Chapter 12: Shadows of the Crown
The estate was in chaos.
Gunfire rattled through the walls like war drums as Ava ducked behind a marble pillar, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe. Red emergency lights bathed the corridors in a hellish glow. Somewhere down the west wing, Elias barked orders, his voice sharp and clipped over the estate's intercom system.
Dominic stood in front of her like a shadow of war—his black coat flared, eyes blazing beneath his mask, a gun in one hand and a blade in the other. She had seen him fight before. But not like this.
This was the Dominic Vale she had only glimpsed in whispers and nightmares—the man born from vengeance and built for war.
"They've breached the east perimeter," Elias's voice crackled over the intercom again. "Phase Omega is live."
Dominic cursed under his breath and grabbed Ava's wrist. "We move. Now."
"Phase Omega?" she gasped, running after him down a narrow service corridor.
"It's a last-resort protocol," he replied grimly. "If the estate falls, we trigger it to burn everything. No evidence. No survivors."
Ava nearly stumbled. "You mean us?"
Dominic didn't answer. He didn't have to.
They burst into the command room—screens flickering, sirens blaring. Elias stood at the central console, blood streaked across his temple.
"They knew exactly where to hit us," Elias said. "Inside intel. Possibly leaked from Montclair's security council."
Dominic tossed Ava a secure comm device and extra mags. "We hold them off until the helipad is cleared."
Ava's hands shook as she loaded the weapon. "And if it's not?"
Dominic looked at her then, through the slits of the mask. "Then we go down together."
The enemy was unlike anything Ava had imagined. Not just hired mercenaries—these were elite units in black tactical gear, moving like ghosts. She watched through a surveillance feed as they eliminated Dominic's guards one by one. Precision. No hesitation. Kill shots every time.
She turned to Elias. "This isn't just about ValeTech. Who are they really?"
Elias hesitated, then looked at Dominic. "Tell her."
Dominic closed his eyes briefly. "They're called Nocturnis. A rogue faction formed from the original Valemortis resistance. My father created them… to protect the old order. But something changed. They've gone off-book. And now they're hunting the bloodline."
Ava's breath caught. "Your father's still alive. You saw the footage. Is he behind this?"
Dominic's jaw clenched. "If he is, he's no longer my father."
An explosion rocked the estate.
"South wing's collapsing," Elias said. "We've got less than seven minutes."
Dominic turned to Ava. "There's a secret vault beneath the library. It holds the original Crown Codes—the ones my father swore never existed. We need them if we're going to end this."
"You said they were a myth," she said, running after him.
"I lied."
They reached the library as the ceiling cracked above them. Smoke curled into the air. Books burned on the floor, entire shelves collapsed.
Dominic moved to the back wall and tore down a portrait—revealing a retinal scanner. He pressed his face to it. A green light blinked.
"Access granted."
A hidden panel slid open to reveal a steel staircase spiraling down into darkness.
"I'm getting sick of secrets," Ava muttered, descending.
"At least now you know," Dominic said. "I don't keep them because I want to. I keep them because every truth in my world is a weapon."
They entered a chamber lit by dim blue light. In the center: a pedestal with a black cube etched in silver veins.
"The Crown Codes," Dominic whispered.
Ava stepped forward. "What do they do?"
"They control access to every ValeTech weapon prototype, every AI algorithm, every classified satellite linked to the old monarchy. Whoever holds them… owns the future."
A crash echoed above them.
"They're here," Elias warned over the comm.
Dominic grabbed the cube and handed Ava his backup weapon. "Cover me."
They raced up the stairs, only to find masked intruders flooding the library. Dominic charged forward, blade flashing. Ava fired, dropping two men. She had never killed before tonight.
Now she didn't hesitate.
---
They reached the helipad as the helicopter engines roared to life.
"Go!" Elias shouted, covering their exit with a hail of bullets.
But as Ava turned to climb in, a shot rang out.
Dominic jerked, blood blooming across his side.
"Dominic!" she screamed, lunging toward him.
He gritted his teeth, dragging himself up. "Get on the chopper, Ava!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
Elias pulled her up by force. "We'll cover him. He'll follow."
Dominic fired one last round and sprinted through the smoke as Elias threw a detonator onto the ground.
"Phase Omega… activated."
The estate exploded beneath them as the helicopter lifted into the sky.
Ava watched the flames rise, her eyes locked on the figure below—Dominic, silhouetted against fire and death, running until the shadows swallowed him whole.
Then… silence.
"Dominic?" she cried into the comm.
Static.
"Dominic, answer me!"
Nothing.
The sky turned red with dawn.
And Ava knew—this war was only just beginning.