The Vault's alarms faded into a low mechanical hum, as if the entire Sanctuary had paused to catch its breath. The cold air still clung to the walls, but the tension inside the chamber had shifted. The Benefactor lay unconscious on the floor, the once untouchable mastermind reduced to a silent figure in the harsh white lights.
John stepped away from him, every movement deliberate. His breathing steadied as he walked toward the main control console. The screens were frozen, the countdown suspended at the last possible moment. Rita stood beside him, her expression a mix of disbelief and fierce pride.
Morgan approached carefully, holding his tablet against his chest. "John… I still cannot believe you pulled that off. If you had missed even one connection point in the device, the purge protocol would have accelerated."
John replied without turning, "Fear is how he keeps people loyal. Knowledge is how I will break him."
Rita studied the cracked glass pod at the centre of the room. "This place feels like a tomb. Everything here is part of the Benefactor's legacy."
John answered, "Not anymore."
Morgan knelt near the pod and inspected the internal system through the broken panel. "The Raymond Project was more symbolic than technological. It was a recording, a warning, and a test."
John nodded slowly. "A test to see whether I would fall in line."
Rita's voice softened. "But you chose yourself. You chose us."
He glanced at her briefly. "I chose the truth."
For a moment, the three of them stood together in silence. The storm outside pressed against the exterior walls, thunder rolling across the compound like distant cannon fire.
Morgan broke the silence. "We need to move. As long as he is alive, he is a threat."
Rita agreed. "We cannot stay in this vault. Someone could still be watching."
John strode toward the Benefactor and knelt beside him. He grabbed the man's wrist and checked his pulse. "He is stable. We take him with us."
Rita blinked. "We are not leaving him here?"
John shook his head. "If we leave him, someone from the House could reclaim him. We take him back to The Crest. He answers for everything."
Morgan swallowed. "Right. I will get the restraints."
John lifted the unconscious man with a strength that surprised even him. The Benefactor, once a towering figure of fear and influence, now hung limp in his arms like a fallen idol.
Rita stepped ahead to scan the next door. "We need a route out of the Sanctuary that does not involve triggering hidden protocols."
Morgan tapped furiously on his tablet. "I found an emergency service tunnel on the east wing. It bypasses the main grid."
"Good," John said. "Lead the way."
The corridor outside the Vault was long and dimly lit. The air smelled of dust and steel, carrying the echoes of abandoned machinery. As they moved, the lights overhead flickered, casting shifting shadows along the walls.
Rita walked in front, scanning each intersection. Morgan followed behind her, checking their position on the digital map. John carried the Benefactor at the rear, every sense alert.
"What if there are security teams waiting for us?" Rita asked.
Morgan shook his head. "The Sanctuary was designed for isolation. It would not make sense for the Benefactor to keep guards here. Too many witnesses to his private history."
John replied quietly, "He was always arrogant enough to believe he needed no guardians."
They turned down another hallway. The deeper they went, the colder the air became. The storm roared outside the reinforced walls, but inside, the stillness was unnerving.
They approached a massive door with a glowing keypad. Morgan connected his device. "Give me a few seconds. The Benefactor's override encrypted every exit, but I can crack it."
Rita kept watch. "I do not like this silence."
John glanced around. "He built this place for secrets. Silence was always the point."
Morgan finally exhaled. "We are in."
The heavy door slid open, revealing a narrow tunnel lined with cables and utility pipes. A cold draft rushed through.
Rita stepped inside. "Where does it lead?"
Morgan lifted his tablet. "It connects to an access platform behind the facility. From there, we can make our way to the clearing."
John nodded. "Then move."
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