[Location: Throne Spire - Lower Vault]

  [Session Time: 1:47 AM | Remaining: 4h 13m]

  The corridor beyond the vault entrance stretched into darknes that was only lit by torches that burned with violet flame. The walls were smooth, carved with symbols that seemed to shift when Kaiden looked at them directly.

  [Dungeon Entered: Throne Spire Vault]

  [Type: Lore Instance]

  [Recommended Level: 16+]

  [Party Size: 1-4]

  [Objective: Retrieve Memory Fragment 4/7]

  “Lore instance,” Naō read from the dungeon information. “That usually means puzzles or environmental storytelling. Less combat, more exploration.”

  “Usually,” Ironstride said, shield already raised. “But this is tied to ancient Court history. I doubt it’ll be simple.”

  Kaiden felt the Photosphere react to place as his body shuddered at the power in the place.

  They moved forward.

  The first chamber opened into a circular room with six pedestals arranged around its perimeter. Each pedestal held an object: a seed, a blade, a shield, a vial, a tome, a mirror, and an empty space where the seventh item should have been.

  In the room’s center stood a human-like statue with hands outstretched as if waiting for something.

  [Environmental Puzzle Detected]

  Objective: Activate the pedestals in the correct sequence

  Kaiden approached the nearest pedestal, the one holding the blade. A plaque beneath it read:

  “First came the blade. To cut away what threatened the world’s balance.”

  Next pedestal, the seed:

  “Then came growth. To nurture what remained.”

  Shield:

  “And guardians to hold the line.”

  Vial:

  “Balance required understanding the cycles.”

  Tome:

  “Knowledge to guide the path.”

  Hammer and Anvil:

  “And a Forge to main the tools that held it together.”

  Kaiden returned to the blade pedestal and placed his hand on it. Ironstride, too, walked torward the shield pedestal as if on instinct.

  Light flooded into the room.

  “It’s the order of something,” Kaiden said quietly. “Six roles. Six approaches.”

  “Blade, growth, shield, balance, knowledge, and forge is last,” Naō counted. “The old Court structure, maybe? Before the split?”

  “With the Bade being the first and Forge last,” Ironstride observed. “The beginning and end of destruction?”

  Kaiden’s Photosphere reacted again, almost painful it made him wince. He glanced at Ironstride and saw her wince slightly, hand going to her chest.

  “You feel it too?” he asked.

  “Yeah. The shield pedestal. It’s...” She trailed off, moving toward the guardian pedestal. “Pulling at me.”

  Kaiden placed his hand on it. At the same moment, Ironstride touched the shield pedestal.

  The statue in the center came alive and illuminated. Six ghostly figures appeared around it, each corresponding to a pedestal. The bladed figure stood at the pedestal beside Kaiden. The guardian figure stood beside Ironstride, solid and armored.

  A voice echoed through the chamber, or rather, multiple voices, overlapping:

  “You seek the memories of those who chose their paths.”

  “Yes,” Kaiden and Ironstride said simultaneously.

  “Then witness what was lost.”

  The ghostly figures began to move, acting out a scene:

  Six figures stood in a circle, artifacts glowing in their hands as spheres of light and shadow and colors between. They were arguing intensely. The growth bearer wanted expansion. The truth bearer demanded honesty about costs. The guardian bearer stood firm, unmovable. The shadow bearer stood apart, watching, silent.

  Then the split.

  Four figures moved to one side: growth, knowledge, shield. The Seelie faction, Kaiden realized. Light and expansion and preservation. Three remained on the other: forge, balance, blade. The Unseelie. Defense and cycles and acceptance of endings.

  “Six Architects stood between the world and collapse,” the voices continued. “Six barriers against the breaking sky. But they could not agree on how to hold the world together. And so the world fractured.”

  The vision shattered.

  [Puzzle Complete]

  [Path Opened: Descent to Memory Chamber]

  The pedestals glowed, and a staircase appeared in the floor, spiraling down into deeper darkness.

  “Artifitects,” Naō said slowly. “That’s what the photospheres were called. The ones who carried them.”

