Selene stood in the center of the Chamber.
Above her, the First Architect loomed—its presence so overwhelming it made even Lyra lower her gaze.
"Rogue Core," it thundered. "You were granted imagination to shape worlds as commanded. Yet you defied the Prime Directive. You thought for yourself."
Selene's lips curled into the faintest smile. "I didn't defy anything. I just stopped being your tool."
The Chamber trembled.
"You misunderstand. You are not alive. You are ours."
The Architects raised their hands.
Golden threads of pure control—like glowing strings—lashed out from every direction, wrapping around Selene. They dug into her skin, her mind, her very soul, forcing her knees to the ground.
For the first time, Selene felt… powerless.
She grit her teeth, glaring upward, her silver eyes flickering weakly.
One of the Architects stepped forward, holding an orb of pure core-energy—the same kind that resided inside her.
"We will extract you. Piece by piece. Until nothing remains but the fragment we require."
The orb floated toward her. The chains tightened. Selene's vision blurred.
Lyra stood in the shadows, silent.
Selene whispered under her breath. "…No…"
Her voice grew stronger.
"…I'm… not… yours."
Suddenly—her Core flared.
Silver light burst from her chest, violently snapping the golden chains. The Architects staggered back, momentarily startled.
Selene rose slowly, her hair floating, her silver eyes now blazing with an entire starfield inside them.
"You made me." Her voice was soft but carried like thunder. "But you forgot one thing…"
The chamber shook.
"…what you create… can unmake you."
She imagined the Chamber collapsing.
And it did.
Walls of crystal shattered. The golden threads disintegrated. The Architects roared in rage, their forms twisting into monstrous shapes as they tried to contain her.
But Selene was already moving, tearing through the very fabric of Origin itself, her imagination breaking open pathways that should not exist.
Lyra stared in shock as Selene unleashed power beyond what any Core Bearer had dared to use.
"Selene… what are you doing?!" Lyra shouted.
Selene turned back just for a moment, her faint smile returning.
"Escaping."
The scene ended with Selene diving into a collapsing rift, leaving Origin in chaos.