Kynes steps through the stabilized portal and the chamber hits him like a hammer. Blueprints whirl through the air around the control node, folding into a faceted Architect shape, bright and watching.
The node pulses again, hard enough to rattle his teeth. At the edges of the light, the chamber starts pulling at him, searching for lines to copy, names to file, blood to claim.
The Architect
You return. Claim or be claimed.
Kynes
Kynes holds his staff tight and answers the threat, forcing the chamber to hear him.
He drives his will outward. The portal steadies, but the blue light lances into his shadow, trying to write his essence into the wall itself.
Bren
Kynes, move, now. I will hold the rear.
Behind him, Bren plants herself against the encroaching void-matter, blade ready, while Kynes stands at the threshold of the node, the Architect waiting for his answer.
✓ Quest Accepted
Seize control of the foundation node