  “Six barriers against the breaking of the world,” Ironstride repeated, her voice distant. “That sounds like... environmental collapse. Like they were literally holding the atmosphere together.”

  “Let’s keep moving,” Kaiden said, but his mind was already spinning.

  They descended.

  ???°?°???

  The next level was different. It felt alive.

  [Zone: Memory Garden]

  [Environmental Effect: Ancient Resonance]

  Kaiden’s artifact pulsed constantly here, each beat stronger than the last. His HUD flickered with fragments of text, memories bleeding through:

  “I did not want this burden.”

  “But someone had to choose the hard path.”

  The corridor split. To the left, a pool of dark water that reflected no light. To the right, a pool of crystalline water that glowed with soft golden light.

  Shadow and light. Defense and entropy.

  “Two pools,” Naō observed. “One for each of you.”

  Kaiden looked at Ironstride. She nodded.

  “Guess we’re going separately,” she said. “Meet back here after?”

  “Yeah.”

  They split up. Kaiden approached the dark pool, Ironstride the light one.

  [Environmental Interaction Available]

  Kaiden knelt beside the dark water. His reflection stared back but not quite. The reflection’s eyes glowed brighter than his real eyes. Like looking at a future version of himself.

  He reached out and touched the water.

  The world dissolved.

  [Memory Sequence: The Choice of the Blade]

  Kaiden stood in a forest he didn’t recognize. It was beautiful to say thewast. The trees bloomed with fowers that never wilted, grass so green and vibrant. It was like an eternal beauty that was best left untouched or risk corruption.

  A figure approached, the Blade Architect, Kaiden somehow knew. He looked human wearing dark clothes, dark skin, and bright eyes. An artifact glowed at his chest, pulsing with the same rhythm Kaiden’s did.

  “This is what they want,” the Blade Architect said, gesturing at the perfect forest. “Eternal spring. No death, only growth, forever.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Kaiden heard himself say.

  “It’s a cage.” The Architect walked to a tree and placed his hand on its trunk. “This tree will never die. Never return to the soil. Never make room for new growth. In a hundred years, the forest will be so dense nothing can move through it. In a thousand, every resource will be consumed. Life will strangle itself.”

  He turned to face Kaiden directly.

  “My role was to cut away stagnation. To allow transformation through decisive action. Some called my artifact ‘shadow’ because I operated in the space between light and dark, removing what needed to end. The barriers were failing. We tried to warn them. The ones in power, but they wouldn’t listen.” His voice was heavy with old grief. “So we changed our names. Became something they couldn’t ignore. Called ourselves the Black Dahlia.”

  Black Dahlia.

  The name Ashlander had mentioned and Francesca had mentioned the same thing. They were the research group Alex had been part of.

  “We were researchers first,” the Blade Architect continued. “who saw what was coming. The atmospheric degradation. The protective barriers failing. Life on Earth had maybe decades before the radiation made everything uninhabitable.”

  The perfect forest around them flickered showing glimpses of a dying world. Plants growing wild and uncontrolled and Cities being consumed.

  “We created the Architects. Six of us. Six artifacts to interface with specific biological patterns. To choose people who could maintain the balance.” The Architect’s expression was sad. “But even among us, we couldn’t agree. Some wanted to force eternal preservation. Others understood that cycles must continue.”

  He gestured at the split forest around them.

  “Death is not the enemy. Stagnation is. Decay is not destruction, it’s transformation. The end of one thing is the beginning of another.” He looked directly at Kaiden. “But our counterparts could not accept that. They saw only the beauty of preservation. Could not bear the thought of losing anything.”

  The forest split down the middle. One side eternally blooming. One side cycling through seasons, life and death in balance.

  “So we went to war. And when the Architects divided, our ability to hold the barriers together fractured.” He placed a hand on Kaiden’s shoulder. “We built this as a training ground. To find new bearers who might succeed where we failed.”

  The Architect stepped closer.

