Reed Halvar rocked back in his seat, fingers drumming on the armrest. His piercing gaze shifted to Asher, then back to Seraphine, judging their words, gauging their resolve.
"You don't know what you're asking," he said, muttering.
Asher crossed his arms. "I know precisely what I'm asking for."
Reed exhaled sharply. "You're not just stealing a bunch of old records by breaking into the Vault of Origins. If you proceed with this, you'll be declaring war on the Guild."
Seraphine scoffed. "We're already on the hit list for them. What's a little extra trouble?"
Reed shook his head. "You don't get it. The Guild is more than a governing body. It's a system, an empire. It has eyes everywhere. And if you make a move against it, you'd better be prepared to burn everything down, because they won't stop hunting you."
Asher smirked. "Then we'll simply have to hurry up more than they do."
Reed looked him up and down for a long moment, then laughed wearily.
"You're either fearless or a damn fool."
Asher leaned forward. "Maybe both. But you're still talking to us, which means some part of you wants to help."
Reed sighed and rubbed his temples. "Damn it. I hate that you're right."
He rose, moving toward a rusted metal cabinet. He dug around inside, pulled out a holographic-type device and set it on the table.
"This," he said, bringing the display to life, "is the Guild HQ's underground layout. It's not something you're going to see on any public record."
A holographic blueprint of the blueprints flicked alive, depicting a series of doors, locked vaults, and exclusion zones in three dimensions.
Seraphine whistled. "That's… excessive."
Reed smirked. "That's the Guild for you."
Asher studied the map. At the very bottom of the structure, outside all of the defensive measures, was a vault unlike any.
A single entrance. No visible escape routes.
"It's going to be called 'The Vault of Origins,'" Reed added. "It's where they keep their classified records — things they don't want anybody to know. ancient Rift research, data from lost historical archives, and even data on the earliest civilizations on Earth."
Asher's eyes darkened. This was it.
This vault contained the truth of the Architect. About his reincarnation. About the loop he had been stuck in for centuries.
"How do we get in?" he asked.
Reed sighed. "The normal way? You don't. Locked behind an eight-layer security system, the vault is a fortress. Even if you managed to skip the first seven, the last layer needs a Guildmaster's genetic signature."
Seraphine frowned. "Then we need a Guildmaster."
Reed gave a dry chuckle. "Good luck with that. "They don't exactly go around and share their DNA."
Asher smirked. "Then we make them."
Seraphine shot him a look. "Are you proposing we kidnap a Guildmaster?"
"Asher said, eyes sparkling, "Not kidnap. "Just borrow them for a bit."
Reed eyed him, then laughed and shook his head. "You're insane."
Asher grinned. "So? You in?"
Reed let out a heavy breath, and then nodded for the first time.
"Damn it. Fine. But if this goes bad, we're all dead."
Asher's smirk widened. "Then we will simply have to make sure it doesn't."
The Plan: A Dangerous Gambit
The agents huddled around the blueprint to devise a plan.
Reed spelled out the security measures at Guild HQ:
Every floor was patrolled by automated sentries.
In restricted areas, magical barriers sealed off access.
All movement was monitored by surveillance drones.
And worst of all — an emergency lockdown protocol that could gunk up every exit in seconds.
Seraphine crossed her arms. "So we're going to need distractions and stealth."
Reed nodded. "Fortunately, I have contacts inside the Guild. If we time it right, I can create a power spike that'll short the outer security layers."
Asher smirked. "And, once the system's down, we slip in."
Reed frowned. "It's not getting in that's the problem. The real trick is going back out."
Seraphine tapped the map. "We'll need an escape route. Perhaps by way of the tunnels beneath it?"
Reed shook his head. "Already checked. The lower vault levels are entirely sealed. The only way out is the way we entered in."
Asher exhaled. "Then we'll have to make some adjustments on the fly."
Reed leveled a deadpan stare at him. "That's the worst plan I ever heard of."
Asher grinned. "You're still going along with it."
Reed groaned. "I hate you already."
Target: Guildmaster Varian
The last part of the plan needed a Guildmaster's biometric signature.
Reed opened up a list of top officials.
"Our optimal target is Varian Haldrek," he said. "He runs the Guild's Rift Research Division and has one of the few keys for the Vault."
Seraphine raised an eyebrow. "So we merely need to get close to him and steal some DNA to input to the last lock?"
Reed nodded. "That's the idea."
Asher smirked. "Then let's go say hi."
They exited the hideout, heading toward Guild HQ's upper district.
It was midnight, the city's towering buildings hungrily over them, sputtering neon lights in the distance.
Asher and Seraphine made their way through thronging streets full of late-night civilians.
Reed was already moving ahead of them, relaying live updates to them through their earpieces.
"I got eyes on Varian," he whispered. "He's just left the main building and is making his way toward the private transport docks."
Asher's silver eyes gleamed. "Perfect."
Seraphine smirked. "Let's get to work."
They traveled quickly, following the security convoy of Varian.
Three armored cars. Heavily guarded.
Seraphine frowned. "This is going to be tricky."
Asher's grin widened. "Good. I was getting bored."
Reed's voice crackled in his ear piece. "You have one shot at this. The Guild, if they catch onto what you are doing, they'll send reinforcements."
Asher flexed his fingers. "Then let's make it count."
Seraphine exhaled. "Alright. How are we doing this?"
Asher's smirk turned deadly.
"With a little chaos"
They separated, moving into place.
As the convoy turned onto a narrow street, Asher acted.
With a quick activation of Phantom Step, he disappeared into the shadows.
Seraphine, meanwhile, set off a controlled explosion alongside the lead vehicle — bringing the whole convoy to a stop.
The guards dashed down, weapons readied.
And in that moment of confusion —
Asher struck.
He appeared behind Varian's car, yanked open the door, and dragged the Guildmaster out before anyone could respond.
Varian had time to hardly gasp before Asher had his knife pressed to Varian's throat.
"Don't scream," said Asher, the whisperer. "Or this gets messy."
"What?" Varian said, eyes wider than they had ever been in his life.
The guards turned — and spotted Asher.
But before they could react—
A second explosion leaped from Seraphine.
Smoke filled the air. Chaos erupted.
And within seconds—
Asher vanished with his prey.
Next Stop: The Vault
Reed's voice crackled over the earpiece. "You actually pulled it off?"
Asher smirked before pulling Varian into an alleyway.
"Of course I did."
Seraphine dashed after them, panting but smiling. "We're so going to die for this."
Asher just laughed.
"Not if we move fast."
He looked to Varian, whose face was pale with shock.
"Now," Asher murmured.
"Let's talk about the Vault."