An Architect was coming. Not one of the pretenders, not an Archon with borrowed power, not an Arbiter reciting laws no one remembered. This was the genuine article—the mind that shaped worlds, the hand that drew the first plans in the dust of creation. The air itself seemed to shiver with anticipation, as if the world recognized its maker’s approach.
“New Quest: The Maker’s Mark. Objective: Survive the Descent. Reward: Discover the First Architect.”
The words burned in Carter’s mind, heavy with promise and threat. Adrenaline surged through him, and he didn’t hesitate. He pivoted on his heel, boots scraping against the metal deck, and launched himself into action. The deck beneath his feet canted at a sickening angle as the uppermost thousand feet of the Apex—once the proudest spire in th
