Chapter 15: The Recorder

A few hours had passed since their eventful encounter, and Lara finally arrived home, accompanied by everyone except Elizabeth. She had ridden her motorbike back to her own home to assess the damage caused by Karel's missiles. As they crossed the threshold of Croft Manor's grand entrance, Winston, the loyal butler, stepped forward to greet them.

"Welcome home, Miss Croft," Winston greeted with a warm smile. "The brothers have already departed for DR Cango. Shall your guests be staying for the night?"

"Thank you, Winston, and yes, they will," Lara replied, acknowledging her guests. "Allow me to introduce Kurtis, Chris, Charles, Marie, and David. Elizabeth will join us later when she returns from her home. Please inform Zip to meet us at the crib."

"Certainly, Miss," Winston nodded, heading off to relay the message to Zip.

Curiosity piqued, Kurtis couldn't help but inquire, "So, where exactly is this 'crib'?"

Lara gestured towards a large glass door beyond the tech room. Through the transparent surface, they could catch a glimpse of computers and expansive screens adorning the walls. "Over there, just beyond the tech room," she explained.

"Why is the tech room locked?" Chris asked, puzzled.

"After the last break-in incident, additional security measures were implemented to keep everything safe," Lara clarified, reminiscing about the past events.

"I could easily break through that glass," Kurtis remarked playfully.

"I'd like to see you try," Zip interjected, descending the staircase behind them. Kurtis observed the muscular figure of the black-clad man as he approached the group.

"Now, Zip, let's keep things civil," Lara interjected.

"He's challenging my expertise, Lara," Zip protested.

"I'm merely suggesting that a glass door wouldn't pose much of an obstacle," Kurtis replied confidently.

"It's not just a glass door," Zip retorted, pointing upwards towards the ceiling. Everyone's gaze followed his finger, except for Lara, who let out a weary sigh. Suspended above the glass doors was an intriguing contraption, constructed of metal.

"Quite interesting," Kurtis admitted, his interest piqued.

"Enough distractions," Lara interjected, growing impatient. "Zip, please open up the crib for us."

Zip pulled out his tablet, swiftly typed a command, and after a few seconds, the glass doors parted, sliding open from both sides. They proceeded towards the rear of the tech room, where Zip moved aside a piece of cardboard, revealing a concealed door in the wall.

"Lara, before you descend, can you at least assure me that no one will be blowing up the building again?" Zip requested, concern etched on his face.

Kurtis and Chris exchanged glances, while Charles and Marie stood back, allowing the others to handle the situation. David let out a sigh and decided to leave, not in the mood for any further complications.

"Zip, just keep an eye on the security cameras for now. Elizabeth's Manor was already devastated," Lara responded with a hint of exasperation.

"Understood," Zip replied, his tone laden with a sigh, as he made his way toward the computers equipped with the surveillance feeds. Lara turned to address the remaining members of the group.

"Kurtis and Chris, you may join me downstairs. The rest of you can assist Zip up here."

Everyone nodded in agreement, observing as Lara, Kurtis, and Chris descended the stairs, venturing into the hidden chamber below.

Elizabeth arrived at the dilapidated gate of her ancestral manor. The once grand entrance was now reduced to a broken and twisted structure, a reflection of the devastation that had befallen her home. She maneuvered her motorbike into the ruined courtyard, dismounting with a heavy heart. Every corner she glanced at, every fallen brick and shattered window, served as a painful reminder of her life's work, now reduced to ruins in a matter of seconds.

Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth made her way through the debris, her steps purposeful as she headed toward the one place she desperately hoped had survived the destruction. Eventually, she reached the only standing section of the manor, a small portion that had managed to withstand the onslaught. Among the scattered rocks and debris, she discovered a steel trapdoor concealed in the ground.

With a determined expression, Elizabeth knelt down and punched a secret combination into the panel beside the door. Placing her thumb on the thumb scanner, she activated the mechanism, causing the door to creak open, revealing a descending staircase leading to what appeared to be a transformed basement—a secure vault and a shelter of sorts. As she descended, she took in the sight of crates, a desk, a few chairs, and cabinets containing bunk beds, all arranged meticulously to serve their purpose.

Turning her attention to the vault on her left, Elizabeth input a series of numbers, swiftly spinning the wheel and scanning her eye to gain access. The vault door swung open, revealing an array of artifacts and weapons. But standing at the far end was the very object she had feared Karel would discover. Determined, she reached out to retrieve it, intending to secure it in her backpack, only to be halted by a voice that sliced through the silence.

"I knew you had it all along."

Startled, Elizabeth spun around to face her arch-nemesis. Karel stood before her, his confident stance emanating arrogance and superiority. Behind him loomed his henchmen, loyal soldiers ready to carry out his bidding.

"Karel! Why am I not surprised?" she retorted, her gaze piercing and unwavering.

A sly smile curled on Karel's lips as he calmly addressed her. "Miss Clark, hand it over."

"Over my dead body," Elizabeth declared, her hand instinctively reaching for her trusty weapon.

Karel's laughter echoed through the chamber as Gunderson and his men aimed their guns at her, an intimidating display of force. Despite being outnumbered, Elizabeth refused to show any signs of fear, subtly stepping backward to assess her options.

"I still don't understand you, Miss Clark," Karel continued, stepping closer to her. "Why do you stay loyal to a group that has never cared about you?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, blocking out his taunting words, reminding herself of her unwavering allegiance to Chris and Kurtis. They had been there for her since a young age, supporting and protecting her. The fires within her eyes reignited, and her hands began to glow with otherworldly energy. With a wave of her hand, she summoned her flamethrower, allowing it to hover menacingly by her side.

