Felix’s Temptation

The Architect moved—or perhaps the space around it moved instead. The void twisted, pulling Felix closer.

"You do not understand the weight of your actions." The voice vibrated through the construct, shifting through layers of sound and time. "The Reset has maintained order. It has preserved civilization. Without it, the world will collapse into entropy."

Felix’s breath came sharp. “The world is already collapsing because of you.”

A flicker—an echo of a past cycle—flashed before him. A ruined cityscape, a sunless sky, people wandering like shadows. A world where the Reset had failed before.

Felix swallowed.

The Architect's form shifted again, this time resembling something closer to a human—a faceless entity draped in glowing threads of code.

"You see now. The cycle is necessary."

A pause. Then, the Architect’s voice softened.

"But it does not have to be a prison. You can change it. Shape the next world in your image. Guide the Reset."