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Chapter 8 - Vault Whisper

The hallway outside the vault areas had a smell of damp stone and ancient magic. I put my hand on the cold wall, feeling a slight vibration from machinery far away. Every footstep made a clear sound—the only thing audible in this stone passage of the Serafino Estate.

 

Gio walked next to me, his eyes quickly looking at every recess. "Are you sure you want to do this now?" he asked, his voice quiet.

 

I looked at him. My arm still ached where Stiletto's blade had cut me. "If not now, when? We need to find answers."

 

He paused, then nodded. "Okay. But let's be quick about it."

 

We turned a corner into a dimly lit area with elaborate iron doors. Each door had the Serafino symbol on it. I counted: fifteen doors in this section, but only one led to the private vault where rumors about the locket were circulating.

 

A guard stood tall at the end of the hall. He checked my necklace and let us pass. We went by him, quiet as ghosts. I swallowed hard. This was Mateo's territory—secrets more dangerous than any guard.

 

Inside the waiting room of the vault, torches burned brightly. Soft voices came from a group of Serafino assistants—men and women in well-made black clothes, their faces strained. I stayed back, listening.

 

"Did you hear?" one whispered. A tall, tough-looking man with a bent nose leaned closer. "They say the locket's connection is stronger than any promise. Souls tied together by blood."

 

Another voice, low and rough, said: "It's more than just a symbol. Legend says it traps your life force—ties you to the person in charge."

 

I tensed up. Souls tied together by blood—that was the force that had grabbed me in Matteo's vault. The necklace on my wrist: not just a threat, but a prison. I tightened my jaw.

 

Gio nudged me. "We need to go."

 

I shook off what the assistants were saying and pointed to a strong door. "This is the one."

 

He knocked twice in the Serafino code—two taps, a pause, three taps. The door hissed and opened.

 

Inside, metal shelves shone with boxes. In the middle, a raised platform held a glass case: inside was the locket, a dark metal color with a serpent's tail coiled around a tooth. My heart pounded.

 

Gio walked around the case. "So, this is it."

 

I stepped forward, looking at the locket. "It feels... alive."

 

He glanced at the guards standing near the back wall. "We probably have five minutes."

 

I put my fingertips on the glass. The serpent's eye—a single red gem—caught the light from the torches. I remembered the moment I touched the seal: my heartbeat matched Matteo's.

 

I knelt down and opened my bag, taking out the stolen pages from the diary. I quickly read the notes: *"Binding Ritual—needs the heir's blood, the victim's blood, a midnight moon."* My blood. His blood. It was all planned.

 

A cold voice made me stop. "Ivy Rossi."

 

I turned around. Matteo stood in the doorway, his coat over one shoulder. His eyes were still cold, but now they had a steely look.

 

"Thought you'd want a closer look," I said, my voice steady. "Figured you'd show up."

 

He came inside. Gio moved back to the door. Matteo walked to the platform and leaned over the glass. "Curiosity can be dangerous."

 

I met his eyes. "So can betrayal."

 

He straightened up. "You're not here to admire family treasures."

 

I swallowed. "I need to know what's connecting me."

 

His jaw tightened. He looked at me for a moment. Then he reached into his coat and took out a second necklace—identical to mine. He held it next to the glass case.

 

I frowned. "What's that?"

 

"Mine," he said softly. "Blood-bound the same night."

 

My chest felt tight. "You... you drank the blood oath too?"

 

He didn't look away. "It wasn't for loyalty. It was to control what I unleashed."

 

A flood of questions ran through my mind: Why would he bind himself? To stop the ritual? To protect me? Or to trap us both?

 

I stood up and walked over to him. "You could have said no."

 

His lips curved into a half-smile. "Saying no wasn't an option. Not if I wanted to protect this family—from itself."

 

I met his eyes, trying to see the truth. "Then why bring me into it?"

 

He hesitated, his jaw working. "Because you're stronger than any guard. You see the truth when others don't." He tapped the glass. "The locket makes your magic stronger. But it also makes you weaker."

 

I wanted to touch the case, but I stopped myself. "So how do we break it?"

 

He stepped closer—close enough that I could feel the heat coming from his neck. "That's the real secret. Only the two who are bound can free each other. The ritual... requires a sacrifice."

 

I tensed up. "What sacrifice?"

 

He looked away, his voice distant. "A life for a life. The heir's blood for the captive's blood. One must die."

 

Silence fell between us. The torches crackled. Gio's footsteps faded into the hallway. I felt the weight of the locket, of his matching necklace, and the truth inside that glass case: our fates were tied together.

 

I swallowed. "So if I break it, you die."

 

He met my eyes. "And if you stay bound, Lena dies."

 

My throat tightened. "Then I won't break it."

 

He frowned. "Even if the world falls apart?"

 

I took a breath. "I'd die before I let them hurt my family."

 

His expression softened—a hint of respect. He placed his necklace on the platform, next to mine. The metal glowed slightly, pulsing together.

 

I understood what he was doing. He was offering himself, trusting me to make the choice. It was the first honest thing he'd shown me.

 

I put my hand on my chest, over the necklace. "What do we do now?"

 

He looked around the room. "We train. We learn. And we find a way to save everyone—without anyone having to die."

 

I nodded. "Together."

 

He held out his hand. I took it. His grip was strong, and I felt warmth—something more powerful than the binding magic.

 

The glass case began to hum. The torches flickered. Outside, alarms sounded in the distance.

 

We let go of each other's hands. He stepped back, regaining his calm control. "Time's up."

 

I watched him leave, the image of his matching necklace stuck in my mind. I knelt down and looked at the locket again—our two lives side by side.

 

As I stepped out into the hallway, Gio fell into step beside me. "That was… unexpected."

 

I put the diary pages in my pocket. "I realized something. This locket isn't just a chain. It's a partnership."

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Within the family?"

 

I gave a small smile. "Within the family."

 

We walked down the hallway, our shadows stretching out behind us. The whispers in the vault had turned into a promise: I would fight the binding magic, protect my sister, and face whatever sacrifice was ahead—together with the Ice Heir.

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