Chapter 136 - The Logic Shield

The sub-level of the Relay Tower didn't return to normal after the partition. It existed in a state of permanent, high-tension stasis, like a bowstring drawn so tight the wood was beginning to splinter. I sat on the edge of the obsidian pedestal, my head buried in my hands, trying to ignore the rhythmic, violet pulse that throbbed behind my eyelids. Every time the mountain's primary relay "ticked," I felt a jolt of raw data travel up my spine, a series of nonsensical runes and geometric patterns that I couldn't translate but felt in my marrow. The Architect wasn't just a ghost in the machine anymore; he was a ghost in my nervous system.