The Archive shook so violently that several crystal tablets fell from the walls.Luna grabbed Kael's arm as the floor moved beneath them."The real Creator," she repeated. "What does that mean?"Adrian did not answer.For the first time since Luna had met him, the man who had called himself the game's creator looked genuinely afraid.Elias noticed it too."You know what is coming."Adrian stared at the ceiling."Yes."A deep vibration passed through the chamber.Then the system appeared.REALITY CONVERSION DETECTEDUNAUTHORIZED TIMELINE EXPANSIONETERNAL REALM: MATERIALIZATION IN PROGRESSLuna's eyes widened."Eternal Realm?"Kael looked at her."What's that?"Luna shook her head."I've seen the name before."She remembered old game information.The Eternal Realm had always been described as an unreachable endgame zone.A place mentioned in legends.A realm supposedly reserved for players who reached the highest level.There were no known entrances.No confirmed maps.No recorded play

The ancient gates of the Eternal Realm remained open.Luna stood frozen as the thing beyond them took another step forward.The ground trembled beneath her feet.Kael immediately moved in front of her, his body tense, one hand reaching for the weapon at his side.“Stay behind me.”Luna stared past his shoulder.“I don't think that's going to help.”Kael's jaw tightened.“I know.”For once, there was no confidence in his voice.Around them, the survivors of the different races stood in silence.Humans.Aelari.Dravari.Nymari.Veyrian.Aurelians.Dragons.They had all just recovered fragments of memories they had been denied for thousands of years.They had discovered that the people they had called NPCs were real.They had learned that the creatures they had called monsters possessed histories, families, fears, and memories.And now something older than the Creator was standing before them.The figure finally stepped into the Eternal Realm.At first, it looked human.Then its shape ch

The screams of thousands of souls filled the Eternal Realm.Luna stood frozen.The message remained in front of her.NEW OBJECTIVE: RESTORE THE ORIGINAL TIMELINE.FAILURE CONSEQUENCE: ALL OTHER TIMELINES WILL BE ERASED.TARGET FOR ERASURE: TIMELINES 2–18.She stared at it until the words blurred.“No.”Her voice was barely audible.The screaming grew louder.People fell to their knees.Some covered their ears.Others cried out as memories from their previous timelines suddenly became painful.Luna pressed both hands against her head.“Make it stop.”Kael immediately moved toward her.“Luna.”“Make it stop!”Her knees weakened.Kael caught her before she hit the ground.The moment he touched her, a wave of energy passed through them.Luna gasped.She could feel every soul.Every terrified thought.Every desperate prayer.Every person wondering whether they would survive.“They're afraid,” she whispered.Kael held her firmly.“I know.”“They think I'm going to kill them.”“You aren't.”

“Aria.”The ancient voice faded beneath the Eternal Realm.Luna stood completely still.Kael immediately moved closer to her.“Did you hear that?”Luna nodded.“It called me Aria.”The other survivors looked around nervously.The Eternal Realm had changed.The Creator was gone.The system had lost control.Yet instead of peace, an uneasy silence had settled over everything.Luna looked at the place where the Creator had disappeared.“We killed it.”Kael shook his head.“No. You broke its authority.”“And the Creator?”“Gone.”Luna frowned.“Then why does it feel like something just escaped?”The ancient entity turned toward the gates.“Because something did.”Kael's expression hardened.“What?”The entity did not answer.Instead, it raised its hand.A thin crack appeared in the air.Inside the crack was a scene.A dark chamber.Ancient walls.A broken throne.And a figure running through a narrow corridor.Luna's eyes widened.“Who is that?”The figure suddenly turned.For one brief s

Luna stared at Kael.The final words from the silver fragment remained in her mind.Do not trust the one beside you.Kael noticed the change in her expression.“What did it say?”Luna didn't answer immediately.She looked at him carefully.His face was calm, but she could see the tension in his eyes.“Luna?”“The message warned me not to trust the person beside me.”Kael's expression hardened.“And I'm beside you.”“Yes.”Silence settled between them.Victor, Selene, Ryan, and Adrian exchanged uneasy glances.Kael slowly stepped back.“If you think I'm the one it meant, say it.”Luna looked down.“I don't know.”Kael nodded.“That is fair.”His answer surprised her.“You're not angry?”“No.”“Why?”“Because you've been lied to by everyone who claimed to know the truth.”He looked at the fragment.“If Caelan left the message, you have every reason to question it.”Luna tightened her fingers around the crystal.“But why would he warn me?”“Maybe he wants you to distrust me.”“Or maybe h