"You have it all wrong, Karel!" she shouted defiantly, hurling an energy bolt toward him.

Karel swiftly evaded the attack, narrowly escaping its destructive path. Elizabeth, now fully immersed in the battle, leaped behind one of the sturdy pillars, using it as cover from the onslaught of bullets that followed.

I need to find a way out of here, she strategized, her mind racing against the chaos that surrounded her.

"Make sure she stays alive!" Karel commanded Gunderson, a clear desire to capture rather than kill evident in his words.

Elizabeth's senses heightened as she registered the imminent threat. Her mind focused, she directed her telekinetic abilities to manipulate her flamethrower, sending it swirling around the room. In a matter of seconds, flames engulfed most of Gunderson's men, sending them fleeing from the blazing inferno, their terrified screams echoing through the chamber. Only Gunderson and Karel remained, resolute in their mission.

"You fools!" Gunderson bellowed in frustration, while Karel retaliated by firing a concentrated green energy bolt at the floating flamethrower, causing it to crash to the ground.

Cursing under her breath, Elizabeth emerged from her hiding place, her eyes locked on her adversaries. There was a distinct sense of determination in her stance as she faced them alone, fully aware of the perilous challenge ahead.

Gunderson smirked as he closed the distance between them. "Seems it's just you and me once again."

Elizabeth readied herself, assuming a defensive fighting pose, her unwavering gaze piercing through Gunderson's facade. "Bring it on."

The trio cautiously stepped into another chamber located even deeper within the crib. The atmosphere grew darker, prompting Lara, Chris, and Kurtis to switch on their flashlights. Taking in their surroundings, Lara's eyes were drawn to a desk where she discovered a file and a recorder, seemingly prepared for their arrival.

"Here's a recording," Lara announced, beckoning Chris and Kurtis to join her as she pressed the play button.

Lara's father's voice crackled through the ancient recorder. "Hello, Lara," he greeted. "Here in this room is everything we found in Suez, Egypt. Be especially careful with the undead knights."

Guided by the illumination of their torches, the trio began scouring the room for any signs of the knights her father had mentioned. Chris pondered silently and communicated his thoughts to Kurtis. "Do you think they would attack one of their own?"

Kurtis replied through their mental connection, "I have no idea. It's possible, though." They continued listening intently to the recording.

"They managed to kill twelve of us before we boxed them up," Lara observed the open and empty boxes on the other side of the room.

Lara speculated, "I think they escaped long ago when Natla blew up my manor the first time around," as the recording continued.

"These knights were protecting one of the Lux Veritatis Goldon Shards. The shards were believed to be another way to kill an immortal, but be warned that only the chosen one or Klara can wield these shards," her father's voice explained.

Kurtis picked up the golden shard from the table. It felt weighty and appeared similar to the Periapt Shards, albeit without the lion's head.

"The Lux Veritatis believed that the three golden shards, along with the chosen one and Klara, would one day bring an end to the war between good and evil." Lara kept listening as Kurtis and Chris examined the shard. "I hid the second shard in the Apostle Islands coves."

Lara's thoughts turned to the missing third shard. "So, where is the third one then?" she wondered.

"I hope you and Kurtis will find it, and if you guys fail because it was a terrible mistake, I hope you and Kurtis will forgive me," the tape concluded.

Lara glanced at the others as they paused their examination of the shard, their expressions filled with shock as they gazed at the tape recorder.

"How did your father know we would end up working together?" Kurtis asked.

"I... I," Lara hesitated, unsure of how to answer. "I guess Karel was right about me."

Kurtis reached out and took Lara's hand, recalling her words from a few hours ago on the plane. "It doesn't matter who you were in the past; it's who you are now that matters."

Lara pulled away, her thoughts shifting to the journal she had discovered. Retrieving it from her bag, she flipped through its pages until she found the one she had read back in Alexandria, Egypt.

"I found this journal a few days ago in a hidden room filled with everything my father had collected and studied about the Cabal and the Lux Veritatis," she explained. "So far, I've only read a few things my father wrote down about myself, Kurtis, and Klara, but this particular page caught my attention."

Kurtis accepted the journal and noticed tears forming in Lara's eyes. He began to read aloud.

"My dearest daughter,

Since the day your mother and I found you in that crater, we have loved you as if you were our own. You see, your mother could never conceive and resented herself for it. Finding you felt like a gift from heaven above. But little did we know that our precious gift had a mysterious story behind it. When you turned three years old, we received a visit from a man representing a group called the Lux Veritatis. They revealed who you really were and the powers you possessed.

Initially, I dismissed this as nonsense and laughed at the man. However, months later, we were attacked by a man named Karel. It was then that I called Konstantin, and we joined forces to protect you until the day the Amazonian awakens within you once more. If you have found this journal, I hope it is not too late to warn you about the impending dangers. For one war is not the entire war, and darkness is still approaching. I hope that by now, you have regained your powers and become the mighty Klara once again.

But know this, you will always be my Lara, forever.

Richard Croft."

"This just confirms that I'm Klara," Lara sighed, setting the journal aside.

"Well, Lara, at least we can trust you," Chris remarked, walking away.

"What's his problem?" she asked Kurtis.

"My brother has trust issues, so don't mind him," Kurtis replied. "Let's leave this place and devise our next mission."