The Cipher: Locks and Keys

The location was one that Lockey had come to recognize—the eerie, crumbling remains of an abandoned estate, its towering arches and dark hallways stretching into shadows. The last time he was here, it was to retrieve the details of his mission, but now, the atmosphere seemed even heavier, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.

A loud, furious voice echoed from the far corner of the room, reverberating through the empty halls.

"You owe me, Glacier!" Pinnochi's voice was filled with rage, his hand gripping Glacier's collar. "I risked my neck out there, nearly got myself killed in that deathtrap! You think I'm walking away from this without a decent compensation?"

Glacier, calm despite the tension, raised his hands in a placating gesture. "Fine, Pinnochi. You'll get what you want. I’m not here to rob you." His voice was steady, unbothered by the heated exchange. "But this wasn't just about you. The Beta Vault is more important than your little scuffles. We all took risks."

Pinnochi sneered, releasing Glacier with a rough shove. "As long as I get what I’m owed."

In the opposite corner of the room, a heated discussion brewed between Cassian, the team leader of the Red Blood Cult, and Liam, the team leader of the Chrono Lux cult. The two cults had always been rivals, and now the tension was palpable.

“You know, if it were up to my team, we would’ve handled this without nearly losing half our members,” Liam spat, arms crossed over his chest. His tone was laced with arrogance, his face set in a smug grin.

Cassian, tall and imposing, narrowed his eyes. “Handled it? Your bunch wouldn’t have lasted a minute in that place. You lot are good for one thing—intel gathering. But when it comes to real danger, you're useless."

Liam's eyes flared with anger. “Useless? If not for our information, you would’ve walked into that place blind. So don’t act like we didn’t play a role here.”

Cassian smirked, folding his arms. “A role? Sure, if gathering scraps counts as contributing. But when it came down to who actually had the guts to enter the cave, it sure as hell wasn’t you."

Liam took a step forward, his voice low but threatening. “Watch yourself, Cassian. We may be intel experts, but don’t underestimate the Chrono Lux."

Before the tension could erupt into something physical, the heavy wooden door at the back of the room creaked open.

“Stop this pointless bickering,” a voice interrupted.

Rades, calm yet commanding, strode into the room with Lockey at his side. The room went still as all eyes turned to them. Rades’s presence was enough to end the argument immediately.

"We're here to discuss the next steps, not squabble over who contributed what,” Rades said, his gaze briefly fAs Rades and Lockey entered the room, the tension shifted slightly. While the discussion between Liam and Cassian died down, the other members of both the Chrono Lux and Red Blood Cults exchanged quick glances, the topic of Lockey quickly surfacing in hushed murmurs.

“He’s the one who completed the mission?” one of the Chrono Lux members muttered to Liam, their voice low but audible enough to catch attention.

Liam’s eyes narrowed as he looked toward Lockey, clearly assessing him. “Is it true?” he asked, his voice laced with skepticism. “He’s the one who got the Beta Vault?”

Cassian gave a slight, almost dismissive shrug. “Guess so,” he replied, leaning back with his usual casual demeanor.

“Tch,” Liam scoffed, his expression souring as his eyes followed Lockey’s every move. “Lord Glacier seems to have taken a liking to him almost like there friends. It pisses me off.”

Cassian chuckled, but there was a sharpness in his eyes as he gave Liam a sidelong glance. "Then do something about it," he said coolly, pushing past Liam as he moved toward the center of the room, clearly uninterested in further discussion. His words hung in the air like a challenge, but Liam didn’t respond—his gaze remained locked on Lockey, a growing bitterness flickering behind his calm expression.

In a dimly lit corner of the room, unnoticed by most, Rina stood quietly, her back against the wall as she observed everything unfolding before her. She had kept her distance during the chaos of the mission, but now her mind raced as she watched Lockey.

How does he know them? she wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly. The Red Blood Cult and Chrono Lux were notorious for their secrecy, their members shrouded in layers of mystery. Even those who were close to the cults rarely knew the true extent of their reach. Yet here was Lockey—a classmate and friend who, as far as she knew, had no deep connections—somehow standing in the middle of it all.

