The floor vibrated with a low hum as Lumen's presence stabilised the fractured chamber. Kael forced his breathing to steady, but the weight of the revelation settled over him like a suffocating cloak.
Aria recalibrated her device frantically. "Kael… this changes everything. If something marked you before the Nexus awakened, then the Null commander isn't the mastermind. They're just a pawn."
Ryken muttered, "A pawn of what? A god?"
Veyra stepped forward, expression sharp as a blade. "Not a god. A primordial. Ancient forces that predate the multiverse. Ones who shaped the Nexus long before living beings understood its existence."
Lumen turned toward her, voice layered and resonant."Correct. The being who marked Kael is one of the Architects—the ones who developed the Nexus as a cosmic stabiliser. But something happened. One Architect broke away."
Kael's blood ran cold.
Lumen continued:
"That rogue Architect seeks to fracture the multiverse in order to recreate it—perfectly aligned to their vision. The Null commander is merely their instrument, spreading corruption so the lattice weakens. Once the structure collapses… the Architect will rebuild everything in their image."
Ryken shook his head. "So this entire war… is a reshaping project?"
"More like annihilation with style," Aria muttered darkly.
Kael stepped closer to Lumen. "And what does this Architect want with me?"
The anomaly-being lifted a hand.Light formed in his palm—a swirling sphere of pure Nexus energy.
"You are the counterweight."
Kael blinked. "What?"
"You were chosen before birth," Lumen said gently. "Marked to inherit a portion of the Architect's power—so you could either stop them… or complete their vision."
The room fell silent.
Kael felt every part of himself tremble. His victories, his battles, the mark on his chest—none of it had been coincidence. He had been shaped, guided, prepared.
Veyra stepped beside him, voice quiet but fierce. "Kael. Your destiny does not dictate your choices. You decide who you become."
Lumen's form flickered."And that is why I exist. To help you understand your full potential before the Architect moves openly."
Kael clenched his fists. "Then tell me. What do I need to do?"
A ripple of energy radiated through the chamber, faint but urgent.
Lumen's body destabilised slightly. "I will teach you. But time is short. The Architect has begun the next phase."
A distant boom shook the chamber—an explosion rippling through multiple realities simultaneously.
Aria gasped. "The nodes—Kael, something massive just destabilized across five planes at once!"
Lumen's eyes glowed brighter."The Architect has found you."
Kael lifted his head, determination burning through the fear.
"Then let them come."