The air in the Nexus Vault felt heavier, charged with the remnants of the entity's vision. Celestine steadied herself, the weight of revelation pressing down on her. The Council wasn't just an oppressive regime—it was a remnant of the very force that destroyed the Architects.
Elias exhaled sharply. "Well, that's a lot to take in."
Alistair remained silent, but his grip on his weapon hadn't loosened. He was calculating, already preparing for what this meant.
The entity—this Architect remnant—watched them, its flickering silver eyes unreadable.
"You have seen what was lost," it said. "Now you must decide. Will you reclaim it?"
Celestine clenched her fists. The thought of wielding the same power that once built Noctis-Lux was tempting, but she couldn't ignore the risk.
"The Council destroyed your people," she said. "If I try to bring them back, won't history just repeat itself?"
The entity tilted its head, considering. "That depends on you."
A low tremor shook the chamber. The vault's security alarms flared to life, bathing the room in crimson light.
Alistair turned sharply. "We need to go. Now."
Elias checked the entrance. "Guards. About a dozen." He smirked. "Not my worst odds, but we're cornered."
Celestine turned to the entity. "If I free you, can you fight?"
For a moment, it didn't respond. Then, with deliberate slowness, it raised its obsidian-forged hand and clenched it into a fist.
The remaining cores in the chamber shuddered, their energy flowing toward it. Runes flared, solidifying its form. It was ready.
Celestine nodded. "Then we make our way out—together."
The doors to the vault burst open. Council enforcers poured in, weapons drawn, their expressions flickering between confusion and terror at the sight of the ancient being now standing beside Celestine.
She raised her sword.
The war for Noctis-Lux had begun.