone."
---
Viktor's expression remained firm.
"He won't face the consequences alone."
---
Silence settled between them.
Then Caelum gave a small nod.
---
Inside the prison...
Artyom stepped closer to the black crystal.
Something reflected in its surface.
Not his face.
Another version of himself.
Older.
Wearing a silver crown.
His eyes glowed with the same silver light.
---
The reflection smiled.
---
Artyom instinctively stepped back.
The smile remained.
Though he no longer was standing before the crystal.
---
It smiled on its own.
---
The chamber grew colder.
The remaining chains groaned under an unseen force.
Artyom tightened his grip on the silver lily pendant.
For the first time since entering the Sanctuary...
He felt as though something inside the prison...
was looking back at him.