The tunnel stretched into darkness, its cold metal walls humming faintly as if they were alive — like veins pulsing in a machine long forgotten. Kael felt the weight of the Vaultkeeper's words lingering in the air. The Heart of Dawn was within reach, but the price of unlocking its secrets might be more than he was ready to bear.
The Vaultkeeper, his face drawn with exhaustion, led the way. He moved with a kind of urgency, as though he feared that each step might be his last. Kael followed, the shard still in his hand, now glowing faintly orange, resonating with the Core. It had become an extension of himself — his only guide through the darkness that had swallowed the world.
A sudden sound echoed from the depths — the mechanical clanking of something heavy, dragging itself through the darkness. The Vaultkeeper's pace quickened, his breath shallow.
"Kael, stay close," he whispered, voice hoarse. "Whatever you do, don't let them see you."
Before Kael could ask what he meant, the source of the sound came into view. A massive form, its legs spindly and warped, its body encased in rusted, jagged armor. The Reclaimer. It wasn't alone.
The Echoes had followed them.
They were closer now. Kael could feel their presence in the air, like static. The ground vibrated beneath him, the air thick with the buzz of a hundred unseen eyes.
"Get ready," the Vaultkeeper muttered, his hand reaching for a weapon Kael hadn't noticed before — an old, rusted rifle, its barrel still glowing faintly with the last remnants of forgotten energy.
The Reclaimer's red-lit eyes fixed on them. It tilted its head, as if to analyze, as if it recognized Kael in some way.
But before it could make a move, the Vaultkeeper fired. The shot rang out, slicing through the silence like a scream.
Kael didn't wait for the result. He sprinted toward the Vault's entrance. A cold, metallic door that stood as the final barrier between the darkness and whatever lay beyond. The Vaultkeeper followed, his footsteps hurried.
Kael reached the door first, slamming his palm against the cold surface. The shard vibrated in his hand, and the door groaned, a low, agonizing sound that echoed through the chamber.
"It's too slow!" Kael shouted. "We need to hurry!"
"I know," the Vaultkeeper panted, his hands shaking as he reloaded his rifle. "But the seal — it's centuries old. It won't give easily."
The Reclaimer's massive form loomed closer, dragging its war-scarred body through the debris. The Echoes flanked it, their glowing red eyes scanning the area with a terrifying, cold precision.
Suddenly, the door began to rumble. The Vaultkeeper had triggered the last lock. A flash of light burst from the panel, and the massive door groaned open.
"Go!" the Vaultkeeper barked.
Kael was the first to dive inside, the Vault's interior eerily quiet. But the cold silence was short-lived. The room beyond was unlike anything Kael had imagined — a vast, towering chamber lined with ancient consoles and cryo-pods, all connected to a single, central structure. At the heart of it, a giant sphere of light, suspended in midair.
The Heart of Dawn.
Kael stepped forward, the heat from the sphere washing over him. His hand reached out instinctively, but before he could touch it, a voice echoed through the chamber. A familiar voice. The same voice he'd heard in the visions.
"If you're hearing this… it means the time has come."
The words sent a shiver down Kael's spine. He wasn't alone.
A figure materialized before him — an old man, his body draped in glowing robes, his face a mask of age and wisdom. His eyes were the same shade of gold as Kael's, though they held centuries of knowledge.
"You've come far," the old man said, his voice carrying an ancient weight. "But this path leads only to one of two ends."
Kael stepped back, his heart pounding. "Who are you?"
"I was the first," the old man replied. "The first Dawnbearer. The Architect's first failure."
The Heart of Dawn pulsed, the air thickening with energy. The old man's form flickered, like a dying signal.
"You've awakened it. You've awakened the sun," he continued, his voice growing fainter. "But you must be ready. The Architect's final plan has already begun. And it's only a matter of time before the Echoes find you."
Kael's head spun. "The Architect?"
"The one who ended the sun," the man said, his gaze steady. "The one who trapped it in the eclipse. And you… you are the key to breaking it. But at what cost?"
Before Kael could speak, a distant roar echoed through the Vault — the sound of metal against stone, of something large and deadly. The Echoes had found them.
"We don't have time," Kael muttered, turning toward the exit. But the old man's voice stopped him.
"Remember, Kael," the man said. "The last dawn is not about restoring the sun. It's about what comes after. The Architect will not let you succeed. He will try to rewrite you, to turn you into his final weapon."
Kael clenched his fists. He wasn't going to let that happen. Not now. Not after everything he'd been through.
With a final glance at the Heart of Dawn, Kael turned and ran toward the door. The Vaultkeeper was already on his feet, his rifle raised, ready to face the oncoming threat.
The Vault's alarms blared to life. The Echoes were close.
The race for the truth of the sun had begun.
End of Chapter 10