Avery sat in the poorly lit room, the weight of recent events crushing down on her like a dense cloud. She'd barely had time to process the disappearance and reappearance of her closest friends—but Lucas remained absent, a lingering sorrow in her heart. The Architect had left scars, but his final act pointed in the direction of something bigger, something that went back to the foundations of the Puppet master corporation itself.
Russo entered, her face carved with strains of concern and backbone. She carried a thick, leather-bound sure ebook, its edges frayed, and the front adorned with a symbol that sent shivers down Avery's spine—the Puppet master emblem.
"Avery," Russo said, her voice steady, "it's time you understood the whole truth. The truth about the Puppet master employer. Approximately why it all began."
