The fall

Previously

…"What is this place?" I demanded, my voice trembling slightly, but carrying a newfound strength. "What are you doing?" The Architect’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "Maintaining order. Ensuring balance. You, Elias Thorne, have disrupted the equilibrium." He knew my name. The pieces, fragmented and scattered, were beginning to coalesce into a terrifying picture. This wasn't just a random awakening. This was a consequence. And my journey, it seemed, had only just begun. The revelation of the construct was not an escape, but the first step into a far more complex labyrinth.