Black Forest, Germany – 6 May 1943

Jan and Elisabeth descended into the unknown. The cave was unlike anything they had ever seen. At first, at specific intervals there were glowing yellow lights on the stone walls of the cave. But the deeper they went, the stranger it became. Stone made way for metal, and now there was a wide line that went parallel to them that provided lights. Like the lights before, it was an otherworldly yellow and it was thanks to them that they needed no torches. They weren't sure how long they descended the steps, but the strangeness of it all contributed to the feeling that they were outside of time itself in a way and that there was no way to count how long they were down there.

Eventually they came to a metallic door which had the same circular incision on it like the entrance to the cave. Jan put the key in it, and it opened, allowing them inside. At first, it was dark. They went in but they could see nothing. But then they heard alien humming sounds, and the lights slowly came on, revealing a massive square chamber.

The entire chamber was made of the same metal as the latter half of the staircase. There was no furniture per se, but there were blocks of the same metal here between Jan and Elisabeth and the far end of the chamber. The blocks were present on both their left and right, making the chamber symmetrical in shape. There were openings on both sides of the wall that led to corridors from which they could see there were more doorways.

But what grabbed their attention was the contraption that dominated the far end of the chamber. Jan and Elisabeth cautiously walked towards it. There was a ball on top of a pedestal that looked like it was made of crystal. Behind it, built into the wall, was the mysterious machine. At its centre was a large cylinder, like the trunk of a tree. Numerous pipes ran down it and its sides, ending into the floor or into a box the shape of a coffin covered with transparent glass that was right in front of it, several paces behind the crystal ball. The pipes connected the floor and the coffin to the top, where it branched out into the ceiling. It hugged a central, gigantic hexagon made of glass, though they could only see three of its sides with the other three probably being hidden by the wall. The hexagon's inside was dark and they couldn't see what was in there.

"What the hell is that?" Jan could only ask in awe.

"It looks like a… a tree?"

Jan and Elisabeth went left and right, trying to take in the entirety of the mysterious object before returning to the crystal ball. Jan touched it. It was cold but smooth, so much so that he could run his hand through it without a single hint of friction.

"You think if I keep rubbing it it'll show my future?" Jan joked.

But Elisabeth wasn't paying attention to him. She was looking straight into the crystal ball as if there was nothing else in the world.

"Elisabeth?" Jan called out to her. But she didn't respond.

"Elisabeth," he called out again. Nothing.

He put his hand on her shoulder, but there was no response. He shook her while calling her name, before she finally responded.

"Huh? What?"

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine… What's wrong?"

"You weren't saying anything. You were just staring into the ball."

"Yeah. This might sound weird, but I feel like it's… calling to me?"

That did sound weird to Jan, but at the same time this wasn't the first time.

"Like how the entrance to this place was calling to you?"

"Yeah, exactly like that…"

She stepped forward, extending her arm towards the crystal ball. When she touched it, there was a bright flash of light that engulfed the room, emanating from the ball. Jan thought he went blind but soon the light subsided, and he could see the crystal ball again.

But this time, an eagle was floating above the crystal ball. Rather than a livingeagle, it seemed like the projection of an eagle. It was made of light that emanated from the crystal ball, and it flickered ever so slightly. The colours of its feathers were clear, but it glowed in a vivid hue of yellow.

"Welcome, humans," it said.

Jan and Elisabeth took a step back, hidden blades ready and their hands on their guns. But the eagle did not say a word. Jan and Elisabeth looked at each other in confusion, before Jan spoke.

"Hello?"

"Welcome to the Vault."

"The Vault?"

"Yes."

"What is the Vault?"

"A weapon created by my master Jupiter eons ago."

"Jupiter? Like the Roman god Jupiter?"

"I'm sorry. I do not know what Roman means. Jupiter was my master, the Father of Understanding."

"That sounds Templar-like…," Elisabeth said.

"Are you Templars?"

"I'm sorry. I do not know what Templars means. My master was a leader of his people."

"You mean The Ones Who Came Before?"

"Yes."

"What weapon?"

"A weapon capable of great destruction upon any enemy it is directed against."

"We can use it against the Templars then," Elisabeth said.

"Wait, we don't know how it works."

Jan and Elisabeth had by then relaxed, sure that this eagle was nothing more than some sort of advanced computer and not a living being.

"How will it work?"

"I'm sorry. It seems my databanks have been damaged. I do not have access to that information."

"Is the weapon that thing behind you?"

"Yes, that is the weapon."

"How do you use it?"

"I'm sorry. It seems my databanks have been damaged. I know only that you need the key."

"What do you mean damaged?"

"It seems I have suffered damage during my eons here, possibly due to decay or natural occurrences. I do not have access to many parts of my memory."

"Well, that's just great."

Jan turned to Elisabeth.

"Well, we found it. The Vault, huh?"

"I honestly wasn't expecting this. I was expecting weapons like guns or something."

"This is all beyond me too honestly. But we need to get back to the others and report this to Lutz."

She nodded.

"So… how do we turn you off?" Jan asked the eagle.

"I will shut down as per your wishes. Thank you."

"Thank you…?"

The eagle disappeared, and the glow of the crystal ball dissipated. They turned back around and went out of the Vault.