The window shattered.
Arin moved before the first shard touched the floor.
He grabbed the back of Lyra’s chair with one hand and ripped it away from the broken window.
A black arm punched through the opening a heartbeat later.
It was too long.
Too thin.
Five crooked fingers clawed at the place where Lyra had been sitting.
Arin seized the nearest object from the table—a heavy metal candlestick—and brought it down with both hands.
Crack.
The creature’s wrist bent.
It shrieked.
The sound resembled a child’s scream played backward.
Arin struck again.
This time, the hand disappeared.
"Lucan."
His voice was calm.
Lucan was still staring at the woman wearing Elara’s face.
"Lucan!"
That broke through whatever had frozen him.
His head snapped toward Arin.
"Door."
Lucan looked toward the front entrance.
Something slammed into it from outside.
The wooden frame shook.
Another impact followed.
Then another.
Lucan moved.
He dragged the table across the room and rammed it against the entrance.
Arin turned toward Lyra.
She was trembling.
Tears covered her face.
Yet something was wrong.
Not with her appearance.
With him.
The real Lyra was at the mansion.
He knew that.
He had personally sent Serena and Warden Unit–03 back to protect her.
More importantly—
The Family Link remained active.
Arin could feel it.
Faint.
Distant.
But there.
His sister was nowhere near Cabin Zero.
The child in front of him looked exactly like her.
That did not make her Lyra.
Arin crouched.
"Look at me."
The girl raised frightened eyes.
"Big Brother..."
"What did you name the wooden rabbit from the workshop?"
She hesitated.
Only for a fraction of a second.
"Mr. Buttons."
Wrong.
Arin’s expression hardened.
Mr. Buttons was the giant stuffed rabbit from the mansion.
The wooden rabbit had been declared Mr. Buttons’s younger brother.
Lyra had never actually given it another name.
Arin stood.
The false Lyra reached toward him.
"Big Brother?"
"No."
Confusion appeared on her face.
Arin looked upward.
"System."
No response.
"You wanted me to choose between them."
The words of the trial remained suspended above the fireplace.
«EACH CLAIMANT MAY SAVE ONLY ONE.
CHOOSE CAREFULLY.»
Arin smiled without humor.
"I choose neither."
Lucan turned sharply.
"What?"
Even the woman wearing their mother’s face looked startled.
The false Lyra stopped crying.
Arin pointed toward her.
"My sister is outside this trial."
Then toward the woman.
"My mother is somewhere outside this valley."
He looked at the words above them.
"You gave me copies."
The house trembled.
Lucan’s eyes narrowed.
"You don’t know that."
"No."
Arin picked up the candlestick again.
"But I know enough."
Another creature struck the window.
Arin smashed its fingers before they could enter.
"House Elysium has spent every moment since I arrived trying to make me question what is real."
He looked at the woman.
"Cael."
Then the walls.
"EVE’s memories."
Then Lucan.
"Previous Founders."
His gaze finally settled on the false Lyra.
"And now this."
The child’s frightened expression slowly disappeared.
"Big Brother..."
"Don’t call me that."
The temperature dropped.
The woman who looked like Elara stepped forward.
"Arin, please—"
"You don’t call me anything either."
She stopped.
Lucan stared at him.
Then unexpectedly laughed.
It was short and almost disbelieving.
"You really are Aldric’s son."
Arin looked at him.
"Don’t insult me."
For the first time, Lucan smiled genuinely.
Another impact shook the house.
The front door cracked.
The creatures outside were becoming more aggressive.
Lucan moved beside the barricade.
"Whether they’re copies or not, the trial still expects an answer."
"Then it can keep waiting."
"The rules say each claimant may save one."
"I read them."
"And?"
Arin walked toward the fireplace.
"And I don’t take orders from something that threatens my family."
The Authority Band remained dark.
Founder commands were restricted inside Cabin Zero.
That did not matter.
Arin raised his wrist anyway.
"Project Elysium."
Silence.
"I know you’re listening."
The walls creaked.
Lucan watched him carefully.
"Arin."
"Not now."
He looked directly at the silver words.
"You recognized me as Founder."
The trial did not respond.
"You opened your city to me."
Nothing.
"You gave my family protection."
Still nothing.
"And now you put my sister’s face inside a death trial and tell me to choose whether she lives."
The words above the fireplace flickered.
Arin’s voice lowered.
"That was your mistake."
The false Lyra’s eyes became completely blank.
Lucan stepped away from the door.
"What are you doing?"
"Changing the rules."
"You have thirteen percent authority."
"So?"
"You cannot override a Legacy Trial."
Arin glanced at him.
"Watch me."
The house shook violently.
«WARNING.
TRIAL CONDITIONS ARE ABSOLUTE.»
Finally.
Arin smiled.
"There you are."
