The air inside the vault felt heavier, the glowing glyphs casting flickering shadows along the ancient walls. Alastor stared at the Codex of Eternity, his mind spinning with the knowledge it had revealed—the loop wasn’t just a game or a path to godhood. It was a curse, designed to trap anyone who sought to control life and death in an endless cycle of suffering.
But now, he held the power to end it all. The Codex had shown him the way: to destroy the Pyramid and shatter the loop, freeing every soul caught within it. The lives lost, the trials, the betrayals—it could all end here, in one decisive act.
And yet... the Codex also held another possibility.
Alastor ran his hand over the glowing surface of the tablet, the scarab beneath his sleeve thrumming in sync with the ancient magic. The Pyramid’s power wasn’t just a curse. It was a weapon—a weapon that could be wielded by someone strong enough to master it. If he chose to, Alastor could seize the loop for himself. He could take control of the trials, the deaths, the rebirths—and use them to reshape the world as he saw fit.
He could build something new, something better. A new order—one without Lucius Cipher, without the corrupted elites at the top of the Pyramid. He could create a future where no one would ever have to suffer again.
Aurora’s voice broke through his thoughts, quiet but insistent. "We destroy the Pyramid," she said firmly, as if willing him to commit to the choice. "We end this, Alastor. No one should have this kind of power."
He looked up at her, seeing the fear in her eyes. Aurora knew what the Codex was offering him—and she was afraid of what he might choose.
"It’s not that simple," Alastor murmured, his hand hovering over the glowing glyphs. "If we destroy the Pyramid, everything falls apart. The trials, the rebirths... all of it ends. There are people trapped in the loop who won’t come back."
Aurora’s jaw tightened, her neural interface flickering as her frustration bled through. "We knew the cost when we started this war. Freedom comes with a price."
Alastor exhaled slowly, turning to face the Codex once more. Freedom did come with a price—but so did power. If he destroyed the Pyramid, everyone would be free—including Lucius and the other elites. There would be chaos, war, power vacuums waiting to be filled. The world they left behind might be worse than the one they were trying to escape.
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But if he took the power for himself... he could stop that chaos before it started. He could rebuild the world in his image—a world where no one was trapped, where no one was broken by endless trials.
Selene’s voice echoed in his mind, a haunting reminder of the sacrifice she had made. "End it. For all of us."
He clenched his fists, his heart heavy with the weight of the decision. This was the choice the founders had faced. They had tried to bend life and death to their will, only to become prisoners of their own ambition. Would he make the same mistake?
Aurora took a step closer, her voice low and urgent. "Alastor, we have to destroy it. No one should wield this kind of power—not even you."
He turned to her, his expression unreadable. "And what if I can use it for good?"
Aurora shook her head, her voice raw with emotion. "That’s what they all thought. Lucius. The founders. Every one of them thought they could make the world better—and look where it got them. You don’t win by becoming them."
Alastor’s gaze drifted back to the Codex, the swirling glyphs shifting beneath his hand. The scarab’s pulse quickened, urging him forward—whispering that the power was his, if only he reached out and took it.
He could feel the weight of infinite lifetimes pressing down on him, every death and every rebirth shaping him into the man he had become. The war against the Pyramid wasn’t just about breaking free—it was about deciding what came after.
If the gods fall, who would take their place?
Selene’s sacrifice had given him this choice, but it was his alone to make. Destroy the Pyramid, or seize its power.
He closed his eyes, his hand hovering just above the glowing surface of the Codex. The path of the destroyer stretched out before him, sharp and unforgiving. On one side lay freedom, a world where the loop was shattered, and every soul—including his—was finally free from the curse.
On the other side lay power—a throne built atop the ruins of the Pyramid, a future shaped by his will alone. He could bend the loop to his command, become the master of time and death, and ensure that no one ever suffered as he had.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears. This was the choice that would define everything.
"The gods must fall," Alastor whispered, his voice quiet but filled with iron. The old system had to be destroyed—of that, there was no question.
But what rose in its place? That was still in his hands.
His hand hovered over the Codex, the ancient glyphs glowing brighter beneath his touch, as if sensing his resolve. This was it—the moment everything changed.
"The gods must fall," Alastor said again, his voice steady now. "But what rises after is up to me."