The entrance to the Vault of Thoth lay buried beneath the city—a place whispered of only in myths, dismissed as legend by even the most seasoned scholars and operatives. But Alastor knew better. Every hieroglyph, every trial, every death he had endured had pointed to this place. The final piece of the puzzle. If the ancient Code of Thoth truly existed, it would be here—hidden deep within the vault. And with it, the answer to breaking the loop.

Their journey took them to the ruins beneath Skylance, to a labyrinth of tunnels older than recorded history, where ancient walls whispered secrets of a forgotten time. It was here, beneath layers of modern infrastructure and shadowed by centuries of dust, that the Pyramid’s origins had first taken root. The Vault was said to hold the final knowledge of Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and time, and Alastor knew that if he could unlock its secrets, he would hold the key to ending Lucius’s reign.

Selene moved cautiously through the twisting tunnels, her blade drawn, every sense on high alert. "These walls aren’t just old," she whispered. "They’re sacred." Her eyes flicked over the glyphs carved into the crumbling stone—jackals, falcons, eyes, and spirals—symbols of the gods who had shaped life and death.

"Let’s hope the gods don’t mind us poking around," Aurora muttered, adjusting her neural interface. It pulsed with interference, struggling against the ancient magic that permeated the air. She grimaced. "These glyphs are messing with my systems. Whatever’s down here... it’s powerful."

Alastor ignored the interference, his mind focused on the task ahead. The Vault of Thoth wasn’t just a place—it was a key to everything. Somewhere within those ancient walls was the truth he had spent lifetimes searching for: the final piece of the Code of Thoth, a fragment of knowledge hidden from even Lucius Cipher. Without it, the time loop would remain unbreakable, and Lucius would continue to reign over life and death—forever.

They reached an ancient antechamber, the entrance blocked by a massive set of stone doors, weathered with age but still imposing. Hieroglyphs carved deep into the surface glowed faintly, as if waiting for someone to read them. At the center of the door was an intricate symbol—a circular glyph that spiraled inward, representing the endless nature of time. The same glyph that haunted Alastor in every loop.

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"This is it," Alastor murmured, stepping forward. The Vault of Thoth.

Aurora tilted her head, her neural interface flickering as she scanned the symbols. "It’s real," she whispered in awe. "All the stories, all the myths—they were true. The vault is real."

She reached for the panel at the side of the door, her fingers brushing over glyphs etched in patterns far older than any technology she had encountered. These weren’t just symbols—they were commands. They pulsed with hidden meaning, designed to lock away something too dangerous to be seen by ordinary men.

"These inscriptions," Aurora whispered, "they aren’t just protective glyphs. They’re… instructions. Traps." She glanced at Alastor. "Whoever built this place wanted to make sure that only the right person could open it. If we do this wrong, the whole thing could collapse."

Selene snorted, her grip tightening on her blade. "Of course it could. Nothing with gods and curses is ever easy."

Alastor took a step closer, his gaze narrowing as he studied the intricate glyphs along the edges of the door. The scarab beneath his sleeve hummed softly, as if resonating with the ancient power bound into the stone. His instincts whispered that this door wasn’t just a barrier—it was a test.

A final trial.

"Let me try something," Alastor said, his voice low. He reached out, his fingers tracing the glowing glyph at the center of the door. The spiral of time. The ancient symbols buzzed beneath his fingertips, pulsing with a rhythm that felt strangely familiar—like an echo of every death and rebirth he had endured.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the glyph’s hidden meaning. The Code of Thoth wasn’t just a language—it was a philosophy, a way of understanding time itself. He could feel it now, buried deep within his mind—the endless loop, the spiral of cause and effect, the way every death folded back on itself like a knot.

He pressed his palm against the spiral, letting the scarab’s energy flow through him. The glyphs responded immediately, glowing brighter as the ancient mechanism groaned to life. The stone doors shuddered, cracks forming along their edges as centuries-old locks began to release, one by one.

The sound of grinding stone filled the chamber, and slowly, the massive doors began to creak open. Dust spilled into the air, ancient and heavy, as a cold gust of wind whispered through the crack. Beyond the doors lay the Vault of Thoth—dark, silent, and untouched by time.

Aurora’s eyes widened, her voice filled with disbelief. "The vault is real," she breathed, her gaze fixed on the gaping entrance as the last of the locks gave way and the doors swung fully open.

Alastor stared into the darkness beyond the threshold, the weight of centuries pressing against him. Somewhere within those ancient halls lay the knowledge they needed to break the loop—and the truth about what it would cost.