Chapter 126 The Betrayal

• An energy so strong that it was palpable—sharp and metallic, resembling blood on the tongue—filled the air. The obscure figure hovered in front of us, a void manifested, oozing evil that caused my skin to twitch. I automatically drew back a step, which caused me to hit Zoe, who was petrified.
• "Welcome, Harbinger," The Architect's sound punctuated the silence, momentous and anxious. "You are here to signal the successful outcome of our great labors."
• The Harbinger responded with nothing, but I perceived a change in its attention, its unseeing stare drilling into me. In that instance, I realized the essence of true terror. This wasn't nervousness about dying or experiencing pain; this was the archaic dread of truly vanishing, of being disassembled at the core.