Chapters 12: The Vault of Forgotten Gods

The vault lay beneath miles of ice and rock, untouched for thousands of years—a relic from a civilization lost to time. As my ship hovered over the barren world, sensors struggled to penetrate the dense layers of ancient sediment.

“No energy signatures detected,” G’Lan reported. “No life signs. The structure is inactive ... but intact.”

Ny’Vara stood beside me, her arms crossed, emerald eyes locked onto the display. “It waits.”

Her voice was quiet, almost reverent.

I exhaled. “Then let’s wake it up.”

### Descent into the Ice

An hour later, we descended into the planet’s atmosphere aboard my personal shuttle.

The world below was a frozen wasteland, vast ice fields stretching endlessly under a twilight sky. The ruins jutted out like skeletal remains—titanic black spires, covered in frost, whispering of an age long past.

I adjusted my controls as we neared the vault’s entrance, a massive circular structure carved into the ice. It had no doors—just a yawning abyss leading into utter darkness.

Ny’Vara studied the ruins as we landed, her feline ears flicking. “This place ... it feels wrong.”

I grabbed my sidearm and smirked. “Then it’s a good thing we brought guns.”

She did not smile.

### The Vault Opens

We stepped inside, the air stale and unmoving. The walls were made of some unknown metal, covered in intricate, ancient carvings. Symbols I didn’t recognize, yet ... they felt strangely familiar.

Ny’Vara ran a clawed hand along the markings. “This is older than any K’Zari civilization ... possibly older than my people themselves.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Then who the hell built it?”

Before she could answer, the vault trembled.

A deep rumbling echoed through the chamber. The floor vibrated beneath our boots.

Then, light bloomed from the walls—a cold, eerie blue glow, as if the structure itself was waking up.

I instinctively reached for my weapon. “That’s not normal, is it?”

Ny’Vara’s expression darkened. “No.”

Then, the voices began.

### Whispers from the Past

It wasn’t sound, exactly. It was something else—a feeling, a pressure at the edge of my thoughts.

A whisper, just beyond understanding.

Ny’Vara hissed, her ears flattening. “Do you hear that?”

I nodded, trying to focus. The whisper wasn’t in any language I recognized—but somehow, I understood.

“You are not the first.”

I froze.

Ny’Vara tensed. “Who said that?”

The walls shifted—a section of the floor lowered, revealing a hidden chamber bathed in an eerie, blue light.

At its center stood a tall, obsidian monolith, pulsing with an unnatural glow.

My gut twisted. This was not just a vault.

It was a prison.

I took a cautious step forward, my heart pounding. “I think ... whatever’s in there just woke up.”

Ny’Vara placed a hand on her weapon. “Then we had best prepare ourselves.”

The whispers grew louder.

And then—

The monolith cracked open.