For several seconds, nobody moved.The city had gone completely dark.Sofia could hear only her own breathing.And Ethan’s.Except there was something else.A third heartbeat.Slow.Steady.Coming from the figure standing inside the ruins.Sofia looked at Ethan.“You said your brother was dead.”“I thought he was.”The figure laughed softly.“That is what they wanted you to believe.”Ethan took a step forward.“What happened to you?”The figure tilted his head.“You don’t remember?”“No.”“You were there.”“I was twelve.”“So was I.”Ethan’s face tightened.“I don’t remember having a brother.”The figure smiled.“They removed that memory first.”Sofia looked at Ethan.“Why?”The figure answered.“Because I was the first successful anchor.”Sofia’s stomach dropped.Ethan stared at him.“What?”“I was connected to her before you were.”He pointed toward Sofia.Sofia froze.“You knew me?”The figure looked directly at her.“I knew you before you had a name.”Ethan stepped between them.“

Sofia stared at the enormous figure descending from the broken sky.For the first time since this nightmare began, she wasn’t screaming.She wasn’t running.She wasn’t even crying.She was just staring.Millions of faces moved across the creature’s body.Some were crying.Some were screaming.Some looked completely calm.And somehow, Sofia recognized some of them.The eight.Her eight.Except they weren’t inside her anymore.They were everywhere.Their faces appeared across the creature’s body, disappearing and reappearing like reflections on moving water.Sofia squeezed Ethan’s hand.“It’s them.”Ethan looked at the creature.“The voices?”“Yes.”“They’re inside that thing too.”Sofia nodded.The little girl stood beside them.“They were always connected.”Sofia looked at her.“You said I’m the part it needs.”“Yes.”“Why?”“Because you learned how to separate yourself from it.”Sofia frowned.“I don’t understand.”“You were supposed to remain connected.”“To the Architect?”“To ever

Ethan stared at the words on the screen.YOU WERE NEVER THE ANCHOR.His breathing had almost stopped.Then another line appeared beneath it.YOU WERE THE KEY.Somewhere beneath the city, something clicked.Ethan turned around.The sound had not come from the screen.It had come from behind him.A large metal door that had been sealed into the wall for as long as Ethan could remember slowly began to open.Except Ethan had never seen the door before.It had not been there a second ago.“What the hell is that?” Daniel whispered.Ethan did not answer.He could not.There was something about that door.Something familiar.The closer it opened, the stronger the pressure became inside Ethan’s chest.His blackened wrist burned.He grabbed it immediately.The mark was glowing.Not black anymore.White.A thin white line travelled from his wrist to his elbow, then disappeared beneath his sleeve.Ethan took one step backward.The door opened wider.A cold wind rushed through the room.And then h

Ethan stared at the screen.FINAL SUBJECT: SOFIA.For several seconds, nobody moved.The words remained there, bright against the darkness of the underground city.Ethan felt something cold settle in his stomach.He had spent the last few minutes discovering the truth about himself.He had learned that he was not a copy.He had learned that the older version of him was the original consciousness that had existed before his current life.He had learned that the part of that consciousness that became Ethan had developed something the Architect could never control.Choice.And now, after all of that, the city had one final message.Sofia.Ethan slowly turned toward her.She was standing several feet away.She looked at the screen.Then she looked at him.Neither of them spoke.Finally, Sofia whispered,“What does that mean?”Ethan wanted to answer.He couldn’t.Because somewhere deep inside him, he already knew.And that scared him more than anything.A low sound moved through the city.

Ethan stared at the final message.ORIGINAL PROJECT LOCATION: EARTH.For several seconds, he couldn't move.The hidden city around them had gone completely silent.No alarms.No voices.No footsteps.Nothing.It was almost peaceful.And somehow, that made Ethan even more nervous.Because peace had never lasted long in this place.Sofia stood beside him.“Ethan.”He didn't answer.His eyes remained fixed on the screen.The words disappeared.Then another message appeared.LOCATION UNKNOWN.Ethan's jaw tightened.“You have got to be kidding me.”Sofia stepped closer.“What does that mean?”“It means we don't know where it is.”“But the city knows.”“The city is shutting down.”The screen flickered.Another message appeared.ARCHIVE ACCESS: DENIED.Ethan walked toward it.“Open.”Nothing happened.He tried again.“Open the archive.”The screen remained blank.Ethan slammed his palm against it.“Open!”Sofia grabbed his arm.“Ethan, stop.”He pulled away.“No.”She stared at him.“You're