The workshop went silent.
Not merely quiet.
Silent.
The mechanical arms froze in place. The production line stopped humming. Even the thin blue lights beneath the floor dimmed until only a faint glow remained.
For several seconds, Arin could hear nothing but his own breathing.
Then the voice came again.
Faint.
Distorted.
Human.
"Do not trust EVE."
Lyra moved closer to Arin and clutched the wooden rabbit against her chest.
"Big Brother..."
"I heard it."
His eyes remained fixed on EVE.
The Keeper stood perfectly still.
Her face had lost all expression.
Not anger.
Not confusion.
Not even fear.
Nothing.
That worried him more than anything else.
"EVE," Arin said slowly.
She didn’t answer.
"EVE."
Her eyes flashed blue.
Once.
Twice.
Then the light vanished.
"Master," she said quietly, "we need to leave the workshop."
Arin didn’t move.
"Why?"
"Because the Central Workshop has entered an unstable state."
"That isn’t what I asked."
Another tremor ran through the floor.
A deep metallic groan followed from somewhere below.
Far below.
The sound dragged through the building like a massive chain being pulled across stone.
W-03 immediately ducked behind a storage crate.
"WORKPLACE HAZARD DETECTED."
Arin glanced at the machine.
"What is on Sublevel Nine?"
"NO RECORD FOUND."
"That’s what EVE said."
"THEN EVE IS CORRECT."
The voice came through the speakers again.
"She is lying."
The words were clearer this time.
Still broken.
Still weak.
But undeniable.
Lyra looked between the ceiling and EVE.
"Miss EVE?"
The Keeper’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
A flicker of pain crossed her face.
Then it disappeared.
"Young Lady, please stand behind the Founder."
Lyra already was.
Arin’s hand moved toward the knife at his belt.
It was useless against someone like EVE.
He knew that.
Still, the simple motion gave him something to focus on.
"You knew about the ninth level."
"No."
"You looked afraid."
"I experienced a defensive reaction."
"That sounds like fear."
"It is not the same."
"It looked the same."
The workshop shook again.
This time, a row of lights activated along the far wall.
One after another.
They formed a path leading deeper into the building.
A path that hadn’t been there a moment ago.
«UNREGISTERED ACCESS ROUTE DETECTED.
DESTINATION:
SUBLEVEL NINE.
AUTHORIZATION:
FOUNDER REQUIRED.»
Arin stared at the message.
EVE stepped between him and the illuminated path.
"Do not proceed."
The command came quickly.
Too quickly.
He narrowed his eyes.
"Why?"
"Because the route does not exist within my records."
"Then how is it asking for my authorization?"
"I do not know."
"Who does?"
EVE didn’t answer.
The voice beneath them did.
"I do."
A new sound echoed through the workshop.
A lock disengaging.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Then a section of the far wall split down the middle.
Cold air rushed into the hall.
The hidden doorway revealed a narrow corridor descending into darkness.
Blue emergency lights flickered along the walls.
The air smelled of metal, dust, and something faintly sweet.
Something dead.
Lyra covered her nose.
"It smells bad."
"That’s usually a sign we should leave," Arin said.
"Agreed," EVE replied.
He looked at her.
She hadn’t moved away from the doorway.
Her body remained positioned to block it.
"You’re hiding something."
"I am attempting to protect you."
"From what?"
"Unknown."
"Then stop pretending you understand the danger."
For the first time, EVE’s expression hardened.
"You are the Founder."
"And?"
"If you are harmed, House Elysium loses its primary authority."
"So this is about the city?"
"No."
Her answer came without hesitation.
The single word surprised him.
EVE took one step closer.
"It is about you."
The honesty in her voice made him pause.
For one brief moment, she didn’t sound like a machine.
She sounded like someone afraid of losing something important.
Then the voice below whispered again.
"She said the same thing before."
EVE’s eyes widened.
The lights throughout the workshop turned red.
«HOSTILE SYSTEM INTRUSION DETECTED.
SOURCE UNKNOWN.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE RESPONSE:
FAILED.»
W-03 screamed.
Not mechanically.
Actually screamed.
"UNAUTHORIZED SOFTWARE! UNAUTHORIZED SOFTWARE!"
Its small legs moved faster than Arin had thought possible as it ran in a circle.
"WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE DELETED!"
"Calm down," Arin snapped.
