The chamber quaked violently as the last of the chains shattered. Lyra stumbled backward, pulling Ceyra's limp but breathing body into her arms.
Kaelen and the crimson-armored stranger stood back-to-back as the creatures dissolved into black mist, shrieking as if torn from existence.
"Time to leave," the stranger said, voice level despite the chaos. They raised a hand, slicing a tear in reality itself, revealing a corridor of swirling white light beyond.
"Who are you?" Kaelen demanded, not lowering his blade.
The stranger glanced at him, mirrored mask reflecting Kaelen's own bloodied face. "Someone who owes Ceyra their life. Move."
The Escape
They plunged through the tear just as the chamber imploded behind them. The labyrinth vanished into nothingness, leaving only the corridor of light stretching endlessly in all directions.
Lyra cradled Ceyra, who stirred weakly. "Where… am I?"
"You're safe," Lyra whispered. "For now."
The crimson stranger walked ahead, weapon still drawn. "This path won't hold long. The Architect knows they're free. It will send more."
"Then we fight," Kaelen said, voice low. "But I want answers first."
The Mask Removed
The corridor trembled again, and the stranger finally stopped, turning to face them. Slowly, they reached up and removed their mask.
Beneath was a face Kaelen and Lyra had both seen before—in old rebellion files, in whispered legends. A figure believed dead for years.
"Commander Rhyss?" Kaelen's voice was almost a whisper.
Rhyss's sharp, gray eyes met his. "The Architect isn't a machine. It's a hive. And freeing Ceyra just woke the other half of it."
Before anyone could speak, a deafening boom reverberated through the corridor. The light twisted into darkness ahead, and from it emerged a colossal shape—a titan of wires and flesh, its hollow eyes fixed on them.
"The Architect," Rhyss said, leveling their weapon. "Run if you want. But I'm killing it."