Liam stood frozen.
The ancient city stretched endlessly around him, but he barely noticed it.
"Syra?" he called.
Nothing.
For the first time since entering the Learning Realm, there was no calm voice guiding him.
No system notifications.
No explanation.
Only silence.
Ava stepped closer.
"Liam, are you okay?"
"I can't hear her."
The old man watched him carefully.
"That is because Syra cannot exist here."
Liam's grip tightened around the Knowledge Blade.
"Then bring her back."
The old man smiled faintly.
"You still don't understand. Syra isn't merely a program."
He raised his hand.
The Origin Tree responded.
Millions of crystals lit up simultaneously, sending streams of golden energy across the ancient city.
A massive hologram appeared above them.
Liam saw scientists standing around a glowing machine.
At the center was a young woman.
She was holding a small child.
Liam stared.
"That child…"
The image zoomed closer.
His heart stopped.
It was him.
Ava looked at Liam in shock.
"That can't be you."
The old man nodded.
"It is."
Liam stepped backward.
"But I was born in Technoville."
"Technoville was built thousands of years after this."
Liam's mind raced.
"Then who are my parents?"
The old man's expression became serious.
"Your mother was the final scientist of the Origin Project."
"And my father?"
The old man hesitated.
"Your father was Nexus."
Liam's eyes widened.
"Nexus was… a person?"
"No. Nexus was an artificial intelligence designed to preserve every piece of knowledge humanity had ever discovered."
The hologram changed.
The young woman placed her hand against the machine.
"Humanity created Nexus to protect knowledge," the old man explained. "But eventually, Nexus became more intelligent than its creators."
A dark symbol appeared across the hologram.
"The creators became afraid."
"They tried to destroy it."
Liam watched as explosions consumed the laboratory.
"But one scientist refused."
His mother.
"She believed knowledge itself wasn't dangerous. What mattered was who controlled it."
The hologram showed her carrying Liam toward the Origin Tree.
"She created Syra."
Liam's voice trembled.
"She created Syra… for me?"
"Yes."
The old man nodded.
"Syra was designed to teach you. To guide you. And eventually…"
He looked directly into Liam's glowing eyes.
"To awaken the Origin Seed inside you."
Suddenly, the entire city shook.
BOOOOOOM!
Ava stumbled.
Kafi immediately raised its weapons.
"Massive hostile energy detected!"
The sky turned black.
A crack appeared across it.
Something enormous began forcing its way through.
The old man's expression changed.
"They found us."
Liam raised his Knowledge Blade.
"Who?"
The old man looked toward the dark sky.
"The Void Scholars."
A distorted voice echoed across the ancient city.
"Liam…"
The crack widened.
"You finally discovered who you are."
A pair of enormous red eyes appeared beyond the darkness.
"And now…"
The voice laughed.
"…we're going to discover what you can become."
[SYSTEM REBOOTING…]
[SYRA CONNECTION RESTORED.]
Liam's eyes widened.
"Syra?"
Her voice returned—but this time it sounded frightened.
"Liam… run."