Not just one cult... she thought. But two.

Her fingers clenched slightly at her sides. Her brother was among those secretive people, someone she had never expected Lockey to know. And now, as she watched him interact with people like Glacier and Cassian, her mind swirled with questions.

Who are you really, Lockey?

Lockey placed the Beta Vault on the table, the dull hum of its energy barely contained within the secure casing. The room felt tense as the four sat, eyes fixed on the ominous artifact. It was as if the air itself thickened under the weight of what they had accomplished.

Pinnochi, still nursing a slight scowl from his earlier outburst, was the first to break the silence. "So, what do we do with it now?" His voice carried a mix of frustration and curiosity, his fingers tapping anxiously against the table.

Glacier leaned back, crossing his arms. He glanced at Lockey before speaking, his expression thoughtful. "Lockey, what do you think? I did promise you, after all. The vault's power itself, it could be yours."

Lockey, his gaze as cold and unreadable as ever, remained unfazed. "Power’s not what I’m after," he replied evenly. "I want to know the origin of the Keys."

A brief smirk tugged at Rades’ lips. "You’re really something else," he remarked, his tone laced with amusement. Glacier glanced at him, nodding slightly in agreement.

Rades continued, leaning forward slightly as if to drive home his point. "Then, since none of us seem too keen on keeping it, we should probably give it to Zino. The longer it stays with us, the more attention it attracts."

"True," Glacier agreed, his voice calm but firm. "The radiation and energy it emits are far too strong. If it weren’t for the barrier we’ve set up around this place, we might’ve already been discovered."

Pinnochi let out a sharp exhale. "So, it's settled. We give it to Zino, get it off our hands before someone else starts sniffing around."

Glacier shifted his gaze back to Lockey, his expression more serious now. "Lockey," he began, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward slightly. "It might be better if you travel somewhere far, away from all of this."

Lockey tilted his head slightly, his face still emotionless. "And by that, you mean...?"

"It’s just that your presence... it’s strong. Almost like you’ve either absorbed the Beta Vault’s energy or are still in possession of it." Glacier’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke. "Since you’ve been with it the longest, people will sense it on you. If possible, you should stay out of sight. Because the moment someone notices, they’ll come after you. Without hesitation."

Lockey didn’t respond at first, his mind calculating. Pinnochi and Rades stood up, preparing to leave, seemingly satisfied with the decision. "Alright then, see ya," Pinnochi muttered, heading towards the exit.

Lockey, however, remained seated. His eyes fixed on the vault before flickering back to Glacier. "Wait."

The room stilled. Glacier paused, his hand on the doorframe, looking back at Lockey. "What is it?"

"I’d like to borrow it for a while," Lockey said, nodding toward the Beta Vault. His tone was calm, but there was a quiet determination beneath it.

Glacier raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback. "Oookay..." he replied slowly, uncertain. "At your own risk, Lockey."

Lockey stood, moving toward the vault with a steady, deliberate pace. "I’m not planning to keep it," he added, his hand resting lightly on the top of the casing. "I’ll return it when I’m done. No worries."

Glacier watched him carefully for a moment before nodding. "Fine," he said, handing the vault over to Lockey without asking why he needed it. "Just make sure you know what you’re doing."

Lockey gave a small nod, taking the vault in hand before heading toward the exit. As the others left, Lockey lingered for a moment, his eyes lingering on Glacier, who gave him one last glance—half intrigued, half concerned.

Lockey walked through the dimly lit streets, the weight of the Beta Vault barely noticeable in his hand. His face, as always, was an unreadable mask, though his mind raced with thoughts of what he could learn from the vault’s secrets.

As he approached the familiar steps to his home, the moonlight barely cutting through the thick fog that had settled over the city, he paused.

The night was unusually quiet, the air heavy with something unspoken.

Lockey pushed open the door, his mind already running through the possibilities of what the vault could reveal. But for now, he had to be cautious. The attention it would attract was too dangerous. And his next moves had to be precise.

He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, leaving the eerie quiet of the outside world behind.