Chapter Twenty – Echoes of the Vault

The door sealed shut behind them with a hiss.

Vault Three wasn’t just underground—it was beneath something ancient. Mira could feel it in her bones. Every step echoed like they were walking through the veins of a sleeping giant.

Cold lights flickered to life overhead, buzzing with energy that hadn’t pulsed in years.

Grey moved ahead, blade drawn.

Liam scanned the walls, thick with frost and symbols etched in a language even Mira’s wolf didn’t recognize.

Ash stayed close to Echo, whose expression had gone blank.

“She’s remembering,” Ash said. “This place was imprinted into her core.”

Echo raised a hand, fingers brushing the wall like she was touching a memory.

“There was a woman,” she whispered. “White coat. White eyes. She never blinked.”

Mira felt the chill deepen.

They passed rows of empty glass tanks, cracked, drained, abandoned. Some still had claw marks inside.

One had blood that hadn’t dried.

Liam swore softly. “They raised them like weapons.”

“No,” Ash said. “They manufactured them like weapons. There’s a difference.”

They stopped at a fork.

To the left, a corridor with scorched doors. To the right, a staircase spiraling down into dark.

Echo turned right without hesitation.

“I remember screams,” she said. “But not mine.”

They descended.

Below, the air grew heavier. Not just cold—pressurized. Mira’s ears popped. Her wolf whimpered.

Then they saw it.

A chamber. Circular. Metallic. At its center stood a throne of wires, needles, and restraints.

Grey muttered, “What is this?”

Ash’s voice was low. “The Genesis Cradle.”

Mira stepped closer. The cradle pulsed faintly, alive with residual energy.

Echo whimpered. “That’s where they started me. They said I was the best copy. The closest match.”

Mira felt nausea twist her gut. “Match to what?”

Ash looked at her. “To you.”

The cradle lit up.

Sensors activated. A projection blinked into the air above the seat.

A flickering image of a woman, silver hair, pale skin, sharp teeth behind a sterile smile.

Mira’s heart froze.

Her voice echoed, clinical and cruel:

“Subject Luna-13 achieved 93% resonance. Full weaponization pending emotional suppression.”

Grey growled. “What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” Ash said, eyes shadowed, “they thought she was almost perfect. Except for one thing.”

Mira whispered, “My emotions.”

“Your humanity,” Ash corrected.

The projection glitched, then shifted.

A new image—files. Dozens. Maybe hundreds. All marked with codes: L-14, L-15, L-16…

The last one flickered.

L-22: ACTIVE.

Mira stepped back. “Twenty-two?”

Ash’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They’ve made more. After you.”

Echo’s hands began to shake. “I remember the last one. She didn’t talk. She just watched us… and smiled when the others cried.”

Grey clenched his fists. “They’ve moved on. Improved. And now they’re sending them out.”

Suddenly, alarms blared.

Red lights flashed. The vault shook.

“Someone activated a remote trigger,” Ash shouted.

“They’re collapsing the facility,” Liam said. “They’re covering their tracks.”

Mira grabbed Echo’s hand. “We run. Now!”

They bolted up the stairs. Walls cracked. Sparks flew. Pipes burst with scalding steam.

At the upper level, one of the old tanks exploded, releasing something inside.

A body hit the floor.

Female. Fully grown.

White hair. Silver eyes. Mira’s exact face.

She opened her eyes.

And smiled.

Mira stopped cold.

“What the…”

The copy’s hand blurred. A pulse of raw force knocked Mira backward.

She hit the wall hard.

The copy rose, voice soft and chilling:

“Luna-13 rejected. Luna-22 activated.”

Grey moved in front of Mira, blade raised.

But Luna-22 didn’t attack.

She stepped into the smoke and vanished.

Ash cursed. “They didn’t just wake her—they released her.”

Mira stood, rage simmering beneath her skin.

“They’ve declared war on the original.”

And as the vault groaned behind them, threatening to collapse entirely, Mira made a silent vow.

No more hiding.

No more surviving.

It was time to hunt.

End of Chapter Twenty

……………………………

Vault Three wasn’t just a lab, it was a graveyard of stolen futures. And now, Mira’s replacement walks the earth. Perfected. Empty. Unbound. The Circle has released their weapon. But the original Luna isn’t done yet and her fury is just beginning.