The underground train car finally comes to the end of the line. This station is unique, as not only is it an endpoint and not a thoroughfare, but it is also illuminated by bright artificial lights, compared to the numerous dark stops that the train car had simply passed right through. Since fleeing into the dark tunnels, away from the countless Failures, nearly half a day has passed, by Addy’s estimations. Unlike the rest of the group, who have slept like the dead on the journey, she has dozed on and off the entire way, checking for messages or any sudden changes to the speed or trajectory of the train.

  Based on the faint daylight drifting down into the metro station from the staircase in the corner of the square underground area, Addy believes that it’s early morning. Which, if nothing else, means that the others have gotten a good night’s rest, which they certainly deserve.

  It is the 6th of Valafyr, less than a week since the beginning of the expedition. The trip has been far stranger than anyone involved believed possible; especially since a few members believed, and in one case hoped, that the group would find little to nothing.

  The trip has resulted in many, many answers but also infinitely more questions: A mysterious benefactor, an untouched ancient city with only monstrous Failures for residents, the potential involvement of entities long considered deities, and the discovery of an automated system for traveling across the entire continent within hours, not days nor weeks.

  Of all the mysteries, one persists, however.

  The GIX, or rather the “Grave of Inviolate Xeniality,” whatever that means, waits for the group just up the sunlit staircase. Addy still has no idea what the place is, why it sits in the very center of the continent, or why so many things have pointed toward it and also tried to keep the group from reaching it.

  The time to find out is finally here. Even if everyone, Addy included, would likely rather sleep for another few days first.

  Regretfully, she begins to wake up the others–not a job that she is used to doing, as she is generally the one being shaken awake very last among the group. As a form of karma, perhaps, everyone is as difficult to wake up as she often is.

  “I feel like I got kicked by an elephant,” Cashew complains as he slowly sits up, still sore from the previous day’s battle.

  “You got what?” Demy asks, rubbing his aching head.

  “It’s when something uses its leg to impact something or someone else,” Kaz mutters, still holding her arm over her eyes. “Usually as an act of violence.”

  Demy groans and says, “Really? This early?”

  Cashew softly chuckles. “Who said cops can’t be funny?” he wonders aloud.

  “You. You are the one who often says that,” Dahlia says, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

  “Huh, that would mean that you’ve contradicted yourself. So, you’re wrong for once,” Wren says, smirking at Cashew.

  “Nah, that can’t be it. I’m never wrong,” he says, stretching out with a yawn. In realization, he gasps and points at Kaz as he says, “That must mean… Well holy shit, you aren’t a cop after all!”

  Kaz side-eyes him and says nothing, not wanting to encourage the little bastard.

  “So, have we finally made it, Addy?” Wren asks as they fish out some rations from their pack and hand them out amongst the group.

  “I think so,” Addy says, taking the ration and taking a chomp out of it before she flips down her visor. As she chews, she digs out the little square tracking device and glances at it. A notification above it reads: You have arrived at your destination.

  She places it back in her pack and confirms, “It says we’re here!”

  Kaz sighs wearily and takes a bite from her rations. “How is everyone doing?” she asks without glancing up from the floor, which seems to be the thing that requires the least amount of effort to look at, presently.

  “Sore, still tired,” Cashew complains.

  “A little gassy,” Wren jokes, earning a few chuckles out of the others.

  “I want to go home,” Dahlia says. “I don’t like it here.”

  The others are silent, though not out of disagreement.

  Demy puts an arm around the little Goblin and smiles as he says, “Me, too. Maybe we can ride this thing back to town.”

  Dahlia, who is not fond of the odd little moving box, does like the sound of getting back to the tavern as soon as possible. She misses when the group were still in Tarn’s Rest: Things seemed cozy and simple.

  “I can surely figure out how, if that’s okay with you, Professor,” Addy says, looking over at Felix.

  The noble stares out the window of the car at the sunlit staircase. At first he doesn’t respond and Addy wonders that he didn’t hear her, but he suddenly looks at the group and says, “I will be candid. I want nothing more than to leave and forget about all of this.”

  He pauses, and the others stare, munching on their rations and gradually waking up. Finally, he continues, “But at this point, there’s no denying that we’ve found something here upon the Heart. We should see what this place is, but after that, I am more than happy to go back with our findings.”

