An hour later, the giant doors of the Council Chamber groaned open without warning and murmurs could be heard coming from the inside.

"Where is he?" Councilman Tzar grumbled, checking his watch. "The King calls an emergency session and then makes us wait? This is a power play. We should all walk out right now otherwise; other leaders of different kingdoms and empires will start thinking that they can walk all over us."

"He’s intentional," Zevran said, sitting at the high table. She looked as polished as ever, though her eyes were darting toward the entrance every few seconds. She adjusted her silk collar, trying to maintain her ’ice queen’ persona. "He wants us nervous." And she was nervous.

The Glacis King was one of Sunshine’s biggest backers. He is undoubtedly here to look into the death of that bitch. I hope I cleaned up everything properly. All that remains is to get rid of Cobra. Zevran thought.

Suddenly, the heavy thud of boots echoed in the hallway and the doors were opened. The King didn’t just walk in, he invaded. He was flanked by thirty elite Glacian guards, all armed with pulse rifles held at the ready. The council members gasped, some half-rising from their seats.

"What is the meaning of this military display?" Melvin asked, standing up.

Zevran sneered at the King as he approached. "Your Majesty, this is a hall of peace, not a barracks or your palace. We will end our relationship with you over this."

The King didn’t answer. He simply stared at her until she looked away. He reached the center of the floor and stepped aside. "Wait outside and tell my friends to come in,"

The army walked back out, then Sunshine and the rest walked in.

The silence that followed was deafening. It was the kind of silence that happens right before a bomb goes off. Zevran’s face went from pale to a ghostly, sickly green. Her jaw literally dropped. Across the table, Commander Melvin’s eyes bulged. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Sunshine Raine?" Melvin stammered. "But... the reports said... we thought you were..." They had been told her repairman system was inactive and she had died. How was she alive? "Aren’t you....

"Dead?" Sunshine finished for him, her voice ringing clear through the hall. "Sorry to disappoint, Commander. I’m a bit harder to kill than a rumor."

"She survived," the King said, his voice echoing with pride. "And she has quite a story to tell about why she was hunted in the first place."

Zevran shifted in her seat, her fingers drumming a frantic rhythm on the table. "This is... wonderful news, of course. But why the soldiers? Why the dramatics? We should end this meeting right now because it is a gross abuse of our repairman laws."

Commander Melvin frowned. Why was Zevran so restless?

"I am here because of the Raine Vault, commander Melvin. That is why I called for this meeting. I asked you to look into it yourself, did you?" The King said, ignoring Zevran

Melvin looked at Sunshine, then at the King. "Your Majesty, that was weeks ago and I did ask my subordinate to look into it. I assumed the inheritance has been processed because I was told it was." He turned to Sunshine. "Have you not received your grandfather’s assets yet?"

Sunshine shook her head slowly. "Not a single bronze coin. Not a single heirloom."

The entire room turned to look at Zevran. She was the head of the Vault Committee.

"Well?" the King barked. "Speak!"

Zevran stuttered, her usual eloquence failing her. "The... the vault manager, Grit... he was very slow. Incompetent, really. And now, complications have arisen because... well, unfortunately, Grit passed away recently. Suicide."

"You mean you murdered him!" Nine shouted from the back of the room.

The chamber erupted.

"Nine Rathunn!" Tzar screamed, he looked out for his kin, but this accusation was beyond, even he could not save him.

"Guards, remove this insect!" another member yelled.

Zevran stood up, her face flushed with fake indignation. "I will not stay here and be insulted by low repairmen! This council has dignity!" She started to move toward the side exit.

"SIT!"

The King’s voice was like a physical weight. Zevran stopped in her tracks.

"I am not one of your subjects, King," she hissed, trying to reclaim her power. "You do not command me."

Commander Melvin, who was starting to look very suspicious, stood up. "Actually, Zevran... sit down. If there’s an accusation of murder and theft, we clear it here. Trying to leave is futile because the guards will stop you."

Zevran slowly backed up and sank into her chair, her eyes darting around like a trapped animal.

"My vault has been tampered with," Sunshine accused

"Sunshine," Melvin said, his voice softer. "You’re claiming someone tampered with a Raine vault even though you have not accessed it! That’s a bold claim. In case you are not aware, the managers require DNA and proof of relationship. This is in addition to approval forms from my office."

"Unless," Sunshine said, stepping forward, "the person has administrative override. That person is Zevran."

Councilman Plies slammed his fist on the table. "This is outrageous! Zevran is a pillar of this organization! I demand we check the vault right now. If it is intact, I want this earthling arrested for slander!"

"Fine by me," Sunshine said.

The King pointed at Vortan. "Vortan will go. Along with councilman Tzar and a drone team to provide a live feed. My trust in this council is currently zero, so I need to see the vault with my own eyes."

The council took it as a challenge, reacting immediately. Melvin gave instructions and giant screens on the walls flickered to life. Melvin contacted the vault department personally and sent off those who would be going as witnesses.

A drone followed Vortan and Tzar down into the deep subterranean levels where the Vaults were kept. In no time, they reached Vault R 2541, The Raine vault.

Vortan placed the bypass key in, and the heavy circular door began to rotate. He entered three passwords that Melvin had given him straight from grandpa Raine’s private file that only he could access. It hissed as the vacuum seal broke. The door swung open.

The room was massive. According to the list provided by the vault manager r that followed them, it was designed to hold mountains of gold, tech, crates of rare minerals, research papers, dried herbs, pearls, wines and gadgets Maximus had tinkered with and found worthy of saving for his next of kin to continue working on.

It was almost empty!

A few stray bars of gold lay on the floor, looking lonely in the vast, echoing space. It looked like a looted tomb.

Back in the council chamber, Commander Melvin stood up so fast his chair toppled over. "Impossible..."

Zevran slammed her hands on the table, her voice shrill. "How?! Someone has robbed it! We must launch an investigation immediately!"

"No need for an investigation," Sunshine said, pointing to Zevran. "I’ll give you the summary: Theft. Murder. Attempted murder. Treason. You stole from me, you killed Grit because he knew too much, and you sold my location to the Noxians so I’d never come to claim what’s mine."