Location: Legacy Point Vault – Eastern Tavara
The ground trembled beneath Damien's boots as he approached the exposed vault.
Smoke still rose in tendrils from the facility's distant collapse, and ash floated through the wind like dark snow. But here—at the summit of Legacy Point—time seemed to stand still.
Genesis stood motionless at the open vault's mouth, the black case cradled in his arms like a sacred relic. His head turned slowly as Damien stepped into view.
"You came," Genesis said, voice low, void of malice.
"I had to," Damien replied. "She left it for me… not for Ashfall, not for war. For a son who never got to bury her properly."
Genesis's eyes shimmered faintly. "Then let's open it together."
Nora joined Damien, her hand instinctively brushing his. Reiss flanked their side, rifle lowered but ready. The moment was too loaded to trust fully… yet too personal to treat like war.
The black case opened with a soft hiss.
Inside lay three objects: a flash drive, an ornate ring etched with Kane family symbols, and a handwritten letter sealed with wax.
Damien's breath hitched.
He reached for the letter, fingers trembling. His heart hammered as he broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. The ink was slightly faded, but the script was unmistakable—elegant, strong… his mother's.
> My dearest Damien,
If you're reading this, then I'm gone, and the fire I lit has either scorched the world… or saved it.
You were never meant to be part of their game. I left the Kane family because I saw the rot within. I refused to let you grow into another puppet of power.
But legacy… it finds us whether we chase it or not. If you've come this far, you've seen how far the world will go to reclaim what I took from them.
This vault is yours. The flash drive contains the full Ashfall project—the true origins, the betrayals, the weapons. Expose them, Damien. Or destroy it all. That choice is yours alone.
As for Genesis… he was never a monster. He was the part of you I feared they'd try to recreate. He's your mirror—not your enemy.
Lead, my son. Lead with fire, but never without love.
I love you more than legacy ever could.
—Mother
Tears welled in Damien's eyes.
He didn't blink.
He didn't speak.
He simply stood there, letter in one hand, ring in the other—his mother's final gift a painful balm on an old, festering wound.
Nora gently placed her hand on his chest. "She believed in you more than the world ever did."
Reiss cleared his throat softly. "What do we do with the drive?"
Genesis looked at Damien. "If you want me gone… say the word."
But Damien shook his head.
"No," he said, his voice steadier than ever. "You were born out of fire. So was I. But we don't have to burn everything to prove we exist."
He turned to Reiss. "Send the drive to Tavaran High Council anonymously. Let them choke on the truth. But we don't need to lead with vengeance."
"And the ring?" Nora asked.
Damien slid it on his finger—the Kane crest resting like a crown.
"I'll wear it for her. Not for them."
---
Location: Kane Estate – Secret Chamber
The screen lit up as an anonymous file uploaded.
A man in a tailored three-piece suit narrowed his eyes, jaw tightening as he scanned the Ashfall files. Across the room, a younger man—the Kane heir apparent—looked on nervously.
"She's won, even in death," the elder Kane muttered.
"No," the heir said. "She's just passed the fire to someone who won't be controlled."