Restart: the ultimate system

A Dangerous Meeting

The Underground Sanctuary was eerily silent as Kai, Lyra, and Vale prepared for their secret meeting. The hooded messenger had given them a time and place—an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city, hidden deep within the ruins of the Old Quarter.

"I don't like this," Lyra muttered as she checked the straps of her daggers. "It's too convenient."

Vale adjusted his cloak, blending into the darkness. "Every advantage is a risk. But if this person really has a way to cripple the Duke, we can't ignore it."

Kai remained quiet, his mind racing. He knew the risks. But this was war. They needed every chance they could get.

With one last glance at his team, he pulled his hood up and disappeared into the night.

The Abandoned Temple

The temple was nothing more than a ruin—crumbling stone, shattered statues, and vines reclaiming what had once been sacred. Moonlight filtered through broken stained glass windows, casting eerie colors on the floor.

A single figure waited inside, their face concealed beneath a dark hood.

Kai stepped forward, hand on his sword hilt. "You asked for this meeting. Speak."

The hooded figure chuckled softly. "You don't waste time, do you?"

They pulled back their hood, revealing a woman with sharp emerald eyes and long silver hair.

"My name is Selene. And I know how to kill the Duke."

Secrets Unveiled

Lyra tensed, but Kai held up a hand. "We're listening."

Selene's expression turned grim. "The Duke's power doesn't just come from his soldiers or his wealth. He has something else—an artifact that makes him nearly untouchable."

Vale frowned. "What kind of artifact?"

Selene hesitated. "A relic from the Old Kingdom. The Heart of Dominion. It grants him an unbreakable link to his lands and people. As long as he possesses it, he can sense rebellion before it fully forms… and crush it before it becomes a real threat."

Kai's eyes darkened. That explained why the Duke had always been one step ahead.

Lyra crossed her arms. "And you expect us to believe you just… know this?"

Selene sighed. "Because I was once his most trusted assassin."

The Assassin's Past

A heavy silence followed.

Kai's grip tightened on his sword. "You worked for him?"

Selene met his gaze without flinching. "I did. Until he ordered me to slaughter an entire village—innocents, children, elderly—all because they sheltered a runaway slave."

Her voice wavered, but her resolve remained. "I refused. He sent his men after me. I barely escaped with my life."

Vale exhaled. "And now you want revenge."

Selene nodded. "I know where the Heart of Dominion is kept. If we destroy it, the Duke will lose his power over the city. His empire will crumble."

Kai studied her, searching for any sign of deception. She was dangerous, no doubt. But he had seen enough lies to know when someone was speaking the truth.

And right now? She was telling the truth.

A New Target

Kai turned to his team. "If what she says is true, we can't afford to ignore this."

Lyra sighed. "This is insane."

Vale smirked. "I like insane."

Kai looked back at Selene. "Where is it?"

Selene's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Beneath Ravencourt Manor. In the heart of the Duke's stronghold."

Kai's pulse quickened. Breaking into the Duke's own fortress?

It was suicide.

And yet—if they succeeded, the war could be won before it truly began.

Kai exhaled. "Then we have no choice."

He turned to his team, determination burning in his eyes.

"We're going to steal the Heart of Dominion."

The Heist Begins

Breaking Into Hell

The plan was madness. Infiltrating Ravencourt Manor—the heart of the Duke's power—was a suicide mission. But if they succeeded in stealing the Heart of Dominion, they could shatter his grip on the city and turn the tide of the war.

Kai gathered his team in the underground sanctuary, going over the details one last time.

Selene stood beside him, arms crossed. "The manor is protected by three layers of security. Outer guards, elite enforcers, and the Duke's personal wardens. But the real danger is beneath the estate."

She unfolded a rough sketch of the underground vault, where the Heart of Dominion was kept.

Vale leaned over the table, frowning. "Magical defenses?"

Selene nodded. "A lot of them. And a single mistake will trigger an alarm that brings the Duke's entire army down on us."

Lyra exhaled, sharpening her dagger. "Then let's not make a mistake."

Kai studied the map, his mind racing. They had one shot at this.

He turned to the group. "We move at midnight."

Infiltrating Ravencourt Manor

The city was quiet under the cover of darkness as they approached the estate. The towering black walls of Ravencourt Manor loomed over them, lined with patrols of heavily armed guards.

Kai signaled to the team. "Phase One: Entry."

Vale moved first, scaling the outer wall like a shadow. He slipped onto a balcony, quickly disabling a guard before tossing a rope down for the rest of the team.

Lyra followed, then Kai, and finally Selene. They moved silently through the upper corridors, avoiding detection.

Selene whispered, "The entrance to the vault is in the east wing, behind the grand hall."

Kai nodded, leading them through the lavish halls, ducking into shadows as patrols passed. The manor was a fortress—but they were ghosts in the night.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until it wasn't.

The Alarm is Triggered

As they reached the eastern wing, a single misstep changed everything.

Vale had just picked the lock to the hidden passage when a distant clang echoed through the halls.

Lyra tensed. "What was that?"

Selene's face darkened. "Someone tripped a silent alarm."

Kai cursed under his breath. They were running out of time.

"No turning back," he said. "Move!"

They rushed through the passage, descending a spiral staircase into the depths of the manor. The air grew colder, the stone walls narrowing into a long, torch-lit corridor.

At the end of the hallway stood an imposing black door, covered in intricate runes. The vault.

Vale immediately got to work, deciphering the magical locks. "Give me a minute."

Kai could hear the distant sound of boots approaching.

"We don't have a minute."

Vale growled in frustration. "Then buy me time."

A Fight in the Dark

Kai turned to Lyra and Selene. "Hold them off. We need that door open."

The first wave of Ravencourt's elite enforcers burst into the corridor, swords drawn.

Selene moved like lightning, her twin daggers slicing through the air. Lyra followed, blocking an incoming strike before driving her blade into a guard's side.

Kai met the charge head-on, cutting down the first enforcer before twisting to avoid a second blade. He drove his sword through another attacker, pushing forward with relentless precision.

Despite their skill, the enemy kept coming.

Selene spun, parrying a strike before driving her dagger into a man's throat. "Vale! How much longer?"

"Almost there—just keep them off me!"

Kai ducked under a blade, kicking his opponent into the wall. Blood stained the stone floor as the battle raged on.

Then—a soft click.

Vale exhaled. "Got it."

The vault door creaked open, revealing a massive chamber bathed in an eerie golden glow.

The Heart of Dominion

At the center of the room, resting on an ornate pedestal, was the Heart of Dominion—a pulsating crimson gemstone, radiating raw energy.

Kai stepped forward, feeling the power thrumming in the air. This was it.

Selene reached for the artifact—when suddenly, the air grew heavy.

A voice echoed from the darkness.

"Did you really think you could steal from me?"

The shadows at the far end of the vault twisted, coalescing into a tall figure.

Lucian Ravencourt stepped forward, a wicked smile on his face.

The trap had been set.