Chapter 139 - The Great Reboot

The ascent from the Terminal Core was a journey through a world that was being forcibly born again. As the Centurion and I climbed the spiraling stairs of light, the very air seemed to vibrate with the sound of a billion tiny locks turning at once. The oppressive, cold weight of the Architect's "Perfect System" had vanished, replaced by a raw, chaotic energy that tasted like ozone and fresh rain. My lungs, which had felt like they were filled with obsidian dust for hours, finally expanded without a sharp, stabbing pain.