The waves slammed against the speedboat's hull as it cut through the Adriatic night. Cold spray stung Isabella's cheeks, but she didn't flinch. The wind in her hair was nothing compared to the storm inside her.
Ahead, the island loomed—black rock and iron fencing, a forgotten piece of the old regime.
"Throneshard," Elias muttered, checking his gear. "Last time someone accessed this place, they never came back. Surveillance went dark five years ago."
"That's because Voss made it vanish," Isabella said. "It's where he built his 'Kings and Monsters.'"
Alexander, seated beside her, reached into his jacket, pulling out a faded photo—Isabella as a child, standing next to a woman with eyes just like hers.
"Your mother was there," he said. "That's where she died, isn't it?"
Isabella nodded. "She was part of the resistance. Voss captured her, tried to convert her. When she refused, he… ended it."
"And now we end him," Alexander said.
The Island of Echoes
The boat slowed as they reached a hidden dock, overgrown with vines and salt-rusted chains. They moved fast—boots crunching gravel, weapons drawn, every step closer to the truth buried in stone and silence.
Inside, the facility was a tomb. Lights flickered. Old security doors hissed open reluctantly. Faded banners bore the emblem of the King's Order—an ouroboros wrapped around a black crown.
Then they found it—a central chamber. Circular. Walls lined with cryogenic tanks, each marked with a name.
Most were shattered.
But two remained intact.
Alexander approached one—and froze. "Isabella."
She stepped closer and saw the plaque.
SUBJECT: VEYNE, CASSIA
Her mother.
Frozen in time, suspended in stasis.
A control panel blinked red beside the pod.
"Vitals low," Elias said. "But she's alive. Barely."
Before Isabella could process it, alarms screamed.
A voice boomed through the chamber—calm, detached.
"Unauthorized access. Initiating lockdown."
From the corridors, heavy footsteps echoed.
Renwick's voice followed:
"You came seeking truth, Isabella. But you'll find only legacy… and war."
No Turning Back
Alexander raised his weapon. Isabella stood still, hands clenched.
"We wake her," she said. "We wake my mother—and we fight."
The lights flickered one last time.
Then the walls exploded.
---