A significant silence fell over our small group as we contemplated the significance of what The Architect said. We experienced betrayal and our tragically doomed attempt to rescue us was from the beginning controlled by the machinations of an unperceived traitor.
My thoughts darted as I went through every interaction, all my relationships, hoping to find the vulnerability that The Architect and The Raven had so easily exposed. Who among us took on the role of a spy, secretly furnishing our possible saviors with information?
I surveyed the expressions of my associates Chase, Alessandro, Zoe, and, surprisingly, Detective Morris every one of them a possible suspect.
“The efforts you made were worthless from the start,” The Raven cooed, his dark glare sweeping through us. We knew about both your every move and your every plan. And we permitted it to happen because…” He stopped, a harsh grin pulling at his lips. “Because it amuses us.”
He breathed a low ‘no’ while shaking his head firmly. “That’s impossible. We worked so carefully and thoroughly on our planning. There’s no chance you could have learned anything unless…”
His voice faded away, his eyes becoming wider as the truth became clear. Near me, I detected Zoe becoming rigid, her fingers turning into quivering fists.
With a soft voice edged with rare bitterness, she finished by noting, “Unless one of us was with you.”
There was a certain amused pattern in the way the Architect inclined his head. He replied, ‘Correct, my dear,’ while looking at Chase. My friend has been my ‘inside man’ since the beginning.
Chase shook his head forcefully, showing a face full of sorrow and betrayal. “No, that’s not possible. I would never ”
“Oh, absolutely, you would,” The Raven interrupted, her tone reeking of contempt. “You have, yet again, as you have before. The desire for retribution, and your need to finish the job you laid out for yourself long ago, has clouded your view of everything else.
I held my breath as a form of growing horror descended my spine. The boy The Architect mentioned he who lost his parents and found devotion in avenging their killers might it actually be…?
“Chase,” I said, my voice just about whispered loud. “Please, convince me this isn’t actually true.
Nevertheless, his eyes filled with anguish, and his refusal to meet my eyes, gave me all the confirmation I needed. Flashbacks filled my head the way he was continuously present, the persistent backing he offered, the gentle maneuvers that slowly immersed me more within this cosmic framework.
“I wish I could say I was sorry,” he said softly, feeling his voice break with feelings. “This was the only way out that I knew. That I had to ”
“Had to?” Detective Morris shouted loudly as he pointed his pistol straight at Chase’s chest. “Had to betray us all? “Had to jeopardize the whole plan?”
The Architect upraised a hand to stop the detective from speaking. “Hold on, we should take our time. Chase, it appears, has been involved in a fine game one that has brought him more closely to his goal than he ever thought possible.
The Raven grinned with a predatory smile. “You realize, Brianne, that the young man from the story I related to you is your friend Chase.” “A person who has sworn revenge against the interdimensional unlawful ones who took his parents away.” She took a short pause, fixing her attention on mine. You, Darling, are the important key to his victorious end.
I realized the blood was draining from my face as my mind spun. My once trusted friend or should I even say Lover, Chase, became the person The Architect cautioned me about the one involved in the murder of Lucy and the merging of our souls. During this entire period, he worked hard to undermine us and control events to fit his own sinister intent.
“No,” I panted, the sound just faint enough to be heard. “That can’t be true. Chase, how could you? ”
“I had no choice!” And he sighed, at last the facade he had maintained breaking down. “I have dedicated my whole existence to finding those responsible, organizing, and waiting for that perfect moment to act.” You came to us, Brianne or would you prefer to go by the name Lucy. “You represented the answer to everything, the lock-breaking key that allowed me to gain vengeance at last.”
A delightful smile, just a hint of it, played at the edges of the Architect’s mouth. In fact, Brianne, Chase has been a truly important asset. His craving for vengeance, alongside his willingness to do as necessary, has transformed him into a strategic pawn in our limited engagement.
“Game?” With eyes unleashing a fury I had never noticed in her before, Zoe spat forcefully. “Considering it a ‘game’ is equivalent to wrecking lives and ruining souls.” You’re awful, the two of you so much!
The laugh of the Raven felt like bits of frozen ice. “Oh, my dear, sweet Brianne. Don’t you understand? This is more than just a basic game. This is the essential core of reality on the line. And Brianne…” He aimed his gaze at me, appearing with an expression that suggested almost gleeful excitement. “Brianne is everything.”
My chest bounded as their comments pressed down on my lungs, taking away the air. Chase, the only person I believed I could trust, had been turning his back on us all along. Now, The Architect and The Raven were informing me that my fractured identity was the key to their cosmic schemes the fundamental nature of reality depended on what was left of it.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, hating the weakness in my voice.
There was a broader smile on the Architect’s face. “What we mean, dearest Brianne, is that we want you to succeed in your destiny. To discover what you were always destined to be the tangible realization of the Multiverse’s greatest mystery.
The instant I tried to respond, to require more answers, the world around us quaked and changed. It felt like the very structure of reality throbbed, and I recognized then that we were not by ourselves.
An oppressive, impending shadow filled the air, a wicked force that gave me the chills. Right in the center was a person, covered in darkness, with eyes that seemed to stare deep into the core of my soul.
“Ah,” The Raven mewed, echoing a voice succulent with unholy joy. We can say that our guest has arrived now.
As the dark figure moved in front of me, I shuddered with an elemental fear. At that instant, it was clear to me that the actual conflict was something I could not handle. I felt like fainting