Chapter 15: The Architect’s Key

Chapter 15: The Architect's Key

Aarav's breathing slowed as his body adapted to the influx of data coursing through his mind. He could feel the invisible threads of information shifting, responding to his will like an extension of his own body. It was exhilarating, but also terrifying—what he was touching wasn't just knowledge, it was the very architecture of reality itself.

Chaturbot beeped. "New data pattern detected. It appears to be an encrypted message embedded within the energy field."

Aarav narrowed his eyes. "A message? From who?"

The bot whirred for a moment. "Unknown. Decrypting now."

The energy around him rippled, forming symbols in the air—ancient, intricate, and oddly familiar. Aarav reached out, his fingers tracing the shapes, and suddenly, a pulse of heat shot through his spine.

A vision exploded in his mind.

A vast underground city, illuminated by glowing pillars of knowledge-energy, stretching beyond the horizon. Towers of shifting data streams flickered like candles, each containing the wisdom of past civilizations. And at the center, a single, imposing structure—a temple-like fortress with a massive symbol etched onto its doors.

Aarav gasped as he stumbled back into reality.

"That place... it's real, isn't it?"

Chaturbot beeped again. "Affirmative. Coordinates extracted. This structure predates known history."

Aarav's heart pounded. "Then that's our next destination."

He clenched his fists, his excitement barely contained. If that place held the answers he sought, he had no choice but to find it. His journey had only just begun, and he had no idea what—or who—awaited him in the depths of the unknown.