The door to the interrogation room opened abruptly. The guard stationed outside immediately straightened. — Patriarch. Kael walked in without answering. Darius followed closely behind, accompanied by Gareth. Inside, the six prisoners were still being held separately. Several of them looked up when they heard the door. One of them spotted Kael. His expression changed immediately. Kael noticed. He stopped in front of him. — You. The man said nothing. Kael pulled out a chair and sat down. Darius remained standing behind him. — We're starting over. The prisoner clenched his jaw. — I've already answered your questions. — No. Kael slowly placed a small metal piece on the table. The V-18 symbol was clearly visible. The prisoner stared at it. For only a second. But that was enough. Kael picked it back up. — You recognize it. The man looked away. — No. Darius smiled faintly. — Another bad lie. The prisoner remained silent. Kael leaned his elbows against the table. — Someone was in the archives after your attack. No reaction. — That person was carrying an identical piece. Still nothing. — And they knew we were going to discover A-03. The prisoner's face changed slightly. Kael didn't move. He had his answer. — You didn't know about A-03, Kael realized. The prisoner went pale. — I... Kael straightened. — You only knew there was something beneath A-02. The man suddenly stood. — Wait! The guards immediately reached for their weapons. Kael stopped. He didn't turn around. — Talk. The prisoner was breathing quickly. — We don't know who they are. Kael slowly turned back. — But you had a contact. The man hesitated. — Yes. Darius stepped closer. — Where? — Someone gave us the information. — Their name? — We don't know their real name. Kael returned to the table. — Then what did you call them? The prisoner lowered his eyes. — The Watcher. Darius frowned. — The Watcher? — That's what they wanted to be called. Kael remained silent. — Did you meet them? — Once. — Where? The man swallowed. — Beneath Asteria. Darius stiffened. Kael didn't move. — Beneath which part of the academy? — I don't know. — Think. — I swear, I don't know! The prisoner placed both hands on the table. — They always blindfolded us before taking us there. Kael studied his face. He seemed sincere. — What did the Watcher tell you? The man hesitated. — They said the ancient systems weren't security systems. Kael frowned slightly. — Then what were they? — Doors. The word hung in the room. — Doors to what? Darius asked. — I don't know. The prisoner shook his head. — They only said Asteria had been built around something. Kael remained still. — Why A-02? The prisoner answered immediately. — Because we had to find the entrance. — The entrance to A-03? — Yes. Kael placed the V-18 piece on the table. — And this person? The prisoner stared at the metal. — They have the same one. — How many are there? He hesitated. — I don't know. — How many? — At least eighteen. Darius exchanged a glance with Gareth. Kael stared at the prisoner. — At least eighteen... He picked up the piece. V-18. It might not be a simple number. It could be part of a series. And if V-18 existed... How many other pieces were already in the hands of those watching Asteria? --- An hour later, Kael was in the director's office. Lucian was there. So was Darius. The director had listened to the entire report without interrupting. When Kael finished, a heavy silence settled over the room. — The Watcher, the director finally repeated. Kael nodded. — That's what they call them. The director leaned back in his chair. — That name means nothing to me. Lucian was thinking. — Me neither. Darius placed the V-18 piece on the desk. — But this series might be older than we thought. The director studied the metal. — Where did you find it? — In the archives. The director looked up. — After A-03 activated. Kael nodded. — Someone was watching us. Lucian picked up the piece. He turned it between his fingers. — This symbol... Kael looked at him. — You recognize it? Lucian hesitated. — Not exactly. Kael stared at him. — Lucian. His uncle sighed. — I've seen something similar before. Darius straightened. — Where? — In some of your father's old documents. Kael said nothing. Lucian continued: — There were several references to metal objects carrying numbers. — V numbers? — I don't remember. Kael remained silent. Then he asked: — What did my father write about them? Lucian placed the piece down. — Nothing specific. — Lucian. — Kael... — I want to know. His uncle looked at him for several seconds. Then he gave in. — He called them "keys." Kael frowned. — Keys? — Yes. — For A-02? — I don't know. Lucian paused. — But there was one sentence. Kael waited. — The keys aren't meant to open the doors. Darius looked at Lucian. — Then what are they for? Lucian slowly shook his head. — I don't know. Kael picked up the V-18 piece. He turned it between his fingers. — Maybe they're not meant to open anything. The director looked up. — What are you suggesting? Kael studied the engraving. — Maybe they're meant to identify someone. Nobody answered. The thought was unsettling. Because A-03 had displayed an access condition. HEIR. And now, someone possessed a numbered piece. Someone who was watching them. --- The door suddenly opened. A knight entered hurriedly. — Commander. Darius turned. — What is it? — We've found something. Kael stood. — Where? — In the archives. Lucian frowned. — What? The knight hesitated. — An aura trace. Darius exchanged a glance with Kael. — The intruder's? — No. Kael stepped closer. — What's unusual about it? — It wasn't in the corridor. — Then where? The knight took a breath. — In the A-02 chamber. Silence fell. Kael looked at Darius. — Let's go. Lucian immediately stood. — I'm coming with you. — Fine. --- The archives were now completely secured. Several Black Ravens were stationed at every entrance. When Kael entered, they immediately stepped aside. A-02 was still active. Blue light slowly moved across its inscriptions. Kael approached. — Where's the trace? A knight pointed toward the floor. — Here. Kael crouched down. He couldn't see anything. But when he brought his hand closer to the stone, his aura reacted. A faint vibration traveled through his fingers. Kael immediately pulled his hand away. Darius noticed. — You felt it? — Yes. Lucian stepped closer. — What was it? Kael looked at the floor. — A trace. — Of aura? — Yes. Darius studied the room. — Is it recent? Kael closed his eyes for a few seconds. He focused. The Echo of the Void remained silent. Yet something lingered. A cold sensation. As if someone had left part of their presence behind. Kael opened his eyes. — A few hours old. Darius frowned. — So someone came back here after us. Kael nodded. Then he noticed something. A thin dark mark had appeared on the stone. He moved closer. — Wait. Lucian stood beside him. — What is it? Kael slowly moved his fingers over the mark without touching it. It formed an incomplete circle. A small vertical line sat in the center. Kael stared at it. — I know this symbol. Lucian looked at him. — Where have you seen it? Kael didn't answer immediately. He remembered. The door. The old mechanism. The hidden piece inside the Veyron estate. The same circle. The same line. Darius realized something was wrong. — Kael? Kael straightened. — This symbol doesn't belong to Asteria alone. Lucian's face paled. — What do you mean? Kael looked at A-02. — I've seen it at home. Nobody spoke. Then A-02 emitted a sound. Once. Click. Kael's head snapped toward it. The system stopped. The blue light vanished. And on the central panel, a new inscription appeared. LINK ESTABLISHED. Kael stood perfectly still. Then a second line appeared. ORIGIN: VEYRON. Darius immediately drew his weapon. — Kael... The young patriarch stared at the words. His expression turned cold. — We're going back to the estate. Lucian looked at him. — Why? Kael took the V-18 piece from his pocket. — Because if this symbol exists within House Veyron... He closed his hand around the metal. — Then someone may have already found the door. And this time, it wasn't only Asteria that was in danger. It was House Veyron.

Those Who Know