"CALM FUNCTION UNAVAILABLE!"
Lyra pointed at it.
"Can I pick him up?"
"No."
"WHY DOES SMALL FOUNDER WISH TO PICK ME UP?"
"Because you’re panicking."
"I AM REACTING APPROPRIATELY!"
Arin ignored them and focused on EVE.
"What does system intrusion mean?"
"Something is accessing the workshop."
"From below?"
"Possibly."
"Can you stop it?"
"No."
That answer came reluctantly.
For someone who appeared capable of controlling an entire city, EVE looked disturbingly powerless.
The path lights flickered again.
Then a new message appeared.
«FOUNDER DIRECTIVE REQUESTED.
SEAL SUBLEVEL NINE?
[YES]
[NO]»
Arin read it carefully.
If he selected yes, the doorway might close.
The voice would be cut off.
The danger might disappear.
Or it might simply become buried again.
If he selected no, he would be walking into something that even EVE feared.
He looked toward Lyra.
She was trying to remain brave.
Her grip on the wooden rabbit had tightened until her knuckles turned pale.
He couldn’t take her down there.
That much was obvious.
"Lyra."
"No."
"I haven’t said anything yet."
"You’re going to tell me to stay here."
"Yes."
"No."
"This isn’t a negotiation."
"It always becomes one."
"Not this time."
Her eyes narrowed.
"You said we don’t leave each other."
Arin felt the words strike deeper than he expected.
At the gates of House Valerius, she had chosen him.
Without hesitation.
Without asking what would happen next.
She had abandoned everything because he was her brother.
And now he was telling her to remain behind while he walked into an unknown level beneath an ancient city.
He knelt in front of her.
"I’m not leaving you."
"It looks like you are."
"I’m checking something."
"That’s what people say before disappearing."
The quiet fear in her voice erased the last of his frustration.
He placed both hands on her shoulders.
"I will come back."
"You don’t know that."
"No."
He wouldn’t lie to her.
He had already been lied to enough for one lifetime.
"I don’t."
Lyra looked down.
Arin continued.
"But I do know that taking you with me would be dangerous."
"So I stay here and worry?"
"Yes."
"That sounds terrible."
"It probably will be."
She raised her head.
"How long?"
"I don’t know."
"That’s worse."
"I know."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lyra suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Come back before dinner."
Arin closed his eyes.
"I’ll try."
"Not try."
Her voice became muffled against his shoulder.
"Promise."
He hesitated.
Promises were dangerous things.
Especially when the world had already proven how easily they could be broken.
Still, he held her tightly.
"I promise."
Behind them, EVE remained silent.
When Arin stood, the Keeper looked at Lyra.
"I will keep her safe."
He studied her face.
"Can I trust you?"
The question hung between them.
EVE didn’t answer immediately.
Then she bowed her head.
"You should not trust anyone completely."
Arin felt a chill.
"That includes you?"
"Especially me."
The honesty was unexpected.
And somehow, more frightening than denial.
Lyra moved toward EVE reluctantly.
The Keeper extended one hand.
After a moment, Lyra took it.
Arin turned toward the hidden corridor.
The air coming from below had grown colder.
«CONFIRM ENTRY TO UNREGISTERED SUBLEVEL?
[YES]
[NO]»
He selected yes.
The corridor lights brightened.
A mechanical voice spoke from the walls.
«FOUNDER AUTHORITY ACCEPTED.
DESCENT ROUTE UNLOCKED.
WARNING:
LOCAL SYSTEMS ARE NOT UNDER ELYSIUM CONTROL.»
"Wonderful."
He stepped through the doorway.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the workshop behind him seemed to move farther away.
Not physically.
Something about the sound changed.
Lyra’s breathing disappeared.
The hum of the machines faded.
Only the narrow corridor remained.
Arin glanced back.
EVE and Lyra stood less than ten feet away.
Yet they looked strangely distant.
As though seen through deep water.
"Big Brother?"
Lyra’s voice arrived several seconds late.
Arin frowned.
"Can you hear me?"
Her mouth moved.
No sound followed.
Then the doorway closed.
Lyra’s eyes widened.
EVE lunged forward.
Too late.
The wall sealed between them.
Arin spun around and struck the metal surface.
"Open!"
No response.
"System, reopen the door."
«COMMAND FAILED.
