Elias couldn't move.Arjun had never seen him like this.Not during the arrival of the Original Universe.Not when the First Creator appeared.Not even when the Witness divided itself.This was different.Elias was afraid.The First Arjun noticed it too.“You know who that is.”Elias didn't answer.Arjun stepped toward him.“Elias.”Still nothing.“Tell me.”Elias finally looked at him.“You don't want to know.”Arjun's expression hardened.“I'm tired of people deciding what I should know.”The darkness above them moved.A voice echoed through the white room.“THAT IS WHY HE WAS CREATED.”The First Arjun raised his head.“Who are you?”The voice answered.“THE DESIGNER.”The word itself seemed to carry weight.The two Witnesses stopped fighting.The Original Choice stopped breathing.Even Nox became silent.Arjun looked toward the ceiling.“You designed the Observer.”“Yes.”“Why?”“To watch.”“Watch what?”“Choice.”Arjun frowned.“Why would you need someone to watch choice?”“Becaus

The words remained suspended in the darkness.“He's the one the System was created to kill.”Arjun couldn't breathe.He looked at the figure wearing his face.Then at Nox.Then at the golden System.“No.”The Designer smiled.“You don't believe me.”“I don't.”“Good.”The smile disappeared.“That is exactly what I wanted.”Arjun's eyes narrowed.“You're manipulating me.”“Yes.”“At least you're honest.”“For once.”The golden System suddenly flickered.A warning appeared.**THREAT DETECTED.**Arjun stepped backward.“Who is the threat?”The System answered.**UNKNOWN.**Arjun stared.“You just said it was created to kill me.”The Designer shook his head.“I never said the System knows that.”“Then who does?”“You.”Arjun froze.The Designer continued.“Not the Arjun standing here.”He pointed toward the older version of Arjun's fading silhouette.“The Arjun who created it.”The room became silent.Arjun remembered the warning.Don't trust the Designer.But he also remembered something

The question remained suspended before Arjun.**IF NO ONE DESIGNED YOUR NEXT CHOICE…**The screen went completely dark.For several seconds, Arjun heard nothing.No System.No voice.No Nox.No Witness.Nothing.Then the second line appeared.**WHO WILL YOU BECOME?**Arjun stared at it.For most of his life, the answer had always been connected to something else.The System had given him missions.The World Keys had revealed paths.The Original Design had given him conditions.The Witness had watched him.The Designer had tried to understand him.Even Nox had been connected to a choice made before Arjun understood what choice meant.But now—there was nothing.No predetermined path.No instruction.No prophecy.Arjun slowly raised his hand.The System waited.He expected another command.There wasn't one.“Fine.”His voice echoed through the empty space.“If nobody designed my next choice…”He lowered his hand.“…I'll make it myself.”The screen disappeared.For the first time since t

Darkness surrounded Arjun.For the first time, there were no stars.No universes.No World Keys.No System.No visible future.Nothing.Arjun held Nox's hand tightly.“You're still here?”Nox squeezed his fingers.“Yes.”“How can you see me?”“I can't.”Arjun frowned.“Then how do you know it's me?”Nox smiled.“I don't need to see you.”Those words reminded Arjun of what he had just done.He had ended observation.He had released every universe from the network.He had accepted an unknown future.But something was still watching.Arjun slowly turned.“Who's there?”Silence.Nox's smile disappeared.“Dad…”“I know.”A faint sound appeared in the darkness.Not footsteps.Not breathing.A pulse.Once.Twice.Three times.Arjun recognized the rhythm.His eyes widened.“The System.”Nox shook his head.“No.”“Then what?”The pulse came again.Arjun closed his eyes.He had heard it before.Long ago.Before the World Keys.Before the Architect.Before he understood the cycles.Before he eve

The words appeared above them.**CHOOSE WHICH NOX IS REAL.**Arjun stared at the System.Then he laughed.It was a quiet laugh.Almost bitter.“No.”The golden eye above the city seemed to narrow.The System remained unchanged.**CHOOSE.**Arjun stepped between the two boys.“You don't get to decide the question.”The original Nox looked at him.“Dad…”The older Nox said nothing.Arjun studied them both.One had the golden eye.The other carried the original mark.One was the Nox who had walked beside him through countless worlds.The other was the Nox who had apparently existed before that journey.But something felt wrong.Too convenient.Too simple.Arjun looked toward the golden eye.“You want me to choose between them.”The eye remained silent.“Why?”No answer.Arjun turned toward the two boys.“Both of you. Tell me who you are.”The younger Nox spoke first.“I'm Nox.”The older one answered:“So am I.”Arjun frowned.“What do you remember?”The younger Nox looked at him.“I rem