t that was almost suffocating. Nikolas stood frozen, his breath shallow, as the reality of what they had just done began to sink in. The core, once a living, b

us was down, but the city was far from safe. The shockwaves of their actions were still ripplin

rough the stillness, filled with a

re, his face pale and sweat-soaked. The magic within him still pulsed faintly, though it had quieted con

is no longer active. But... I can still feel something. It's

eat. "You mean the Archite

omething's been left behind... a remnant of their control. It's in the city i

u're saying the city is still under t

, but the magic is still woven throughout everything. If we don't act fast, the remnants will re

go deeper. If the Nexus was the source of their power, we've on

y to find the remaining conduits. If the system is still connected, we might b

" he said, his voice steady. "I can help with the magic. If the Nexus' pow

's magic. But even as they worked, Nikolas could feel a deep sense of unease settle over him. Something wasn't right. The city had c

nce pulsed with power was now eerily silent, its lights extinguished. The energy that had filled the room moments ago was gone, but its absence left a

ck to the others.

Not long. I'm tracing the final conduits now. We need to seve

us, trying to sense where the last traces of power lay. The city's systems were vast, sprawling out into every corner of their world, an

y above a whisper. "I can feel it. The last thread is in

te. "Then let's move.

couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The silence around them was suffocating, and the weight of their mission hung ove

ng, dark corridor. The air in the room felt cold, the hum of distant machinery vibrating through the

revealing the darkened interior beyond. The vault was vast, its walls lined with strange, pulsing conduits, each one feeding into the c

magic that still lingered in the room. "It's here," he whispered.

ice low but determined

and initiating the sequence to sever the final conduits. But as she worked, Nikolas couldn't help but feel a sense of

h a deafening clang. The lights flickered, and the air grew thick wi

trigger any lockdown sequence. The syst

conduits lining the walls pulsed with energy, and the magic that had once been dormant began to flare

"The Nexus was always a fail-safe. If we tried to destro

ned. "You mean it'

e the entire city. We've broken the Nexus, but the fail-safes are activa

. "We need to get

part, and the city's systems were failing-breaking down in a cascade of destruction. The architects' final safeguard was more than ju

uted, his voice fi

ting beneath their feet. The magic was building, an overwhelming force th

hed the vault's door, the f