The rumbling continued for several seconds deep within L-03. Then silence returned. A silence far too heavy. Kael didn't move. His hand was still resting against the black surface. The red light continued to glow beneath his fingers. Beside it, the golden light that had responded to the prince's presence seemed to follow a different rhythm. Red. Gold. Red. Gold. As if the two energies were communicating. Darius watched the corridor behind them. “Someone's coming.” Alaric immediately raised a hand. The Imperial Knights moved into position around the prince and princess. The Black Ravens did the same around Kael. Nyxara, meanwhile, had risen. Her smaller form was gone. Within seconds, her body expanded until she returned to her imposing size. Her black fur seemed to absorb almost all the light in the chamber. Her red eyes remained fixed on the darkness. A low growl escaped her throat. Kael slowly removed his hand from the door. “She sensed them.” Darius nodded. “I know.” Lysandra looked down the corridor. “Is it someone she knows?” Nyxara didn't answer. But her gaze never left the darkness. Kael understood. “No.” A silhouette appeared at the far end of the passage. Very distant. Almost impossible to make out. It was walking slowly. Not hiding. Not running. Simply walking. Darius tightened his grip on his weapon. “Identify yourself!” No answer. The silhouette kept walking. Alaric stepped forward. “Stop immediately!” This time, the silhouette stopped. For several seconds, no one spoke. Then a voice echoed through the corridor. “I didn't expect you to get here so quickly.” Kael froze. He knew that voice. Not personally. But he had heard it before. In memories. In recordings. In fragments left behind by his father. His gaze hardened. “You.” The silhouette resumed walking. As it came closer, the ancient lights along the corridor flickered on one by one. A man finally emerged. He wore a long dark coat reinforced with subtle metal pieces. Part of his face was hidden behind a mask. But his eyes were visible. Calm. Almost amused. Kael stared at him. “You were at Asteria.” The man tilted his head slightly. “You have a good memory.” Darius stepped forward. “You were on the balcony.” “Yes.” Alaric fully drew his weapon. “So you're responsible for watching our group.” The man briefly looked at the prince and princess. “Not exactly.” Elara frowned. “Then why were you following us?” The man smiled. “Because you came to open a door that should never have been opened.” Kael stepped forward. “And you came to close it?” “No.” He looked at the black door behind Kael. “I came to see if it still worked.” Kael felt tension spread through the chamber. “You knew it was here.” “Of course.” “How long have you known?” The man didn't answer. Kael took another step. Nyxara growled. The man slowly turned his head toward her. For the first time, his expression changed. A barely noticeable step backward. “Nyxara.” The Nocterys bared her teeth. Kael studied the man. “You know her name.” “Not everyone has forgotten.” Nyxara took a step forward. The stones beneath her paws trembled slightly. The man raised his hands. “I didn't come here for her.” Kael answered coldly: “Then you'd better not give her a reason to take an interest in you.” A faint smile appeared on the man's face. “Your father used to say the same thing.” Kael froze. Ethan wasn't there. Neither was Noah. Adrian had remained in the previous chamber. But several people had heard him. Lysandra looked at Kael. So did Darius. Kael spoke more quietly. “You knew my father.” The man hesitated. “I met him.” “Where?” “Here.” Kael felt his heartbeat quicken. “When?” The man looked at the black door. “The last time it opened.” A freezing silence settled over the chamber. Prince Lucien stepped forward. “When was that?” The man turned his eyes toward him. “Sixteen years ago.” Elara's expression paled slightly. Kael remained motionless. Sixteen years. The year he had been born. Or almost. His father had come here around that time. And this man had been there. Kael clenched his fists. “What was he doing?” “He was trying to understand.” “Understand what?” The man looked at the door. “What was behind it.” Kael stared at the black surface. “And what did he find?” The man didn't answer. Darius stepped forward. “Answer him.” The man slightly turned his head toward him. “You still look the same as you did back then.” Darius frowned. “You know me?” “I know the people who stood beside your former patriarch.” Darius clenched his jaw. “Then you know damn well I'm not letting you leave.” The man smiled. “I wasn't planning to leave.” A metallic sound echoed through the chamber. Then several more. Figures appeared behind him. One. Two. Five. Eight. Armed