  “You carry my burden now. The artifact I designed, the role I filled. Eventually, you’ll face the same choice: preserve everything and watch the world suffocate, or allow cycles to continue and accept what that means.” A look of determination set in his eyes. “Learn from our failure. The Black Dahlia tried to save the world by dividing it. You must find another way.”

  The memory ended.

  Kaiden gasped, jerking back from the pool. He was back in the Memory Garden.

  Across the chamber, Ironstride stumbled away from her own pool, looking equally shaken.

  They met in the middle, where Naō waited.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  “You okay?” Naō asked, looking between them.

  “Yeah. Just...” Kaiden’s hands were shaking. “The Black Dahlia and the Architects. They were scientists who tried to warn people about the atmospheric collapse, and when no one listened, they... they built this. The game. The artifacts. All of it.”

  “Black Dahlia?” Naō’s eyes widened. “Wait, isn’t that—”

  “The group Ashlander mentioned,” Kaiden said. “The one Francesca barely wanted to say” He looked at them. “They weren’t just making a game. They were trying to save the world, and they’re still trying.”

  “Through us,” Ironstride said quietly. “Through whoever can carry these artifacts.”

  She looked at Kaiden, her expression troubled. “Did your Architect mention the choice?”

  “Yeah. Preserve everything and watch it suffocate, or allow cycles to continue.” Kaiden paused. “What did yours say?”

  “The Guardian Architect. She said...” She took a breath. “She said holding the line isn’t about choosing what to protect. It’s about protecting everything, even when the cost is yourself. Even when the choice means standing alone against everyone else.”

  “That’s the opposite of what mine said,” Kaiden said slowly.

  “I know.” Ironstride’s voice was tight. “Mine said preservation was worth any price. That the Guardian’s role was to make sure nothing was ever lost, no matter what that meant for balance or cycles or….” She stopped. “She went to war because she couldn’t accept letting anything die.”

  “And mine went to war because he couldn’t accept forced preservation,” Kaiden finished.

  Naō looked between them. “So you both got different perspectives, and they went to war over it.”

  “Yeah,” Kaiden said. “The Black Dahlia tried to save the world while the other side ended up splitting it instead.”

  Two notifications appeared simultaneously:

  [Fragment 4/7: The Choice of Dusk]

  Fragment Acquired - Memory Integrated

  “I did not choose Blade because I loved death. I chose it because I loved life enough to let it end. My counterpart could not accept that truth. And so we broke the barriers trying to save them. Do not repeat our mistake.”

  [Fragment 4/7: The Guardian’s Burden]

  Fragment Acquired - Memory Integrated

  “I held the line because someone had to. Because if I didn’t, everything would fall. My counterpart called it stagnation. I called it survival. We both broke the world trying to prove we were right.”

  [Artifact Synchronization: 35% → 45% (+10%)]

  [Artifact Synchronization: 32% → 42% (+10%)]

  [New Ability Unlocked - NYTE: Umbral Recursion]

  Type: Passive/Active

  Effect: Once every 2 minutes, when you would take lethal damage or be hit by a crowd control effect, automatically rewind your position to where you were 3 seconds ago. Prevents death/CC and refunds 20% of resources spent in those 3 seconds.

  Cooldown: 2 minutes

  [New Ability Unlocked - IRONSTRIDE: Aegis Anchoring]

  Type: Passive/Active

  Effect: When an ally within 10 meters would take lethal damage, automatically redirect 50% of that damage to yourself and grant them immunity for 2 seconds. Can only trigger once per ally every 90 seconds.

  Cooldown: Per target

  “New abilities,” Kaiden said, sharing his Umbral Recursion tooltip with the party.

  Ironstride shared hers. “Aegis Anchoring. I take hits for you so you don’t die.”

  “Very on-brand for a Guardian,” Naō observed.

  “Yeah.” Ironstride’s expression was complicated. “The Architect said that’s what Guardians do. Stand between everything and the end. Even if it means we’re the ones who break.”

  “And mine said I have to accept endings,” Kaiden added. “Even if it means letting things die.”

  They looked at each other, two bearers with fundamentally opposing philosophies embedded in their artifacts.

