Arin's vision blurred at the edges.
He could feel the strength leaving his limbs, the weight of his own armor dragging him down. Still, he forced himself upright, glaring at the masked man before him.
"Coward," he rasped.
The Architect stopped just a few feet away, the metallic smile of his mask gleaming in the firelight. "Calculation."
He crouched slightly so they were eye to eye. "You've fought too long, Arin. You've built too much. Tell me,"
He reached up, fingers brushing the side of his mask. "aren't you even a little curious who stands before you?"
Arin's breath hitched. The world around him seemed to slow.
"You… you know my name," he managed weakly. "Who are you?"
The Architect's voice softened. "Ah. There it is, the curiosity. I always said it would be your undoing."
With that, he grasped the edge of his mask and slowly lifted it away.
The metal slid free, revealing the face beneath.
