Chapter 20: The Vault's Pulse
July 12–13, 2147,
Göbekli Tepe VaultSelika's POV
The air inside Göbekli Tepe's vault was thick with the scent of damp stone and something metallic, a tang that clung to Selika Maris Delgado's tongue as she descended the spiraling stone stairs. Her boots scraped against worn steps, each one carved with faint glyphs that mirrored the flickering patterns on her neck, now dimmed by exhaustion. The shard from Phnom Penh pulsed in her rig's core, its heat seeping through her gloves, a constant reminder of Inanna's hiss echoing in her skull. The vault's walls loomed, T-pillars rising like skeletal sentinels, their surfaces slick with condensation and streaked with dark veins that seemed to writhe under her holo-lens. Blood crusted on her upper lip from the nosebleed, a souvenir from the skiff's crash, but her focus stayed razor-sharp. Reyan moved ahead, his pulse-knife drawn, the blade's edge catching the faint glow of their rigs. His silence was a blade of its own, cutting deeper than the rift between them, born from Peru's vision and hardened by the vault's oppressive weight.A low thrum vibrated through the stone, resonating in her chest, and a vision flared: Inanna's starfire claws raking the Veil's web, Enlil's colossus towering over the vault, his voice a seismic growl, "The blood awakens the root." The T-pillars pulsed, their veins glowing crimson, and a wave of nausea hit her. Her glyphs flared, rig sparking, and she stumbled, catching herself against a pillar. Reyan turned, his scarred face tense. "You're at it again," he said, voice rough, a mix of concern and accusation."I'm holding her off," Selika snapped, wiping blood from her nose. "The shard's tied to this place. It's waking something." Her eyes locked on his, fierce with defiance. "I'm still here, Reyan. Don't shut me out." His jaw tightened, a flicker of doubt in his gaze, but he nodded, a grudging acknowledgment. The thrum grew louder, a heartbeat syncing with her own, and she felt the shard's pull, a siren call to the vault's heart.Mara's holo flickered to life, her shaved head a stark contrast to the gloom. "The root-code's active. Your blood triggered it. Silas is breaching the surface—Kael's drones are down to half." Selika's stomach sank, but Inanna's voice cut through: Bleed for me, child. The shard burned hotter, and she clenched her fist, resisting the urge to obey.Reyan's POV
Reyan Al-Mehdi's boots echoed on the vault's stairs, each step a reminder of Mosul's crumbling streets where he'd lost his squad to drone fire. The air was heavy, pressing against the scars beneath his jacket, and Selika's labored breathing behind him fueled his unease. Her glyphs' erratic glow, the blood on her face, gnawed at him—Inanna was clawing deeper, and Peru's vision of her with Enlil haunted his every move. Could he trust her when the Veil might already claim her? The mind-web's reality tightened around him, their blood the key he feared to turn. He gripped his pulse-knife, its weight a cold comfort, scanning the shadows for Cult agents or worse.The thrum hit him like a physical force, vibrating through his bones, and he saw it too—a flash of Enlil's colossus, the vault's pillars bleeding red. He staggered, gripping the wall, and glanced back at Selika. "You're at it again," he said, his voice rough with worry he couldn't hide. Her retort—"I'm holding her off"—struck him, her defiance a mirror to his own against Mosul's ash. "I'm still here," she insisted, and his chest tightened, seeing her fight through Inanna's grip. He wanted to believe, to bridge the gap, but Mosul's ghosts whispered doubt.Mara's holo buzzed, her tone urgent. "Root-code's live. Your blood did it. Silas is topside—Kael's losing drones fast." Reyan cursed under his breath, but Selika's flinch, the shard's glow intensifying, rooted him. He stepped closer, their shoulders brushing, a jolt of warmth cutting through his tension. "Stay with me," he murmured, a vow born of instinct. Her hand grazed his arm, glyphs flaring steady—a fragile trust rekindled.The vault opened into a cavernous chamber, T-pillars forming a circle around a central dais. A crystalline structure pulsed at its heart, veins of light threading through it, mirroring the shard's rhythm. Cult agents spilled from the shadows, pulse-blades humming, their robes stained with ash. Reyan lunged, knife clashing against steel, sparks flying as he drove one back. Selika's holo-lens flared, frying a second agent, but Inanna's pull slowed her, blood dripping anew. "Push through!" Mara's holo shouted. Kael's last drones swooped, exploding in a shower of sparks, buying them seconds.They reached the dais, the crystal's pulse deafening. Reyan's arm burned from a cut, blood smearing his sleeve, but Selika's gaze held him firm. They pressed their hands to the crystal, blood seeping into its surface, and the vault shuddered. Visions flooded them—Enlil's rise, the Veil's birth, Inanna's betrayal—a torrent of history and pain. They collapsed, rigs smoking, the chamber's cries echoing. Reyan traced his wrist scar, Mosul's fall fading under her presence beside him. She slept, nosebleed dry, the rift softening. Silas's voice boomed from above, but their blood had unlocked the root.