The doorway groaned behind them as it slid fully open, revealing a massive chamber. Vault Zero lived up to its name. It wasn’t just a room. It was a cathedral of secrets.

The walls shimmered with polished obsidian panels that reflected Carson and Justina back at themselves, but twisted, distorted, fractured in ways that made them feel like strangers in their own skin. A faint hum filled the room, vibrating through the floor, as if the chamber itself was alive, aware, and waiting.

...