Grandmaster Silas Vane stood silent for a long time. The deal Caelum offered—Level 100—was heresy, but it was also every mage's ultimate dream.
"One week," Silas finally whispered, his voice trembling. "I will mask your mana signature from the Overseers for seven days. But in return, you must stay within the Academy's Restricted Zone. If they find you outside, I cannot protect you."
Caelum nodded. "A fair trade. Now, give me the key to the Forbidden Library."
Silas hesitated, then handed over a heavy, black iron seal. "What are you looking for, Caelum? No one has entered that library in a century."
"I'm looking for the Source Code," Caelum replied, turning to leave.
The Forbidden Library was located deep beneath the Academy, in a place where the System's light barely reached. As Caelum walked through the dust-covered shelves, his interface began to flicker violently.
[NOTICE: AREA CONTAINS 'LEGACY DATA' ERRORS]
[DETECTION: FRAGMENT OF THE VOID ARCHITECT FOUND]
Caelum stopped in front of a pedestal holding a single, glowing book. It wasn't made of paper, but of pure light. This was the 'Log Book' of the creators who built the world.
As he touched the book, a voice echoed in his mind—not the robotic voice of the System, but a human one.
"Subject 001... you have returned. The experiment was supposed to be deleted. Why are you still here?"
Caelum gripped the book, his eyes burning with cold fire. "Because you forgot to delete my memory. And now, I'm going to delete yours."