Chapter 272: The vault

Kieran rose from his chair, his suspicion deepening.

He couldn’t explain why he was so determined to identify the man in the sketch. It was an irrational feeling, a persistent tug at the back of his mind that refused to let him dismiss the matter. He had no evidence that the portrait was connected to anything important, yet the thought of abandoning the search left him strangely unsettled.

Perhaps he was overthinking it.

That possibility didn’t stop him from pursuing it. "Nerissa, could you take me to the innermost vault?" he asked, slipping the folded sketch into his jacket.

Nerissa glanced at him, then nodded. "Of course, Your Highness. Follow me." she agreed immediately.

She led him out of the office and back into the main library. They walked past rows of towering shelves until they reached the far end of the room, where the oldest books were kept. The atmosphere grew quieter here, the air carrying the dry scent of leather and ancient paper.

Nerissa stopped before a shelf filled with thick, dustless volumes. "Most people assume the entrance is somewhere behind these shelves," she explained, running her fingers along the spines. "They’re not entirely wrong."

Kieran watched as she began counting the books "What exactly are you doing?" he arched his brow at her.

"Looking for the mechanism." She glanced over her shoulder with a small smile. "My grandfather taught me how to open it when he handed over to me."

She counted the books again, moving her fingers from one spine to the next. When she reached a particular volume, she pressed it firmly into the shelf. A faint click sounded inside the wall.

Kieran’s eyebrows rose.

The entire section of shelving shuddered. Then, with a low mechanical rumble, the wall opposite them began to move, revealing a narrow passage concealed behind the library’s stonework.

Nerissa stepped aside and gestured towards the opening. "This way."

Kieran approached the passage, peering into the darkness. He couldn’t see much beyond the first few feet, but that wasn’t a problem. His werewolf senses were considerably sharper than those of an ordinary human, and as he stepped inside, his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness.

Nerissa followed close behind him.

The passage was narrow, with rough stone walls and a ceiling low enough to make the space feel enclosed. Their footsteps echoed softly as they descended, the air growing colder with every step. There were no lamps or visible sources of light, yet Kieran could make out the uneven floor and the faint markings carved into the walls.

He ran his fingers over one of the carvings as they passed. The symbols were unlike anything he recognised.

"How old is this passage?" he asked.

"Centuries old," Nerissa replied. "The records don’t give an exact date. Some historians believe the vault was built before the Obsidian Palace took its present form."

Kieran glanced at her. "And nobody knows how it was constructed?" he asked

"Not completely." Her voice carried a hint of fascination. "That’s part of the mystery. The mechanisms used here are far more advanced than anything we know was available when the vault was built. Yet they still work perfectly."

They continued until the passage opened into a small chamber.

Kieran stopped.

A heavy metal door stood directly ahead of them, its dark surface covered with intricate runes and an elaborate mechanism built into the centre. Strange symbols had been carved into the metal, intertwining with patterns that seemed to extend across the entire door.

He approached slowly, studying the construction. Then, unable to resist his curiosity, he reached out and touched the metal. It was cold beneath his fingertips. He traced one of the runes, examining the way it connected to the others before withdrawing his hand. "I’ve never seen anything like this." he admitted.

Nerissa nodded, moving to stand beside him. "Neither have most people. The vault has existed for generations, but very few have ever been permitted to enter it. Even among the Lennox family, access is restricted."

She pointed towards a circular indentation in the centre of the door. " Place the amulet there."

Kieran retrieved the sapphire amulet from beneath his clothes. The stone caught what little light reached the chamber, its deep blue surface gleaming faintly as he positioned it inside the indentation. It fitted perfectly.

For several seconds, nothing happened. Kieran frowned, his brows pulled together, "Is that supposed to be it?"

Nerissa leaned closer to inspect the mechanism, then pointed towards a tiny hole beneath the circular indentation. "Not quite. You need to use your blood as well. The amulet is part of the key, but it isn’t the only one. The vault was designed to recognise the bloodline of the ruling Alpha. The sapphire grants access, but the real key is Ravencourt blood."

Kieran examined the small opening. " how convenient." he sneered.

"Or unnecessarily complicated," Nerissa replied with a faint smile. "Depending on how you look at it."

He shook his head, then pressed his thumb against one of the sharper edges of the metal mechanism. A small bead of blood welled beneath his skin. Kieran held his thumb over the opening and allowed the blood to fall inside.

For a moment, the chamber remained silent. Then a faint blue glow appeared beneath his feet.

Kieran’s head lifted. The light spread across the runes, racing over the metal surface in intricate patterns. The sapphire amulet began to glow more brightly, its blue radiance illuminating the chamber as a low mechanical sound reverberated through the passage.

Something shifted behind the door. A series of locks disengaged with heavy clicks, one after another. The mechanism turned, and the metal door slowly began to open.

Kieran watched with undisguised fascination. He had been inside the vault once before, years ago, when his father had brought him there as a child. His memories were hazy, little more than fragments of a dark passage and an enormous room filled with books. He hadn’t understood the significance of the place back then. Now, standing before the opening door, he realised how much he had forgotten.

Nerissa stepped forward. "Come on, Your Highness."

Kieran followed her inside. The moment he crossed the threshold, he felt it.

Magic pulsed through the air, it was subtle but unmistakable, brushing against his skin with an almost tangible pressure. His senses sharpened instinctively, and he paused to take in his surroundings.

The vault was colder than the passage, the temperature low enough to raise goosebumps along his arms. Yet the chill wasn’t what caught his attention. The room resembled a library, but unlike the one above, it felt untouched by time. Tall shelves stood in perfectly ordered rows, each one filled with books and manuscripts. Strange stones embedded in the walls cast a soft, steady glow over the chamber, illuminating every corner without producing smoke or heat.

There wasn’t a single speck of dust on the shelves. The books appeared to be in pristine condition, their covers free of cracks and their pages preserved as though they had been written yesterday.

Kieran moved closer to one of the shelves, his gaze travelling over the titles. Some were written in languages he recognised. Others bore symbols that meant nothing to him, even with his extensive knowledge of ancient scripts.

"How is everything so well preserved?" he murmured.

"Nobody knows for certain," Nerissa answered, speaking more quietly now, as though instinctively respecting the silence of the vault. "The preservation magic has never stopped working. My grandfather used to say that the vault protects everything inside it from the passage of time."

Kieran glanced at her. "Does that include living things?" he asked.

Nerissa’s expression grew thoughtful. "I’ve never heard of anyone testing that theory, and I wouldn’t recommend it."

A faint smile touched his lips before he returned his attention to the shelves. He hadn’t come here to investigate the vault’s preservation magic, fascinating as it was.

"Which book are we looking for?"

"The Vespera manuscripts," Nerissa replied, leading him deeper into the room.