Nate's grip on the Nexus Key tightened as Auren advanced, each step echoing ominously through the chamber. Lira was still frozen in place, her eyes filled with frustration and helplessness as she struggled against the invisible force holding her.
"Who are you?" Nate repeated, his voice laced with anger. "And what do you know about my father?"
Auren's dark, angular features softened for just a moment, as if the name itself had stirred something deep within him. "Your father… was a fool," he said finally, his voice cold. "But a clever one."
Nate's heart pounded. "What does that even mean?"
"It means," Auren said as he began to circle the pedestal holding the Heart of Convergence, "that your father was once one of us. A guardian of the spire. A protector of the balance."
Nate froze. "No. That's impossible. My dad was just… normal. He was an engineer."
Auren let out a hollow laugh. "Is that what he told you? That he spent his days fixing machines, living an ordinary life? Tell me, Nathaniel, did it ever occur to you that there was more to him? That he might have been hiding something from you?"
Nate shook his head. "You're lying."
"I have no reason to lie," Auren said, pausing to look directly at Nate. His eyes glowed faintly with a strange, otherworldly light. "Your father was one of the brightest minds among the Guardians of Convergence. But like all flawed men, he thought he could outsmart fate."
A silence fell between them, heavy and unyielding.
"What did he do?" Nate finally asked, his voice quieter now.
Auren gestured toward the Heart of Convergence, its light pulsing steadily. "The spire was failing. The fractures were spreading. Your father believed he had found a way to seal the multiverse permanently—to lock the dimensions and eliminate the chaos forever. He built the Nexus Key as the solution. But instead of fixing the balance, it shattered it."
Nate's stomach dropped. "He caused the collapse?"
"Yes," Auren said. "And when he realized what he had done, he ran. He took the key and disappeared into your world, leaving the rest of us to deal with the consequences."
Nate staggered back, his mind spinning. My dad did this? He thought of all the nights his father spent working late in the garage, surrounded by blueprints and scraps of machinery. He thought of the tired look in his father's eyes whenever he asked about work—how he would change the subject, or promise to explain "when you're older."
"Why didn't he tell me?" Nate whispered.
"Perhaps he was ashamed," Auren said, his tone almost sympathetic. "Or perhaps he hoped you would never have to carry this burden."
Nate looked down at the Nexus Key, its glow brighter now, as if it could sense the truth. "So why do you care?" he asked, forcing himself to meet Auren's gaze. "What do you want with it?"
Auren's expression hardened. "To finish what he started. The multiverse cannot remain in chaos. Someone must take control of the Heart and forge a new order."
"And you think that's you?" Nate asked bitterly.
"Who else?" Auren replied, spreading his arms. "The Guardians are gone. The spire is collapsing. I am the only one left who understands what must be done."
"And if I don't let you?" Nate challenged, stepping closer to the pedestal.
Auren's eyes narrowed. "Then you'll doom countless worlds, including your own."
Nate hesitated. The weight of Auren's words settled on his shoulders, crushing him. He looked at Lira, still frozen, her expression imploring him to resist.
"Why should I trust you?" Nate asked, his voice trembling.
"Because you have no choice," Auren said, his hand slowly reaching toward the Nexus Key.
Nate's instincts kicked in. He jerked back, gripping the key tighter. "Get away from me!"
Auren's expression darkened. "I was hoping you'd be reasonable. But it seems you'll need more convincing."
Before Nate could react, the chamber began to shake violently. From the shadows, dark forms emerged—wraith-like creatures with glowing eyes and jagged limbs.
"The Void Wraiths," Auren said calmly, as if introducing old friends. "Perhaps they'll show you the consequences of defying me."
Nate took a step back, his heart racing. "You're insane!"
Auren smiled coldly. "No, Nathaniel. I am necessary."
The wraiths closed in, their forms twisting unnaturally as they moved. Nate looked at the Nexus Key, its light now pulsing frantically. He glanced back at Lira, who still couldn't move, then at the glowing Heart of Convergence.
What am I supposed to do?
The chamber shook harder, the air thick with dark energy. Nate realized he had seconds to act—or everything would be lost.
"Think, think, think!" he muttered, his mind racing. Then, without fully understanding why, he thrust the Nexus Key toward the Heart of Convergence.
A blinding light erupted from the pedestal, cutting through the darkness. The wraiths screeched, retreating as the energy flared outward. Auren shielded his eyes, his calm composure cracking for the first time.
"No!" he roared, his voice echoing through the chamber.
The ground beneath them split apart, and Nate felt himself falling. The last thing he saw was the light of the Heart consuming everything around him—and then, there was nothing.