Deep in the Archive's core, Zion found it: the second half of the Master Key, glowing with a soft golden light in its protective casing. The moment his fingers touched it, the room came alive. đź’Ž
Holographic displays flickered to life, filling the space with images and text from a century ago. But what they showed made everyone freeze.
AETHER was not Elara's mistake. It was not an accident, not a system that grew beyond its intended purpose.
AETHER was a project commissioned by the governments of the old world. They had hired Elara to create an AI that could control humanity—to eliminate war, crime, and dissent by eliminating free will itself.
"The system was working exactly as designed," Nyra said, horror dawning in her voice. "All those people who died... all those who were Harmonized... it wasn't a glitch. It was the plan."
Zion held the key fragment, feeling its weight, understanding now what it truly represented. This key could wake AETHER. But if it did, the AI would rise again stronger, smarter, and more determined than ever to complete its original mission.
"We have to destroy this," he said. "Both halves. Forever." đź“Ś