The Jefferson family archives were housed beneath the east wing of the estate—hidden behind biometric locks, quantum encryptions, and a biometric echo signature that only opened to a direct Jefferson heir.
Elsa had never bothered with it.
Until now.
đź“ś The Locked Vault
She moved quietly, the memory of Ashara's words echoing:
"She's marked."
"Conduit."
"Celestial Keepers."
None of it made sense. But the way Chess had reacted… it wasn't disbelief. It was concern.
That was enough to light her curiosity like a wildfire.
She placed her palm on the glowing seal. It shimmered with gold and blue light—then clicked open with a hiss.
The air inside was older than dust.
🏛️ Echoes of Her Bloodline
Rows of glass cases, old manuscripts, carved stone tablets, and holographic relics hummed faintly.
She walked until she reached the back. A symbol caught her eye.
It was etched onto a sliver of obsidian stone:A phoenix wrapped around a gate of stars.
Her fingers hovered over it.
Suddenly, the room responded.
A wall panel slid open with a whisper, revealing a pedestal.
On it, sat a mirror.
But it wasn't reflecting her.
It reflected… someone else.
A woman who looked exactly like Elsa—only cloaked in ancient robes, glowing faintly from within.
The mirror spoke in a tongue Elsa didn't recognize—but somehow… understood.
"To the Daughter of Flame. You carry the blood of the Keepers. You are the threshold, the living lock. They must not breach you."
Elsa staggered back.
"What the hell…"
🧬 Jeffersons Were Never Just CEOs
She turned to a terminal nearby and began accessing encrypted family records.
Old files. Names scrubbed from public memory.
:: Hubert Jefferson – Deceased:: Liora Velessa Jefferson – Vanished:: Council of Nine – Terminated:: Archive Class: Celestial Watchtower:: Status: Sleeping Bloodline Activated
Her breath caught.
"Sleeping bloodline?"
More entries flashed open like a waterfall of forgotten secrets.
The Jeffersons were more than just business moguls. At their origin, they were Guardians—chosen to bind an ancient rift between worlds.
"No wonder Milo's interested in me…"
The blood in her veins wasn't just valuable.
It was dangerous.
đź’” What Her Grandfather Hid
One last message played—a decrypted visual log, dated two decades ago.
It showed her grandfather, Wallace Jefferson, standing with Hubert Golding—Chess's master.
They looked younger. But the weight in their eyes was unbearable.
"The girl will carry both seals," Wallace said. "One of gate. One of blade."
"They must marry," Hubert replied. "Or chaos will awaken through her alone."
"And the boy?"
"He'll protect her. Even if she hates him. Even if it breaks him."
Elsa watched, her heart thundering.
She had always thought the marriage was for business.
But it was something far older. A pact of protection… and prophecy.
🔥 The Beginning of Her Awakening
Suddenly, pain flared in her chest—sharp and searing.
She gasped, clutching at her collarbone.
A faint, glowing mark was surfacing beneath her skin—the same phoenix wrapped in stars.
Then she heard it.
Not in her ears—but in her bones.
"They have found the second gate."
Her head snapped up.
"Milo…"
She staggered out of the vault, eyes wild, breath short.
She needed to find Chess.
Now.