Dominion: Rise of the Siblings

Some places never forget.Not because they're haunted…But because they're still waiting for the ones who escaped.

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Virell Estate Ruins – Outskirts of Lancaster – 3:44 AM

The air smelled of ash and old roses.Even after thirteen years, the ground still bore blackened scars.The main gates—once towering and majestic—now hung crooked, rusted, and devoured by ivy.

Alex stood at the threshold, his gloved fingers brushing the stone pillar that once bore the Virell family crest.

Behind him, a pair of headlights dimmed as the black car stopped.The door opened.

Lia stepped out, dressed not for infiltration—but for confrontation. A fitted leather coat, boots to crush the past, and a cold fire in her eyes.

They said nothing at first.

The estate loomed ahead, silent and shattered.

Just like them.

Alex finally spoke:"Last time we were here… we left as orphans."

Lia's voice was a whisper:"This time, we return as executioners."

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Inside the Manor

The grand hall was mostly skeletal now. Walls collapsed. Chandeliers rusted and shattered. The marble floor was cracked and burned, with shards of memory glinting beneath layers of dust.

But some things remained.

Alex led her through the corridors like he'd never left.His footsteps were silent, but his mind echoed with voices of the past.

They reached a hidden panel behind the library fireplace. He knelt and pried it open—revealing a black metal box untouched by fire.

Inside were documents, seals, and old letters—all signed by their parents.

And one letter that didn't belong.

Different ink. Different signature. A forged seal.

Lia read it aloud:

"To Aurelius—The children are unaware. Their parents remain stubborn. Proceed on the Equinox. Burn the name. Leave no heir.—C.T."

Alex's jaw clenched.

"Celeste Thorne."

Lia exhaled slowly. "She didn't just profit from the fire… she ordered it."

But Alex shook his head. "No. She was too young then. Look at the second page."

Lia flipped it.

There, written in the margins—in Aurelius's own handwriting:

"Payment received. Old blood for new empire."

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Suddenly, a soft mechanical click echoed through the ruins.

Alex grabbed Lia's arm—Too late.

From above, red laser dots rained across the floor.

Snipers.

Loudspeakers crackled.

A voice both familiar and venomous spilled into the hall:

"You should have stayed dead, little heirs."

From the crumbling balcony, a tall figure emerged—silver hair, cold blue eyes.

Aurelius Virell.

Uncle. Traitor. Survivor.

Alive.

"You sold us out," Alex growled.

Aurelius smiled. "You were children. Inheriting a house that would have devoured you. I traded ghosts for power."

Lia stepped forward. "You murdered your own brother."

"I cleansed a bloodline that grew weak," Aurelius said coldly. "And look how far you've come. Playing gangster and princess."

Snipers repositioned.Aurelius raised his hand.

Alex reached for his belt—

Lia moved first.

She tossed a flash-drive grenade from her coat. It hit the ground, pulsed, and burst with blinding light and electromagnetic shriek.

Snipers screamed. Equipment shorted.Alex leapt toward Aurelius—

Steel clashed.

Blades drawn. Blood spilled.

The siblings fought together—silent, brutal, surgical.

Aurelius was skilled—but he was older. Slower. Less prepared for what they had become.

Within minutes, he was on the ground—bleeding, defeated, breathing hard.

"You don't deserve the name," he spat.

Alex knelt beside him."No," he whispered. "We came to bury it."

He raised his blade.

Lia stopped him. "No. Let the Thornes find him. Let them see their pawn broken."

Alex paused.

Then dropped the blade beside Aurelius's trembling hand.

"You're not worth revenge," he said. "You're just a leftover lie."

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Dawn – Outside the Manor

The siblings stood by the gate.

The estate behind them burned quietly—cleansing its own corpse.

Alex turned to Lia.

"What now?"

She didn't answer right away.Then she pulled a folded paper from her coat. A photo of Celeste Thorne.

"We remove the rest," Lia said. "The Circle. The Syndicate. And her."

Alex smiled faintly.

"Then we rebuild. Not the past. Not the name.Something new."

Far away, in a skyscraper bathed in morning gold, Celeste Thorne stirred her tea slowly.

One of her assistants entered, pale.

"Ma'am… Aurelius has fallen. The Virells know everything."

Celeste didn't flinch.

She simply sipped her tea.

And whispered:

"Then I suppose… it's time I finally meet the girl wearing silk."

Volume 1: Shadows & Silk – END