Ryu slowly turned his head.
And smiled.
Nexus stared at him.
His body refused to move.
His mind refused to accept what his eyes were showing him.
"...Sir Ryu?"
Ryu tilted his head slightly.
"Yes?"
Nexus's hands began to tremble.
"What..."
His voice cracked.
He looked around the throne room again.
The overturned tables.
The shattered cups.
The decorations that had once made the room feel alive.
And the Architects who had returned only hours ago.
"What happened here?"
Ryu followed his gaze.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"It appears we had an unfortunate incident."
Nexus stared at him.
"An... incident?"
He took a slow step forward.
His eyes remained fixed on Ryu.
"You killed them."
The room became silent.
Ryu's smile disappeared.
For several seconds, he simply looked at Nexus.
Then—
"Yes."
The word was quiet.
Almost casual.
Nexus froze.
He had expected an excuse.
A denial.
Anything.
Instead, Ryu had simply admitted it.
Kural arrived behind Nexus.
He stopped the moment he saw the room.
His eyes widened.
"What the..."
He slowly looked from one fallen Architect to another.
Then toward Ryu.
Mao stood beside him.
She looked around the room.
Her expression remained completely blank.
She didn't recognize the people lying on the floor.
To her—
They were strangers.
Nexus slowly clenched his fists.
"Why?"
Ryu looked at him.
His expression was calm.
"Because they were no longer useful."
Nexus's eyes widened slightly.
"...What?"
Ryu took a step forward.
"The Architects you knew are gone."
He walked past one of the fallen figures.
"What returned today was merely what remained."
Nexus stared at him.
"That's not an answer."
Ryu stopped.
He turned his head slightly.
"It is."
"No."
Nexus's voice grew louder.
"You wouldn't do this."
Ryu looked back at him.
For a moment, his expression softened.
Then—
"You've changed."
Nexus shook his head.
"No."
He took another step forward.
"You're the one who changed."
Ryu smiled faintly.
"Perhaps."
The word lingered in the room.
Kural slowly moved closer to Nexus.
"Nexus."
Nexus didn't respond.
His eyes remained locked on Ryu.
Kural lowered his voice.
"We need to go."
Nexus finally looked toward him.
But before he could answer—
Ryu spoke.
"Ah."
His gaze shifted toward Kural.
"So you're Kural."
Kural stiffened.
His hand moved slightly toward his weapon.
"You know me?"
Ryu smiled.
"I know everyone under my command."
Kural's expression hardened.
"Under your command?"
Ryu didn't answer.
Instead, his gaze slowly moved toward Mao.
"And I know her as well."
Mao looked back at him.
"Do you?"
Ryu smiled.
"Of course."
Mao tilted her head.
"Then tell me who I am."
Ryu paused.
For the first time—
His expression became difficult to read.
"You are Mao."
Mao's expression didn't change.
"That's my name."
She looked at him for another moment.
"But who am I?"
Silence.
Ryu stared at her.
Then he smiled again.
"That..."
His eyes briefly shifted toward Nexus.
"...is something you shouldn't know yet."
Nexus immediately stepped between them.
"Stay away from her."
Ryu raised an eyebrow.
"Protective, aren't we?"
"She's under my protection."
"Interesting."
Ryu studied Nexus for several seconds.
Then he chuckled.
"You really haven't changed."
Nexus's expression hardened.
"Neither have you."
Ryu's smile slowly disappeared.
"You're wrong."
The atmosphere changed.
It was subtle at first.
The air became heavier.
The room seemed quieter.
Even the faint movement of the decorations stopped.
Kural instinctively took a step backward.
Mao's fingers tightened around the handle of her umbrella.
Ryu lifted one finger.
Nexus's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
BOOM.
A shockwave tore through the throne room.
Nexus raised his arm.
The force pushed him backward.
Kural was thrown across the room.
Mao stumbled but managed to remain standing.
"Nexus!"
"I'm fine!"
