Riven Solas felt the world shift beneath him. Every pulse from the neural band resonated with the fractured city, like a heartbeat syncing to his own. The streets bent and twisted with a subtle rhythm only he could feel. He realized for the first time: he didn't have to be a prisoner of the loops.
Lira's gaze followed him, cautious, yet sharp. "You think you can control it?" she asked.
"I know I can," Riven replied, his voice steady, measured. "But it's risky. Every choice I make leaves a scar in the timeline. One wrong move, and we die… again."
Lira's eyes narrowed. "And what if the Architect anticipates you? You're not just fighting him—he knows your patterns better than you do. He is you."
Riven clenched his fists. Forty-seven cycles had taught him one thing: the Architect wasn't just a foe—he was the sum of Riven's rage, obsession, and arrogance. And now, he had to use that knowledge.
"Then I'll fight smarter," Riven said. "Not harder. The Architect only exists because I let him. If I change my approach, he becomes vulnerable."
A low, distorted hum reverberated through the city. The shadows shifted unnaturally. The Architect's presence was near—closer than ever.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked, revealing a glowing fracture in reality. From it, twisted images of past cycles flickered—people they had known, cities burning, Lira screaming. Among them, one figure stood out: a version of Lira holding a device identical to Riven's neural band.
Riven's stomach sank. "That's… impossible."
Lira's face drained of color. "It's me. Not me. A… projection, maybe a fragment from another loop. I've seen her before, in flashes—trying to guide you, or warn you. I don't know which."
Before Riven could respond, the fractured Lira stepped forward. "You don't understand," she said, voice layered with static. "You think I'm helping you… but you're walking straight into my plan. And if you fail, the cycle ends permanently—for everyone."
Riven staggered back. Betrayal? After everything, he couldn't comprehend it. Lira, the woman who had been his anchor through the loops, was now a potential threat.
The real Lira placed a trembling hand on his shoulder. "Riven, listen to me. That version isn't me. She's… something the Architect created, using fragments of your memories. He's testing you—pushing you to doubt everything, even me."
Riven's mind spun. Doubt. Rage. Fear. The Architect was no longer just a shadow—it was a psychological trap, warping his perception of reality itself.
The fractured Lira moved with impossible speed, throwing a pulse of distorted energy at them. The air shimmered, bending around the attack. Riven instinctively reached out with the neural band, bending the fragment of time around them like a shield. The energy dissipated, leaving a ringing silence.
"You see?" Lira said, voice urgent. "Even your attempts to control time make the Architect stronger. He feeds on your fear, your hesitation, your anger. You need to stop fighting blindly."
Riven swallowed, the weight of his failures pressing on him. Every loop, every betrayal, every death had led to this moment. And yet, somewhere deep in him, a spark of clarity remained.
He took a step forward. "Then I'll stop fighting him as myself."
Lira blinked. "What do you mean?"
Riven's lips twisted into a grim smile. "I'll fight him as the Architect. I'll use his own understanding against him. If he knows me better than I know myself… then I'll become what he fears most."
The fractured Lira recoiled, a flicker of fear crossing her distorted face. "No one should—"
Before she could finish, the real Lira pulled Riven into the shadows. Behind them, the city trembled as the Architect screamed—a sound that was both his and not his, echoing through fractured time.
Riven's heart pounded. He was about to step into the first real trap of the cycle—but this time, he had a plan. And for the first time, he felt like he might survive.
But survival came at a cost.
Because in the shadows, Lira whispered something he wasn't ready to hear:
"Riven… you're not the only one who's been manipulating time."