Chapter 15: The Battle for the Truth

The underground chamber shook violently as another explosion echoed through the mansion.

Chunks of concrete crashed onto the stone floor.

"They're inside!" Sebastian shouted.

"Everyone move!"

Arthur pointed toward a narrow tunnel at the back of the vault.

"That passage leads outside the estate."

"Take the evidence and leave."

"What about you?" Sabrina asked.

"Someone has to stay behind and seal the vault."

"No!" Sebastian protested.

"Grandpa, we're leaving together."

Arthur smiled sadly.

"I've spent twenty-five years waiting for this day."

"My duty is finally over."

"Your duty is to survive," Sabrina said firmly.

"My mother trusted you with my life."

"Now I'm trusting you with yours."

Before Arthur could respond, armed footsteps echoed above them.

The sound grew louder every second.

"They're almost here!" the assistant warned.

Sebastian quickly gathered the diary, the ledgers, and the letters.

"We split up," he ordered.

"Absolutely not," Sabrina replied.

"That's exactly what Raven wants."

Sebastian looked into her determined eyes.

For the first time, he nodded without arguing.

"Then we stay together."

The heavy steel vault door suddenly burst open.

Smoke filled the chamber.

More than a dozen Black Phoenix soldiers rushed inside.

"Take the evidence!" one of them shouted.

Sebastian immediately opened fire.

The narrow hallway erupted into chaos.

Bullets ricocheted off the stone walls.

Sabrina grabbed a fallen flashlight and led Arthur toward the escape tunnel.

"This way!"

The assistant covered their retreat while Sebastian held the attackers back.

"Go!" he shouted.

"I'll catch up!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Sabrina cried.

"That's an order!"

Reluctantly, she helped Arthur into the tunnel.

Halfway through, another explosion collapsed part of the passage behind them.

Dust filled the air.

"Sebastian!" Sabrina screamed.

There was no answer.

Back inside the vault, Sebastian fought his way toward the exit.

He had almost reached the tunnel when Raven stepped out of the shadows.

"Impressive," Raven said calmly.

"Most people would've surrendered by now."

"I'm not most people."

"Clearly."

Raven slowly removed his black gloves.

"Do you know why Black Phoenix wanted Arthur's evidence so badly?"

"Because it exposes your crimes."

Raven laughed.

"No."

"Because it exposes someone far more powerful than me."

Sebastian frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm only a commander."

"The true leader has remained hidden for over thirty years."

"You're lying."

"Am I?"

Before Sebastian could react, Raven pressed a remote control.

The remaining explosives detonated.

The entire underground chamber began collapsing.

"Goodbye, Sebastian Ford."

Raven disappeared through another hidden exit.

Massive stones crashed down between him and Sebastian.

Outside the tunnel exit, Sabrina suddenly heard the explosion.

Her heart stopped.

"Sebastian!"

Ignoring Arthur's protests, she ran back toward the collapsing tunnel.

"You can't go back!" Arthur shouted.

"The ceiling is falling!"

"I won't leave him behind!"

She squeezed through the broken passage just as another wall collapsed.

Inside the smoke-filled chamber, she spotted Sebastian trapped beneath a fallen steel beam.

"Sebastian!"

"Go back!" he shouted.

"The roof is coming down!"

"Not without you."

Ignoring the pain in her arms, Sabrina pushed against the heavy beam.

It barely moved.

"Leave me," Sebastian whispered.

"You've spent your whole life sacrificing yourself," Sabrina replied through tears.

"It's my turn now."

With one final effort, both of them pushed together.

The beam shifted just enough.

Sebastian crawled free.

Seconds later, the chamber completely collapsed behind them.

They escaped through the tunnel just as the underground vault disappeared beneath tons of rubble.

Outside, emergency vehicles surrounded the burning estate.

Firefighters battled the flames.

Police arrested several surviving Black Phoenix members.

But Raven was nowhere to be found.

Arthur looked at the destroyed mansion with tears in his eyes.

"Everything is gone..."

Sebastian gently placed the diary into Arthur's hands.

"Not everything."

"We still have the truth."

Just then, the detective approached carrying a recovered radio.

"Mr. Ford..."

"We intercepted a transmission from Raven before he escaped."

"What did he say?"

The detective pressed play.

Raven's voice echoed through the speaker:

"Operation Phoenix is complete."

"Inform the Chairman... Sabrina Scott has awakened."

Everyone froze.

Sebastian slowly looked toward Sabrina.

"Chairman?" he whispered.

"Who is Black Phoenix's real leader?"