Chapter 63. The Fallback Heir

The silence in Forge Tower’s west wing didn’t feel empty.

It felt expectant.

Harper stood alone in the Sub-Level Access Hall, hands clenched at her sides, pulse steady but fast. The light in this corridor didn’t flicker—it pulsed, like the place was breathing.

It had been Lucien who found the signal—an anomaly in the inheritance architecture. Not a flaw. A redirect.

A room never mentioned in Council maps.

Access Level: RED / LEGACY LINE ONLY.

She had stared at the access terminal for nearly ten minutes before she entered her code.

Now the wall had opened.

And Harper stepped through.

The room beyond wasn’t cold like the vault. It was warm. Softly lit. Almost… merciful.

Rows of cryo-capsules lined the walls, but only one glowed active—centered beneath a gentle dome of gold-washed light. Monitors blinked quietly. A pulse monitor hummed a steady rhythm.

Inside the capsule lay a woman.

Hair dark and swept across her