Lucan stared at him as though he had lost his mind.
The System continued.
«FAILURE TO CHOOSE WILL RESULT IN CLAIMANT PENALTY.
SELECT ONE PROTECTED INDIVIDUAL.»
Two symbols appeared.
One above Elara.
One above Lyra.
Arin did not touch either.
"No."
«SELECTION REQUIRED.»
"No."
«SELECTION REQUIRED.»
"I said no."
The fireplace exploded.
Silver flames filled the hearth.
The creatures outside screamed together.
Hundreds of voices became one.
«FOUNDER COMPLIANCE REQUIRED.»
Arin’s eyes hardened.
"Then remove me."
Silence.
Lucan’s face changed.
"Arin."
He understood.
Arin continued before he could interfere.
"If being Founder means obeying every command you give me, take the title."
The Authority Band flashed red.
«CAUTION.
VOLUNTARY AUTHORITY SURRENDER DETECTED.»
Lucan crossed the room.
"Stop."
Arin ignored him.
"If being Founder means sacrificing my family whenever your ancient protocols demand it, I don’t want your city."
«CAUTION.»
"I will build another home."
The floor trembled.
"I will make my own weapons."
Cracks spread across the walls.
"I will protect my sister without you."
The silver flames surged.
"And if you ever use her face to manipulate me again..."
Arin looked into the fire.
"...I will tear House Elysium apart with my own hands."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even the creatures stopped attacking.
Lucan stared at him.
The woman wearing Elara’s face had gone pale.
The false Lyra slowly lowered her wooden rabbit.
Then—
«VOLUNTARY AUTHORITY SURRENDER...
PROCESSING.»
Lucan grabbed Arin’s shoulder.
"You idiot."
Arin knocked his hand away.
"Don’t."
"Do you understand what you are surrendering?"
"Perfectly."
"You could command armies."
"I don’t have one."
"Build cities."
"I can build another."
"Weapons capable of changing kingdoms."
"Then kingdoms can keep them."
Lucan stared at him.
Arin stepped closer.
"But I only have one Lyra."
Lucan said nothing.
Something shifted behind his eyes.
Arin turned back toward the System.
"Take it."
The silver-tree symbol on his wrist began disappearing.
Thirteen percent.
Twelve.
Eleven.
Lucan swore.
"You stubborn bastard."
Arin watched without blinking.
Ten.
Nine.
Eight.
The house began changing.
The false Lyra flickered.
Elara’s face distorted.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Then the countdown stopped.
«ERROR.»
Arin’s eyes narrowed.
«VOLUNTARY SURRENDER REJECTED.»
Lucan froze.
"What?"
A new message appeared.
«PRIMARY FOUNDER COMPATIBILITY INCREASED.»
Arin looked at his Authority Band.
The number changed.
«FOUNDER AUTHORITY:
18%.»
For the first time since entering Cabin Zero, Lucan looked completely shocked.
"Impossible."
Arin flexed his hand.
"Apparently not."
The silver flames changed.
White light flooded the fireplace.
«LEGACY CONDITION DISCOVERED.
A FOUNDER WHO VALUES ELYSIUM ABOVE ITS PEOPLE IS UNFIT TO COMMAND ELYSIUM.
HIDDEN TEST COMPLETED.»
The creatures outside began screaming.
Their bodies burned beneath white light.
Lucan stared at the System.
His expression slowly darkened.
"You knew."
Arin looked at him.
"What?"
"The trial wasn’t testing whether we’d make the correct choice."
"No."
Arin understood now.
"It was testing whether we’d accept the choice."
The woman wearing Elara’s face smiled.
This time, something about it felt different.
Proud.
She dissolved into silver light.
The false Lyra looked toward Arin.
Her expression softened.
"Big Brother."
Arin said nothing.
She hugged the wooden rabbit.
Then disappeared.
A small object fell onto the chair.
The rabbit.
Arin picked it up.
«LEGACY TOKEN ACQUIRED:
THE FIRST PROMISE.
EFFECT UNKNOWN.»
The front door exploded inward.
Lucan immediately turned.
Arin did not.
The creatures were gone.
Instead, beyond the doorway stood an enormous black forest illuminated by thousands of silver pods.
The path through it had opened.
At its end stood a tower.
One they had not seen before.
«LEGACY TRIAL – STAGE ONE COMPLETE.
SURVIVING CLAIMANTS:
2.
NEXT STAGE:
THE BURDEN OF POWER.»
Lucan exhaled.
"We both passed."
Arin looked toward him.
"Did you?"
Lucan’s expression hardened.
A symbol appeared above his hand.
«LEGACY CLAIMANT AUTHORITY:
31%.»
Unchanged.
Arin’s had increased.
Lucan noticed too.
For several seconds, the brothers stared at each other.
