Dominion: Rise of the Siblings

The ruins still smoked.Even days later, the Virell estate's blackened bones gave off the faint scent of betrayal, like it was still trying to breathe.

From the ridge overlooking the charred remains, Alex stood motionless—hood drawn, eyes sharp.

Beside him, Lia watched the sun climb over Lancaster's skyline. It turned the mist gold, casting long shadows from the crumbling estate below.

"Nothing left," she whispered.

"Not true," Alex said. "There's us."

She didn't smile.

He didn't expect her to.

The ride back into the city was silent.

But their thoughts weren't.

The name Aurelius still clung to their minds like blood on their hands. His betrayal had reshaped their childhood. Burned their future. And still—he wasn't the end.

Celeste Thorne had ordered the cleansing.

And now she was the most powerful woman in Lancaster.

She didn't just own the city's wealth.She designed the table people begged to sit at.

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Virell Safehouse – Lancaster Core

Inside a repurposed vault beneath an old bank, the siblings' new base buzzed with activity.

Holo-screens lit the dark stone walls. Men and women—fighters, hackers, ghosts—moved with purpose. Every one of them had seen the cracks in the system. Every one of them now served the twins.

Lia peeled off her coat and poured a glass of cold water.She didn't drink it. Just watched the ripples settle.

"She'll see us coming," she said.

Alex nodded. "Good."

"She'll expect us to retaliate."

"She should," he replied. "Because this time, we finish it."

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Elsewhere – Thorne Private Tower

Celeste Thorne sat barefoot in her private greenhouse at the top of Lancaster's tallest building.

Vines climbed glass. Black roses bloomed in poisoned soil. A hawk sat perched beside her, sharpening its beak on a steel branch.

She watched the footage again—grainy security drone shots of Alex and Lia at the manor, flames rising behind them, Aurelius left bleeding.

Her expression? Unmoved.

"They're awake now," said a voice behind her.

Her aide—Everett—stood with a datapad.

"And?" she asked.

Everett hesitated. "They're gaining traction. Underground factions are aligning. One of your donors—Wexler—has already gone dark."

Celeste sipped her herbal tea.

"Let them rise," she said. "There's nothing more entertaining than watching a rebellion believe it can win."

Then, softly:

"Before you cut off its head."

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Back at the Safehouse

Alex reviewed the names on the screen.Twelve individuals. Key players. Untouchable faces.

"The Evermore Core," he muttered.

Lia joined him. "We hit one. Hard. Public."

"No," Alex replied. "Not yet. First we isolate them."

Lia raised a brow. "You're hesitating?"

"I'm calculating," he said. "They built an empire on silence. Let's feed them noise. Panic them. Pull them out of the dark."

Lia's lips curled. "Like dragging rats from their holes."

He met her gaze. "Exactly."

She set down her glass.

"Then let's smoke the city."

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That night, across Lancaster, every major private screen flickered.

TVs. Phones. Executive monitors. Digital billboards.

A masked figure appeared—face hidden behind shifting static. Voice modulated and cold.

"To those who think they own this city…You've mistaken silence for consent.You've mistaken fear for loyalty.And you've mistaken two forgotten names for ghosts.

We are the blood you tried to burn.

You built your throne on our ashes.

Now watch it burn."