Kael plummeted through the Core of Earth-Z3R0.
Time twisted. Light screamed. Memories bled into one another. He saw himself as a child, as an old man, as a soldier, as a tyrant. All versions of him—blending, colliding, collapsing.
Then—
Stillness.
He floated in a chamber beyond comprehension. No floor. No sky. Only truth—raw and overwhelming. In front of him, the Architect hovered, now stripped of form. A swirling being of code, memories, and will.
"This is the Heart of the Multiverse," the Architect said. "It listens. It remembers. And now—it will choose."
Kael felt the Keystone vibrate in his palm. It flared, revealing an ancient interface—symbols representing timelines, choices, sacrifices.
INITIATE: CORE SEAT TRANSFER?
WARNING: SUBJECT WILL BECOME SOURCE ENTITY.
The Architect reached out. "We can remake it together. No more chaos. No more suffering."
Kael stared at the message. His heart wavered.
Then he spoke.
"No gods. No tyrants. Just choice."
He refused the transfer.
The Keystone surged—and shattered.
Reality exploded.