Then Lucan laughed.
"You know, when I came here, I expected a frightened boy hiding behind ancient technology."
Arin slipped the wooden rabbit into his inventory.
"You came poorly informed."
"I see that."
Lucan walked toward the door.
"Still, don’t become confident because you solved one trick."
Arin followed.
"I don’t need confidence."
"No?"
"No."
They stepped into the forest.
Arin looked toward the distant tower.
"I need results."
Lucan’s smile faded slightly.
That answer seemed to bother him.
Good.
They walked beneath the hanging pods.
The path narrowed as they approached the tower.
After several minutes, Lucan spoke.
"You meant it."
Arin didn’t look at him.
"What?"
"You would have surrendered Elysium."
"Yes."
"For Lyra."
"Yes."
"Even knowing what this city could become."
Arin stopped.
Lucan stopped as well.
"You’re misunderstanding something."
Arin looked directly into his older brother’s eyes.
"I don’t protect Lyra because House Elysium gives me the power to do it."
His voice remained quiet.
"House Elysium has value because it helps me protect Lyra."
Lucan’s expression became unreadable.
"If those priorities ever reverse..."
Arin looked toward the silver city far beyond the underground darkness.
"...then I will have become exactly like the people who threw us away."
For once, Lucan had no clever answer.
They continued.
Eventually, the tower stood before them.
There was no door.
Only two circular platforms.
One blue.
One gray.
Arin stepped onto the blue platform.
Lucan took the gray.
The tower awakened.
«LEGACY TRIAL:
STAGE TWO.
THE BURDEN OF POWER.
OBJECTIVE:
BUILD.»
Arin frowned.
Lucan did too.
The forest disappeared.
The world changed.
Arin found himself standing on a hill.
Below him stretched an enormous ruined settlement.
Thousands of people wandered through broken streets.
Children cried.
Buildings burned.
Monsters surrounded the distant walls.
A counter appeared.
«POPULATION:
10,000.
FOOD:
3 DAYS.
WATER:
1 DAY.
DEFENSE:
CRITICAL.
AVAILABLE AUTHORITY POINTS:
100.
SURVIVE:
30 DAYS.»
Arin stared at the settlement.
Then slowly smiled.
Finally.
Not another mystery.
Not another voice asking him who he trusted.
Not another hidden Founder.
A problem.
A real problem.
People needed shelter.
Food.
Water.
Walls.
Organization.
Something he could actually solve.
A control panel appeared.
«SELECT INITIAL INVESTMENT:
MILITARY – 50 POINTS
FOOD PRODUCTION – 25 POINTS
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE – 25 POINTS
SHELTER – 20 POINTS
MEDICAL – 20 POINTS
INDUSTRY – 30 POINTS
PERSONAL COMBAT POWER – 75 POINTS.»
Arin read the options once.
Then made his decision.
"Water. Food. Shelter."
The System paused.
«CONFIRM?
THIS ALLOCATION PROVIDES NO IMMEDIATE MILITARY ADVANTAGE.»
Arin looked toward the monsters gathering beyond the walls.
"Confirmed."
«ALLOCATION ACCEPTED.»
Water pumps appeared throughout the settlement.
Agricultural structures rose from abandoned fields.
Construction materials formed beside the ruined houses.
Arin rolled up his sleeves.
Ten thousand frightened people stared toward the stranger who had suddenly appeared above their dying city.
He looked down at them.
This time, he did not wait for the System.
He did not ask what he should do.
He did not wait for someone else to make the first move.
Arin walked down the hill.
"Everyone who can work, gather in the central square."
The survivors stared.
A scarred man shouted from below.
"Who the hell are you?"
Arin kept walking.
"Someone who intends to keep you alive."
"And if we don’t listen?"
Arin stopped.
The distant monster horde struck the outer wall.
The entire settlement shook.
People screamed.
Arin pointed toward the cracking defenses.
"Then you’ll be dead by tomorrow."
Silence.
He continued toward the square.
"If you’d prefer that option, stay where you are."
One person followed.
Then another.
Then twenty.
Then hundreds.
Arin did not look back.
Above the city, another message appeared.
«HIDDEN TRIAL CONDITION DETECTED.
THE FOUNDER HAS CHOSEN TO BUILD BEFORE CONQUERING.
CIVILIZATION COMPATIBILITY ASSESSMENT INITIATED.»
Far away, on another version of the same battlefield, Lucan stared at his available points.
Then selected:
«PERSONAL COMBAT POWER – 75.
MILITARY – 25.»
His ruined city began preparing for war.
Arin’s began preparing to live.
And somewhere deep inside Cabin Zero, something ancient opened its eyes.
For the first time in thousands of years, House Elysium was no longer asking which brother possessed more power.
It was asking which one deserved to build a future.