The Truth Unravels

The ship began to warp, its reality twisting in on itself. Kaelen felt the air grow dense, as if the very atmosphere around him was pulling in, like the walls were closing in on them. He grabbed Mira's arm, pulling her back as the floor beneath them seemed to shudder and split.

"This is it," Kaelen said, his voice a harsh whisper. "This is how it ends."

The Architect's voice boomed through the chamber once more. "This is not the end, Kaelen. This is the beginning of something greater. The Collective will rise. It is inevitable."

But as the Architect spoke, Kaelen noticed something: The symbols on the walls were no longer shifting in time with the Architect's voice. They were faltering, flashing erratically, as though something was wrong with the system.

Mira glanced at Kaelen, confusion written across her face. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Kaelen replied. "But something's changing. The Architect... it's losing control."

The ground beneath them trembled again, this time more violently. The air was thick with an electric charge, like the entire ship was about to explode.