For most traders in the galaxy, Vault Worlds were myth. Whispers in encrypted channels, half-erased coordinates on star charts, and legends spoken in pirate dens told of places where reality bent, time warped, and memories breathed. They weren't destinations. They were warnings.
To Kairos, they were opportunity.
The Contract
The encrypted message arrived moments after Kairos achieved Tier 3 in the Relic Trade Path. Unlike the usual trades filled with flexible terms and item codes, this contract bore the unmistakable scent of finality.
Sender: Anonymous (Quantum-Bound Signal) Contract ID: #RX-994 Objective: Retrieve Living Relic — Codename: "Eidolon Fragment Alpha" Location: Vault World – Eidolon Theta Compensation: 70,000 Star Credits, 3 Void Merchant Tokens, potential Class-A System Sync Deadline: 96 Galactic Hours
Attached was a single line of plaintext:
"Retrieve the girl. Trade nothing. Speak carefully. Return swiftly. This Vault remembers Earth."
He read it again.
