"By the void," Kora whispered beside me as the room beyond was revealed.
It was vast, far larger than seemed possible given the dimensions of the tower from outside. Treasures filled every available space. Ancient artifacts sat on pedestals of crystal and stone. Scrolls and tomes lined shelves that reached to the ceiling. Strange devices of unknown purpose glittered with metals and glass. Golden statues and jeweled weapons caught the light.
Vic immediately moved toward a collection of devices near the center of the room, his eyes wide with wonder. "These are incredible," he breathed, carefully lifting a spherical object that began to glow at his touch. "Some of these technologies were thought to be just legends."
But Cypher wasn't looking at any of the obvious treasures. His gaze was fixed on a smaller doorway at the far end of the chamber. Without a word, he started toward it, and I found myself following.
The smaller room beyond was simple compared to the opulence of the main vault. A single table of white marble stood in the center, upon which rested two boxes—one of gold, one of dark wood inlaid with silver.
Cypher approached slowly, as if in a dream. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for the golden box.
"I was here once, as a child. My father brought me and my sister to teach us about our legacy."
He opened the golden box, revealing a book bound in leather that shimmered with embedded crystal dust. The codex. It was smaller than I'd expected, no larger than the ledger my father had used to track his accounts, maybe several hundred pages at most. Something so small, yet powerful enough that Gideon would pay a fortune to possess it.
Next to it, in the wooden box that Cypher opened, lay a thin circlet of black metal. It looked deceptively simple, but as Cypher lifted it, runes etched into its surface began to glow with an inner fire.
"The crown of Calvaris,” he said, holding it reverently. "Worn by every ruler of Nytheris since the first portal was opened."
He turned and held it out to me. "Hold this for a moment while I inspect the codex."
I hesitated, then reached for it. "Are you sure? If it's meant for royalty?—"
"Just take it," he said quickly.
My fingers closed around the metal, and the world disappeared.
White light engulfed me.When it disappeared, I found myself still in the archive room, but everything had changed. The room was lit by crystal lamps that burned with steady blue fire. And I wasn't alone.
Two men stood near the marble table, engaged in intense conversation. Their backs were to me, but I could see they weredressed in elegant robes embroidered with the same symbols I'd seen on the wards.
I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The two men stood there, deep in conversation, and I realized with a shock that I was witnessing something impossible. The younger of the two men turned slightly, and I saw his profile. He had the same severe features, the same proud nose, the same dark hair as Cypher. But his eyes were bright blue instead of copper.
This had to be Cypher's father. And the older man beside him, with silver threading through his dark hair but the same regal bearing, must be his grandfather. I was somehow seeing into the past, witnessing a moment from before the collapse.
I tried to speak, to move closer, but I was frozen in place, like a ghost observing but unable to interact. I couldn't hear their words, though their lips moved urgently, hands gesturing with increasing agitation. Whatever they were discussing, it was serious. The older man's face was grave, while the younger paced with barely contained agitation.
Then, as if sensing my presence, both men suddenly stopped. Their heads turned in perfect unison, and they looked directly at me. Their blue eyes widened.
The room exploded into white light, and I was violently thrust back into my own time.
I staggered backward, the crown falling from my fingers. Strong hands caught me before I could collapse. Cypher's arms wrapped around my waist, steadying me as my vision swam.
"What happened?" His voice was very far away. “Scavenger, are you alright?"
I blinked, trying to focus on his face. "Your father," I gasped. "And your grandfather. They were here, in this room, talking. They looked just like you. They saw me, Cypher. They looked right at me."
"That's impossible…”
"Could it be some sort of memory, maybe?"
Cypher frowned deeply. "My father and grandfather both died in the collapse. They stayed behind to help others escape. They'd hoped for me and my sister, Runa, to make it out safely. She was older, meant to be the next ruler. She would have known what to do."
I reached up without thinking, placing my palm against his cheek. "You must have survived for a reason."
He didn't pull away from my touch, which surprised me. Instead, he covered my hand with his own for a brief moment before releasing it and stepping back. "We need to gather what we can and leave. This place isn't safe."
I nodded, still dizzy. While Cypher carefully packed the codex, I moved around the room, searching for anything else that might be useful. In the corner, a small glass case caught my eye. Inside was a necklace—a thin silver chain supporting a crystal pendant.
