The screen showed one line:
"You have been marked."
Kay read it twice.
"Marked for what?" he said.
A new message appeared.
"Tracking started."
The lights turned red. A warning sound spread across the Archive.
This time, it felt real.
Not just a system message.
Kay looked around quickly. The shelves were moving, opening a narrow path.
A small door appeared behind them.
"Emergency exit unlocked."
Kay didn't wait. He ran.
The sound behind him was getting louder, like something was activating.
As he reached the door, the voice returned.
"You cannot escape the system."
Kay didn't stop.
"I'm not staying either."
He pushed the door and stepped through.
On the other side, there was a long metal hallway.
No decorations. No screens. Just a straight path.
The door behind him closed.
When he turned back, it was already gone.
Kay kept walking.
At first, everything looked normal.
Then he heard another set of footsteps.
He stopped.
The sound stopped too.
He walked again.
The steps followed.
Kay turned quickly.
Nothing was there.
"This place is messing with me," he said, then kept moving.
As he got closer to the end, the walls started showing images.
Faces.
Different people.
All with the same empty expression.
Kay slowed down.
"Are these… memories?"
One of the faces moved slightly.
Its eyes focused on him.
"Help us," it said.
Kay stepped back, confused.
More faces reacted.
Not shouting. Not loud.
Just speaking.
"They took everything."
"Don't trust them."
"Keep your memories."
Kay shook his head and moved forward.
"I don't have time for this."
The voices stopped.
The hallway returned to normal.
At the end, there was a door.
Old, different from the system design.
Kay reached it and paused for a second.
Then opened it.
Bright light filled his view.
And for the first time, he stepped outside the Archive.