men emerged from the darkness. Alaric immediately gave an order. “Defensive formation!” The Imperial Knights moved into position. The Black Ravens spread out around Kael. Nyxara lunged forward. She landed between Kael and the intruders with enough force to crack the stone slightly beneath her paws. Her red eyes glowed. The men stopped. One of them whispered: “It really is her…” Kael heard him. “You knew she'd be here?” The masked man answered: “No.” He looked at Nyxara. “But now that I know, things have become more complicated.” Nyxara growled. Kael placed a hand against her flank. “Wait.” The Nocterys turned her head slightly. She looked at Kael. Then stepped back. Darius watched the scene. “You really want her to wait?” “Yes.” Kael looked at the men. “I want to know why they're here.” The masked man smiled. “Still so calm.” “I have no reason to be anything else.” “Neither did your father.” Kael felt his aura shift. The air around him seemed to grow heavier. Lysandra noticed immediately. She stepped closer. “Kael.” He slowly breathed in. Then the atmosphere returned to normal. Darius watched Kael for a few seconds. He knew that reaction. And he knew better than to push him any further. Prince Lucien looked at the masked man. “You entered an Imperial site without authorization.” The man smiled. “This isn't an Imperial site.” Elara replied: “It recognizes our presence.” “Because the Empire was part of its history.” She frowned. “What history?” The man didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Kael. “Ask your father.” Kael gave a short, humorless laugh. “He's dead.” “I know.” “Then answer for him.” The man remained silent. Then he simply said: “He didn't die here.” Kael froze. Darius stepped forward. “What does that mean?” “What I said.” Kael looked at the man. “You're claiming to know how my parents died?” “No.” “Then explain yourself.” The man slowly shook his head. “Not here.” “Why?” “Because someone is listening.” Silence fell. Everyone looked around. Alaric signaled two knights to check the walls. Darius examined the ceiling. Kael remained still. Then he understood. He looked at the black door. “The system.” The man nodded. “Exactly.” Kael approached the door. “It’s watching us?” “It’s recording.” The prince frowned. “Why?” “Because that's what it does.” Kael placed a hand against the black surface. The door vibrated. An inscription appeared. MEMORY ACTIVE. Then another. OBSERVERS PRESENT. Kael raised his eyes. “Observers?” The masked man looked behind him. “We're not the only ones who entered.” This time, even Nyxara turned around. A sound came from the opposite corridor. Footsteps. Several. The masked man smiled. “They're here.” Darius stepped in front of Kael. “Who?” The man didn't answer. A figure appeared at the end of the passage. Then a second. A third. But this time, they weren't carrying weapons. They wore long dark robes. The same symbol was displayed on their chests. The circle crossed by a vertical line. Kael stared at the symbol. He had seen it before. In the archives. On the Rovenhart documents. On the V-18 box. And now here. Lysandra whispered: “Kael…” He slowly nodded. “I know.” The first robed man stopped. Then he looked directly at Kael. “Heir Veyron.” Kael didn't answer. The man slightly bowed his head. “We've been waiting for you.” Darius tightened his grip on his weapon. Prince Lucien stepped forward. “Who are you?” The man didn't even look at the prince. His eyes remained fixed on Kael. “Those who were here before you.” Kael frowned. “Before me?” “Before your father.” A heavy silence settled over the chamber. Then the man added: “And before the Empire.” The black door suddenly vibrated violently. A wave of energy swept through the entire chamber. The lights went out. Then a single red light appeared above Kael. The mechanical voice echoed through the darkness. HEIR CONFIRMED. A second golden light appeared above the prince and princess. IMPERIAL ORIGIN CONFIRMED. Then a third light appeared. Black. Directly behind the robed men. FOREIGN PRESENCE CONFIRMED. No one moved. Kael looked at the three lights. Then he understood. L-03 wasn't simply opening a door for them. It was determining who had the right to be here. And something had just recognized these men as a foreign presence. Darius whispered: “Kael…” Kael stared at the door. His gaze turned cold. “Now we know at least one thing.” Lysandra looked at him. “What?” Kael answered without hesitation: “They're not supposed to be here.” Nyxara bared her teeth. The robed men took a step back. And behind the black door, something struck it once. Then a second time. Then a third. As if someone… or something… was trying to get out.

The One Who Entered