Nexus lowered his arm.
Dust slowly settled around him.
His eyes never left Ryu.
"Why are you doing this?"
Ryu stared at him.
"Because the time has come."
Nexus frowned.
"The time for what?"
Ryu looked around the room.
At the throne.
At the fallen Architects.
At the three who remained standing.
Then—
He smiled.
"For the Architects to serve their true purpose."
Nexus's eyes widened.
"...True purpose?"
Ryu slowly spread his arms.
"The world has been moving toward this moment for centuries."
His voice echoed through the throne room.
"Every war."
He lowered one hand.
"Every betrayal."
Another step.
"Every death."
His eyes moved toward Nexus.
"Every Architect who disappeared."
Ryu's smile returned.
"It was all leading here."
Kural slowly pushed himself upright.
"What are you talking about?"
Ryu looked toward him.
"Your existence."
Kural froze.
"My... existence?"
Ryu didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gaze moved toward Mao.
"And hers."
Mao blinked.
"Mine?"
Ryu smiled.
"Especially hers."
Mao stared at him.
She looked down at herself.
Then back at Ryu.
"What is inside me?"
Ryu didn't answer.
Nexus suddenly understood something.
His expression changed.
"No..."
Ryu looked toward him.
A faint smile appeared.
"Now you understand."
Nexus looked at Mao.
Then back at Ryu.
"You weren't trying to bring the Architects back."
Ryu remained silent.
Nexus's breathing became heavier.
"You were gathering them."
Ryu smiled.
"And now they're all here."
Nexus looked around the room.
The returning Architects.
The celebration.
The way Ryu had appeared.
The way Lorele had spoken.
The strange feeling that had followed him since Ryu's return.
Everything suddenly connected.
Nexus's expression fell.
"You used them."
Ryu nodded.
"Exactly."
Kural looked toward Nexus.
"What does that mean?"
Nexus didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Ryu.
Ryu answered for him.
"It means the ceremony is complete."
Kural's expression changed.
"Ceremony?"
Mao stepped forward slightly.
"What ceremony?"
Ryu turned toward her.
His eyes settled on her.
"The one that will awaken what has been sleeping inside you."
Mao went still.
"...Inside me?"
Ryu nodded.
"Yes."
For the first time, Mao's blank expression began to change.
Confusion appeared in her eyes.
"What is sleeping inside me?"
Ryu simply smiled.
Nexus immediately grabbed Mao's wrist.
"We're leaving."
Mao looked at him.
"Nexus?"
"Now."
He pulled her gently toward him.
Kural moved beside them.
"We need to get out of here."
Ryu didn't stop them.
He simply watched.
Nexus glanced back.
"Why aren't you stopping us?"
Ryu's smile widened.
"You can try."
Nexus froze.
Something was wrong.
He looked down.
A faint light had appeared beneath his feet.
His eyes widened.
"What..."
A strange mark slowly formed across the floor.
Kural looked down.
His expression changed.
"What's that?"
The same mark appeared beneath him.
Then—
Beneath Mao.
Mao slowly lifted her foot.
The mark remained beneath her.
"What is this?"
Nexus's expression became horrified.
"Ryu..."
Ryu slowly raised one hand.
The room seemed to grow colder.
"I told you."
His eyes began to glow.
"The celebration was never for my return."
Nexus stared at him.
Ryu's smile widened.
"It was for theirs."
The marks beneath Nexus, Kural, and Mao began to shine.
The light slowly grew brighter.
Kural looked toward Nexus.
"Nexus..."
Nexus didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on Ryu.
Then—
A faint tremor moved through the castle.
Rumble...
Everyone went still.
Another tremor followed.
Rumble...
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Mao looked around.
"What was that?"
Ryu said nothing.
He simply looked toward the floor.
Deep beneath the castle—
Something moved.
Something that had been silent for a very long time.
A pair of eyes slowly opened in the darkness.
And somewhere beneath the Architects' Domain—
Something awakened.