  The notion of the expedition being close to over seems to help rejuvenate the group. With the rations gone and everyone as awake as they can be, everyone grabs their gear and files out of the train car, toward the stairs and whatever waits atop them.

  ~~~~~~~~~~

  After being in complete darkness for nearly twelve hours, truncated only by the occasional artificial bit of light, the actual light of the sun is blinding as the expedition crew walk out of the underground metro. Here in the very center of the Heart of Vale, the clouds have dispersed and given a reprieve from the constant rain of the past few days. The mist has mostly dissipated as well, leaving only droplets of dew that reflect the light in a myriad of colors, each globule its own little world of color.

  The GIX is not quite what the group has been expecting, which is surprising in that nobody had any basis with which to set expectations, apart from perhaps Addy’s imaginative pondering.

  The staircase has not led the group outside into the open air, contrary to what everyone hoped would be the case. Instead, the stairs lead up into the interior of a cavernous building, the ceiling of which is a see-through dome that lets in the light above. The interior of the building looks as if it has not been used in ages, perhaps literally. If dust could accumulate here in the Heart, it would surely cover everything in thick sheets.

  Visible through the roof are large towers positioned at each corner of the building; upon each sits numerous odd devices that look a bit like the weapon that Addy used back in the city, or like the weapon attachments on the UNAs, though much larger in scale. They move back and forth, scanning the area outside the building in a perpetual, endless search for any sign of life to snuff out.

  The interior of the building, the GIX, is oddly devoid of everything. Despite looking like an immaculate temple made of marble or some other pristine, polished surface, there is nothing on display, no artwork, no statues, no text. There aren’t even any basic amenities: No furniture, no shelves, nothing but open space and heavy walls.

  Except, of course, for the very back of the building, opposite the stairs that the group entered via.

  The building itself is built directly into a mountainside, which has been carved into with unnatural precision. The look of the raw stone stands out against the material the building is made from and also against the large vault-like door in the center of the chiseled section of the mountain, seemingly built into the heavy rock.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “It’s a good thing we took the train,” Kaz mutters, staring up through the roof at the obscene amount of artillery, all of which is damp from the rain and morning dew, glinting invitingly in the sunlight. Though Kaz can only guess what would happen if any of the group were to actually approach from outside the wall.

  “This must be why all the auxiliary energy goes here,” Addy says, eyes wide. “It all goes to the defense systems!”

  “Do you think you could sneak past all that, Cashew?” Wren asks teasingly.

  He snorts in response, shaking his head as he says, “Whether or not I could, there’s no fucking way I’d even try. You saw what just one of those cannons did when Addy used it.”

  Felix frowns, eyes falling on the large, ornate vault door leading into the mountainside. “Must be something important down there, considering how well-defended it is,” he mutters.

  Wren licks their lips, staring at the door hungrily as they say, “Something valuable you mean.”

  Dahlia frowns, staring at the door. She looks up at Demy, who has also remained silent. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, a sense of dread running through him that he can’t explain, but that he feels too strongly to dismiss.

  “I don’t like this either,” Dahlia says and pats Demy on the thigh reassuringly.

  He glances down at her, nodding in agreement. “There’s a weird static in the air, right? Makes me uneasy,” he admits.

  “You two worry too much,” Cashew says, rolling his eyes. “Place like this, with this much paranoid security? This is a treasure vault if I’ve ever seen one.”

  Kaz watches as Addy stares at everything with awe. “It’s probably good that some of us are cautious,” she says.

  “Don’t you patronize me,” Cashew snips. “I’m usually the paranoid one, but I’ve seen enough royal treasuries to know one when I see one.”

  “Hope you’re right,” Kaz mutters.

  Felix hums in agreement as he walks toward the heavy doors. Addy falls into step beside him as the rest of the group follow along.

  The vault door is enormous and sleek, seemingly built from the same material as the rest of the building. It reminds Kaz of the bunkers back home in Zhevrun, carved out of large deposits of stone set into the ground, which acted like heavily fortified places of safety during the early years of the war, when Zhevrun first broke off from the Crown and became its own independent nation. The material and the way it is carved is very different from the bunkers she is familiar with, but the premise is very much the same.

  At first, nothing happens, even as Addy reaches out and touches the giant metal aperture. Then, a voice suddenly speaks, seeming to echo from everywhere and nowhere at once:

  “Well, well. Seems you have finally made it to the GIX,” a voice says, familiar at least to Addy, due to the odd accent that makes a ‘v’ sound in place of the ‘w’ sound, coming off as “Vell, vell,” instead.

  “Engel!” Addy practically shouts in surprise, looking around to see if she can determine the source of the voice.

  “Hello, Addy. I hope that all of you made it relatively unscathed, after that unfortunate meeting with the others in the city,” Engel says.

  “Could’ve used a heads-up about all that,” Cashew complains.

  “I am sorry, but I was prevented from warning you by the others,” Engel explains. “Yet, you were more than capable of surviving, as evidenced by you standing here.”

  “Who are you? What are you? In fact, what is this place? Who are the ‘others’ you speak of?” Felix asks, not interested in mincing his words or being subtle in his want for information.

