The Architector’s giant hand struck space with absurd speed. Archen, Dylan, and El Joe didn't have time to dodge. However, instead of being crushed, they felt a stomach-turning sensation. In an instant, gravity at Point Zero betrayed them. The purple light that was once beneath their feet now floated far above their heads, while the empty sky transformed into the floor."Everyone, hold on!" El Joe shouted as he drove his energy sword into the surface that had now become their footing."He’s twisting the dimensions!" Dylan replied. His face looked pale as he saw the dust particles around them moving in slow motion, as if time were being forced to crawl through a thick liquid. "Time here... it’s slowing down! The Architector is controlling the heartbeat of reality!"The Architector, who had now fully merged with the Omega Dimension Core, looked down at them from an unreachable position. His figure was no longer just a man in a cloak, but a collection of swir

The siren was no longer just a warning. Its sound transformed into a hoarse, bone-rattling roar, as if the universe itself was screaming in pain. Blood-red light emanating from the Omega Core lashed against the crystal walls, creating new cracks with every passing second. Ground Zero, the nexus of all reality, now stood on the brink of total annihilation."Dylan! Grab my hand!" Archen yelled with all his might. He gripped Dylan's shoulder with his left hand, while his right pressed against the constantly shaking floor. Archen used every last bit of his gravitational energy to create a stable area around them.Dylan didn't answer. His eyes were wide, staring at millions of lines of code moving too fast for a human brain to process. Sweat mixed with blood dripped from his temples. He had just realized that the Arcana System was performing a mass self-deletion."Everything's locked!" Dylan shrieked, his voice almost swallowed by the roar of exploding crystals on the ceiling. "Architector

The alarm shrieked, shattering the silence left by the Arcane Guide. Dylan immediately checked the central console, his fingers moving swiftly across the now clear platinum interface. Light from the Omega Core reflected on his face, dulled by exhaustion."Joe, Archen, these are Earth's coordinates. The point where the Arcane System first tore through the sky at the harbor," Dylan turned, his eyes flickering between hope and anxiety. "Our return portal is already open from that side. But the energy is unstable. If we don't jump now, the gate might close forever."Archen stared at the swirling light vortex at the far end of the room. Beyond its silver glow, he could almost smell the salty sea air and the familiar dock dust. Yet, he also felt the gaze of thousands of entities outside this room—alien races whose fates now hinged on the stability created by the trio of pillars."We could stay here, couldn't we?" Archen murmured. He clenched his large hands, feeling the dimension-shattering

The ground beneath the tower shook violently, sending shockwaves that rattled the windows around the square until they shattered. The gray vapor creeping out of the cracks felt bone-chilling, carrying the scent of the void that Archen, Dylan, and El Joe knew all too well. The shadowy figure formed from the vapor stared at them with a face that shifted between Archen’s fierce expression, Dylan’s pale visage, and El Joe’s weary look. "Impossible," Archen hissed. The platinum light in his hand exploded again, illuminating the darkness that had suddenly enveloped the top of the tower. "We already destroyed the Architector. The Omega Core is stable!" "This isn't the Architector, Archen!" Dylan shouted as he slammed his hand onto the virtual console, which was now flooded with red warnings. "This is a residue. Remnants of the energy of nothingness embedded in the planet's core during the old assimilation process. He didn't die completely... he was just waitin

The giant hand with skin like star-crust continued to grip the edges of reality, trying to tear a way into the Dark Nebula dimension. Archen Huge leaped forward without hesitation. His platinum fist pulsed with gravitational energy that warped the light around him. He was no longer attacking to destroy; he was striking to force shut a door that should never have been opened."Dylan! Lock the coordinates now!" Archen shouted. His voice echoed amidst the roaring storm of energy.Dylan Smith pressed his palm against the surface of the crystal balcony. His eyes glowed pure gold, dissecting the incredibly complex data stream from the ancient entity. "I'm on it! Archen, strike exactly at the center of its palm! Joe, I need a reality anchor on the right side!"El Joe wasted no time. He raised his energy sword high. Golden light exploded from his body, forming pillars of light that locked the crimson crack to prevent it from expanding further. "We will not let you