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Chapter 246 – Secrets in the Ashes
Chapter 246 – Secrets in the Ashes
The scent of burning wood and scorched silk filled the air as Seraphis stood among the ruins of Aurelius Manor. The last house had fallen. The bodies of guards, servants, and the infamous Lysander Valefor were left behind, their fates sealed by her blades.
But something felt unfinished.
As the flames crackled behind her, casting eerie shadows along the marble floors, her gaze locked onto a massive steel vault built into the remains of the eastern wing.
A vault meant for secrets.
Seraphis narrowed her eyes, stepping forward cautiously. The battle was over, but her work was not.
Breaking into the Vault
The reinforced door was thick—four inches of steel, enchanted against fire, explosions, and brute force. A normal thief would have turned away, but Seraphis was no ordinary intruder.
She ran her fingers along the edges, searching for weaknesses. Every lock had a flaw.
Then she found it—a hairline fracture near the base.
Pulling a set of thin blades from her belt, she inserted them into the gap, twisting carefully.
A faint click.
She smirked. One down.
The second mechanism required a key, but keys could be forged.
Seraphis retrieved a small metal card, pressing it against the lock. She let her mind flow into the material, her ability shaping the card’s edges until it mimicked the missing key.
She turned it slowly.
A heavy clunk echoed in the silence.
The vault creaked open.
The Hidden Documents
Inside, rows of shelves lined the walls, filled with ledgers, contracts, and sealed envelopes.
But her eyes locked onto a singular desk at the center, its surface covered in scattered papers.
She stepped forward, brushing away the ashes that had settled on the pages. Her breath caught.
"The Sleepers Project."
It was real.
Seraphis flipped through the documents, her pulse quickening. These weren’t just vague records—they were detailed reports, scientific notes, and classified information that tied directly to the underworld’s darkest secrets.
And then she saw it—a name.
Dr. Elias Verrick.
A chill ran down her spine.
This was the scientist responsible for everything.
The Weight of the Truth
She scanned the reports, piecing together fragmented details. The Sleepers weren’t just assassins.
They were experiments.
Individuals taken from childhood, subjected to extreme conditioning, memory alterations, and alchemical enhancements.
The goal? To create the perfect, obedient killers.
Seraphis clenched her fists. How many had suffered under this project? How many were still out there?
The reports suggested more Sleeper units existed.
That meant her past wasn’t just hers alone.
There were others like her.
And the man responsible was still alive.
An Unfinished Hunt
Seraphis folded the documents, tucking them into her belt. She had a new target now.
Dr. Elias Verrick.
The man who played god with lives, twisting minds into weapons.
Her blood burned. She would find him. She would end him.
A noise behind her—a survivor?
She spun, blade ready—but the room was empty.
Yet, the feeling of being watched lingered.
She was no fool. Someone had seen her take the documents.
And they wouldn’t let her leave so easily.
A Chase in the Night
A distant creak echoed from the manor’s farthest corridor.
Seraphis bolted forward, her body moving on instinct. Whoever it was, they were fast.
A shadow flickered past the shattered doorway.
She gave chase.
Through the burning ruins, down winding halls—the intruder was leading her away from the main exit.
A trap? Possibly.
She didn’t care.
The Ambush
The corridor opened into a vast underground chamber, lined with towering statues of faceless warriors.
The air was thick with tension.
Then—the doors slammed shut behind her.
A whisper in the dark—then a voice, smooth as silk.
"You should have left when you had the chance."
Seraphis didn’t flinch.
"And you should have killed me before speaking."
A figure emerged—a man clad in black, his eyes sharp as daggers.
He wasn’t alone.
From the shadows, others stepped forth—at least a dozen.
Their movements were too precise. Their silence too unnatural.
She knew what they were.
Other Sleepers.
And they had come to erase her.
The Fight Begins
The first attacker struck like lightning, a dagger aimed for her throat.
Seraphis sidestepped, slashing out with a card—metal met flesh, and blood sprayed.
Another charged.
She flipped backward, kicking off a statue’s base, spinning midair.
Her cards flew—two more bodies fell.
But they kept coming.
Like puppets on invisible strings, they moved without hesitation, without fear.
Sleepers. Just like she had once been.
A War of Shadows
She ducked a blade, felt the wind of another slash inches from her face.
Her cards spun around her like a deadly storm, slicing through attackers with precision.
Yet, they did not stop.
Wounds that should have slowed them meant nothing.
Their bodies twitched, then kept moving.
Seraphis cursed under her breath.
These weren’t just trained killers—they were enhanced.
Alchemical injections. Mind conditioning.
They weren’t fighting to win.
They were fighting to die.
Turning the Tide
She had no choice.
Seraphis focused, channeling her energy into her cards. They began to glow, their edges humming with power.
A final gambit.
She spun—a wave of razor-sharp steel tore through the air.
Limbs severed.
Throats cut.
And then, silence.
Only one remained.
The man in black—the one who had spoken first.
He stood still, unfazed. Unbothered.
Then, he smiled.
"Impressive."
Seraphis prepared her next strike.
But the man simply stepped back into the shadows—
And vanished.
A Warning Left Behind
The fight was over, but Seraphis knew this was only the beginning.
The documents in her hands were proof of something larger.
The Sleepers weren’t gone.
And now, they knew she was hunting them.
She glanced down at the last remaining body—a small insignia was burned into their wrist.
A symbol she had seen in the files.
A mark of Verrick’s experiments.
Her fingers tightened around the papers.
This wasn’t just revenge anymore.
It was war.
And she would see it through.