The room was quiet, but focused.
Kay stood in front of the map.
The marked location was clear now.
"This is the relay station?" he asked.
The woman nodded.
"Yes. It connects local Archives to the Core."
Kay looked at the distance.
"Is it far?"
"Not far," the man said.
"But not easy to enter."
Kay turned to him.
"What's inside?"
"Security systems," the man replied.
"Scanners, memory checks, and watchers."
Kay frowned.
"Watchers?"
The woman answered:
"People who work for the system… but they're not like the ones outside."
Kay understood.
"They still think."
"Yes," she said.
"But they follow orders."
Kay crossed his arms.
"So what's the plan?"
The man pointed at the map.
"We go in through the lower level," he said.
"Maintenance access."
Kay nodded.
"And then?"
"We connect you to the system."
Kay looked at him.
"Me again."
"You're the only one who can do it," the woman said.
Kay didn't argue.
"What do I do once I'm inside?" he asked.
The man replied clearly:
"Find a path to the Core."
Kay let out a small breath.
"That simple."
The man gave a slight smile.
"No. But it's the first step."
The woman stepped closer.
"You need to be careful," she said.
"Every time you connect… you lose something."
Kay looked at her.
"I know."
"Do you?" she asked.
Kay didn't answer.
A short silence passed, but it wasn't heavy.
Just understanding.
"Alright," Kay said.
"Let's move."
They left the building together.
The city looked the same.
Calm. Controlled.
After a short walk, they reached a large structure.
Tall. Closed. No signs.
"That's it," the man said.
Kay looked at it.
It didn't look special.
But he could feel it.
"This place is connected," he said.
The woman nodded.
"You're starting to sense it."
They moved to the side of the building.
A small metal door was hidden behind a wall.
The man opened it using a device.
"Once we go in, we move fast," he said.
"No mistakes."
Kay nodded.
They entered.
Inside, the space was narrow.
Pipes. Wires. Low light.
"Maintenance level," the woman said quietly.
They walked deeper.
Every step felt closer to something bigger.
After a few minutes, they stopped.
"There," the man said.
A panel on the wall.
Different from the others.
"This connects to the system," he explained.
Kay stepped forward.
His hand hovered near it.
"You ready?" the woman asked.
Kay paused.
For a moment, the girl's voice returned in his mind.
"Don't forget me…"
He closed his eyes.
Then opened them again.
"I'm ready."
He touched the panel.
"Connection established."
The world disappeared.