Before the first claw fully emerged, the Creator whispered:
"That shouldn't be alive..."
The words barely left their mouth before the Archive screamed.
Not metaphorically.
The entire graveyard of realities released a sound.
Millions of monuments vibrated together.
Billions of lost voices echoed through existence.
And something outside reality answered.
The broken sky widened.
A second claw pierced through.
Then a third.
Not flesh.
Not machine.
Something stranger.
Its surface shifted continuously, refusing to settle into any recognizable material. Space warped around it. Concepts themselves seemed unable to describe it.
Even looking at it hurt.
The Creator stared in disbelief.
"No…"
The Architect's expression had gone completely pale.
The First Failure no longer smiled.
Even the Auditor's immense presence had become rigid.
Sarya felt her hybrid scar burn hotter than ever before.
Not in warning.
Recognition.
And that terrified her.
---