LOCAL AUTHORITY OVERRIDDEN.»
"By who?"
The voice from below answered.
"By me."
Arin turned.
At the end of the corridor, a platform had appeared.
It resembled an elevator, though unlike anything from his previous life.
No walls.
No visible cables.
Only a circular floor surrounded by blue light.
He approached cautiously.
The surface activated beneath his feet.
«DESCENT INITIATED.
DESTINATION:
SUBLEVEL NINE.»
The platform began moving downward.
The corridor vanished above him.
Darkness surrounded the platform.
Arin could see brief flashes of the workshop’s hidden depths as he descended.
Sublevel One contained enormous storage halls.
Sublevel Two held inactive machines arranged in endless rows.
Sublevel Three appeared to be filled with broken vehicles.
Sublevel Four was flooded.
Sublevel Five contained sealed chambers marked with red symbols.
Sublevel Six passed too quickly to see.
Sublevel Seven had no lights.
Sublevel Eight was empty.
Then the platform continued.
Beyond the registered foundation.
Beyond the city map.
Beyond anything that should have existed.
The descent lasted far longer than expected.
Arin felt pressure building in his ears.
The air became colder.
His Authority Band flickered repeatedly.
«CONNECTION TO HOUSE ELYSIUM:
UNSTABLE.
FAMILY LINK:
ACTIVE.
LYRA STATUS:
SAFE.»
He exhaled.
At least the System could still confirm that.
Eventually, the platform stopped.
Darkness stretched ahead.
Then emergency lights activated one by one.
Arin’s breath caught.
Sublevel Nine wasn’t a workshop.
It was a prison.
A wide chamber extended into the distance, lined with transparent cells.
Most were empty.
Some were shattered.
Others had been sealed from the outside with thick metal plates.
Strange marks covered the walls.
Not written in paint.
Scratched into the metal.
Words.
Names.
Warnings.
Arin stepped off the platform.
The floor was covered in a thin layer of dust.
His boots left the first footprints in what might have been thousands of years.
"Where are you?" he called.
His voice echoed through the prison.
No answer.
He walked forward slowly.
The Authority Band projected a small light over his hand.
Cell after cell passed beside him.
Some contained beds.
Others restraints.
One held a child-sized chair facing a blank wall.
Arin stopped.
Something had been carved into the floor beneath it.
FOUNDERS SHOULD NOT REMEMBER.
His stomach tightened.
The voice returned.
"Keep walking."
"Who are you?"
"A mistake."
"That isn’t a name."
"It is the only one I deserve."
Arin followed the sound deeper into the chamber.
"What happened here?"
"Elysium happened."
"That’s not an answer either."
A soft laugh echoed around him.
It sounded painful.
"No. It never is."
Another message appeared.
«FOREIGN SIGNAL DETECTED.
ATTEMPTING IDENTIFICATION...
FAILED.»
Arin reached the final section of the prison.
Unlike the others, this area still had power.
A single cell glowed at the end of the hall.
Its transparent walls were covered in cracks.
Inside sat a man.
Or what remained of one.
He was impossibly thin, his skin pale and stretched over bone. Long white hair covered part of his face. Metal cables ran from his back into the wall.
His wrists were restrained.
His eyes were closed.
Arin stopped several steps away.
"You told me not to trust EVE."
The man’s head moved slightly.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because she was built to protect Elysium."
"And?"
"Not you."
The words settled heavily.
Arin looked at the cables.
"Who are you?"
The man slowly raised his face.
His features were damaged by age and scars.
But there was something familiar about him.
The shape of his jaw.
The line of his nose.
The eyes.
When they opened, they were the same shade as Arin’s.
Gray with a faint silver ring.
Arin’s hand tightened around the knife.
The prisoner stared at him for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not happily.
It was the smile of someone who had spent centuries waiting for a nightmare to repeat itself.
"You really don’t remember me."
Arin didn’t answer.
The man leaned forward as far as the restraints allowed.
The cables pulled tight behind him.
"My name was Cael."
A flicker of static passed through the cell.
"Cael Elysium."
Arin’s blood turned cold.
The prisoner watched his reaction carefully.
Then he spoke the words that shattered every assumption Arin had made since awakening the System.
"I was the Founder before you."
The lights died.
Darkness swallowed the prison.
And in the silence, something massive moved inside one of the sealed cells behind Arin.