  “All good questions. Sadly, you don’t have the clearance level to receive an answer for most of them,” Engel says with the hint of a chuckle.

  “‘Clearance Level?’” Kaz echoes, frowning.

  “A lot of Monteith technology requires a certain clearance level to activate!” Addy explains.

  “Sure, but what does that mean?” Wren asks.

  “I don’t know!” Addy admits. “I could never figure it out!”

  “A clearance level,” Engel begins, “is a certain amount of permission assigned to a person’s unique identification profile. The higher your clearance level, the more secretive, sophisticated, and important things you can access throughout our facilities.”

  “So what can you answer, of what I asked?” Felix asks through gritted teeth.

  “To someone with no clearance level? Absolutely nothing,” Engel says cheerily.

  Demy growls a little in the back of his throat.

  “Now, now,” Engel warns. “I can provide all of you with a basic clearance level, which will let me answer something, at least.”

  “No,” Dahlia says flatly.

  Kaz glances around the group before asking, “What would you need from us, to do that?”

  “Just your names,” Engel answers.

  “No,” Dahlia repeats.

  Wren crosses their arms. “I mean, if we want answers, we have to, right?”

  “Addy, is there any harm in it?” Felix asks, his tone serious.

  “I don’t know,” Addy admits, having never encountered this information before.

  Engel lets out a sigh and explains, “I add your name to our internal database and you are assigned a profile, with a clearance level of 1. All it does is allow you to interact with our facilities and technologies.”

  “What if we don’t agree to this?” Kaz asks.

  A brief pause, before Engel responds with, “Then you can leave. Eventually, I’m sure someone else will be more than happy to accept such a gift.”

  Felix bristles at the words and looks over at the group, seeing the conflicting opinions on their faces. “It sounds harmless. We’re just being registered, just like we do with newborns back in Halcyon. As the leader of this expedition, I will take responsibility for what happens.”

  With eagerness and/or reluctance, the group speak their names, starting with Felix himself and quickly followed by Addy. Dahlia and Demy, the two most hesitant, give their names last.

  Almost immediately, a panel on the nearby wall of the building opens up, revealing a small tray within. A slot just above it opens, which spews out seven small cards in rhythmic sequence, into the tray. Each one is made from a strange material, smooth and sleek, with an odd series of symbols that seem Monteith in origin upon one side. On the other side is an image of each of the seven, along with their name and a long sequence of Monteith symbols near the bottom.

  “How did…” Wren mutters in surprise, looking at a very accurate depiction of themselves upon the strange little card.

  “The seven of you have been scanned and added to our database,” Engel explains.

  Dahlia tries to eat the little card, but whatever material it is made from is too hard for her to bite through.

  “Please do not consume your identification card. You will need to present it when prompted, to access things,” Engel continues.

  “What kind of ‘things,’ exactly?” Cashew asks curiously.

  Engel ignores him as she says, “Now that you have Level 1 Clearance, you can access the interface for the GIX–and I can explain some things.”

  In front of the vault door, the air shimmers and a gigantic screen appears–one that does not need a visor to see, Addy realizes in awe. Upon the screen, a figure slowly materializes: A woman, tall and curvy, wearing a strange single-piece suit with a stark white jacket. She has cascading, wavy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, devoid of an iris, just like Kemartirh and the Failures. Her shark-like teeth are visible as she smiles broadly.

  “To answer your first question, Lord Felix Thorburn, I am Angelika, though you and your friends surely know me as ‘Engel,’” Angelika says as she waves at the group through the screen, her smile growing even wider.

  “What are you?” Felix asks, staring at the screen.

  “Is this like what you saw in Felix’s room, Cash? That scroll that showed something that already happened?” Demy asks quietly.

  “Kind of, but I think this is happening right now,” Cashew responds, not taking his eyes off of Angelika.

  “I am a ‘Monteith,’ as you refer to us as. Specifically, I am a program–a technological illusion–made in their image, tasked with overseeing and protecting this facility, known as the GIX,” Angelika explains.

  “That’s so cool!” Addy says, eyes wide.

  “No,” Dahlia repeats.

  “So, this place: The GIX. What is it? And what about the ‘others?’” Felix demands, not letting the strangeness of the situation distract him.

  “The GIX is a storage area, a vault if you will, for the ‘Monteith’ society’s most important treasures. Things that would be disastrous to fall into the wrong hands, that must be protected at all costs,” Angelika explains.

  “Can we see?!” Wren asks excitedly.

  Cashew’s eyes sparkle. “Yeah, how can we get inside?” He asks.

  “I’m sorry, but you do not have the appropriate clearance level to enter the GIX,” Angelika says, shrugging in an exaggerated, cartoonish way.

  “Can we at least know what is in the GIX?” Addy asks, curious.

  “Again, I am sorry, but you do not have the appropriate clearance level,” Angelika repeats.

  “Let me guess. Any information about the ‘others’ that you mentioned…” Felix begins.

  Angelika chuckles as she finishes for him, “Correct. A higher clearance level is required for me to divulge that information”

  The group share glances and turn away from the screen, whispering amongst themselves. Angelika waits patiently, hearing them go from simply talking to arguing. Finally, there seems to be a consensus and they all turn back to the screen.

  Kaz is the one who speaks.

  “Alright, Angelika. What do we have to do to get the clearance required for all that?” She asks.

  Angelika’s smile, if possible, grows even wider.