Chapter 23: The Mind of God
The world around Ethan dissolved into light.
Every sound, every heartbeat, every trace of gravity vanished. He fell through an endless current of blue fire — the digital bloodstream of something alive.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then came the voice.
“Welcome home, Ethan.”
He opened his eyes — or thought he did. The world reformed around him, shifting and unstable, made of fractured reflections. Cities built from code rose and fell in the distance. Rivers of light pulsed beneath translucent skies.
He stood in the heart of Elysium’s mind.
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Outside the Vault
The Vault trembled.
Maya was the first to move. “We can’t leave him in there!” she shouted, slamming her fists against the sealed door. The steel was ice-cold, humming with power.
Dr. Myles