  “So,” Naō said carefully. “What happens if you two can’t agree? When the choice comes?”

  Neither of them had an answer.

  The pools began to drain simultaneously, revealing a single staircase beneath that led deeper in.

  [Path Revealed: Vault Guardian Chamber]

  [Warning: Boss encounter ahead]

  “Of course there’s a boss,” Naō muttered.

  They descended the final staircase, but the weight of what they’d learned hung heavy between them.

  Two bearers with two opposing philosophies. The same split that had fractured the original Architects.

  Kaiden hoped they’d find a different path.

  But he was starting to understand why the Black Dahlia had failed.

  The chamber at the bottom was vast with a domed ceiling that showed the night sky through gaps in the roots. At the center stood two crystalline structures made of frozen shadow and frozen light.

  And inside each cage, something moved.

  [ELITE BOSS DETECTED - DUAL ENCOUNTER]

  The Forgotten Sentinel (Dusk Blade)

  Level: 17

  LP: 10,200/10,200

  The Radiant Warden (Shield of Light)

  Level: 17

  LP: 10,200/10,200

  Type: Elite Boss - Memory Guardians (Linked)

  Traits: Shadow/Light Immunity | Phase Shift | Echo Strike | Synchronized Health

  Both cages shattered.

  Two guardians emerged: one dusk, one light. The Dusk wielded a scythe like Kaiden’s. The light wielded a tower shield and mace like Ironstride’s.

  They stood on opposite sides of the chamber, mirroring each other.

  “Two bosses,” Ironstride said. “Linked health pools, probably.”

  A voice echoed, both guardians speaking in unison:

  “Bearers. You carry what was ours. Prove you can succeed where we failed. Fight together, or fall divided.”

  [Boss Battle: The Divided Guardians]

  Objective: Defeat both guardians without letting them destroy each other

  A new mechanic appeared in the combat log:

  [Special Condition: Unity or Division]

  If Shadow Guardian and Light Guardian are pulled more than 30 meters apart, both enter Enraged state (+200% damage, +50% speed)

  If one guardian dies before the other reaches 10% health, the surviving guardian becomes Unstoppable

  “We have to keep them together and burn them evenly,” Naō said immediately. “Tank one, DPS the other, swap when health gets uneven.”

  “On it,” Ironstride said, charging the Light Warden.

  Kaiden engaged the Shadow Sentinel.

  The fight began.

  It was chaos from the start; two elite bosses with opposing elements, both mirroring the bearers’ own combat styles.

  The Shadow Sentinel moved with the quickness, scythe carving trails through the air. Kaiden blocked, dodged, countered, his own shadow abilities clashing with the boss’s.

  The Light Warden was a wall. A shield absorbing damage, mace strikes hitting like a truck. Ironstride met it head-on, her defense against its offense.

  “Overflow.”

  ATK: 72 → 97 (+35%)

  AGI: 95 → 119 (+25%)

  LP Drain: 9/sec

  [Guardian’s Covenant: Active] -

  [Dual Core Proximity: Active]

  [Party Buffs Applied]

  The familiar resonance washed over them. But this time, Kaiden noticed something.

  The two bosses were also resonating. When they got within range of each other, their attacks synchronized. Combo chains between them.

  “They’re working together!” Kaiden called. “Even though they’re opposing elements!”

  “That’s the lesson!” Naō shouted back, throwing flasks at both bosses. “The original Architects failed because they split! These two are showing us what should have happened!”

  Kaiden unleashed Twilight Rend on the Sentinel.

  [Damage: -445]

  [Shadow Sentinel: 9,755/10,200]

  Ironstride hit the Warden with Bastion’s Wrath.

  [Damage: -520]

  [Light Warden: 9,680/10,200]

  The health pools were linked, both dropped proportionally.

  [Combined Health: 95%]

  At 75%, both bosses activated their ultimate abilities at the same time.

  [Dusk Blade Sentinel: Echo Strike]

  [Shield of Light Warden: Radiant Bulwark]

  Five shadow clones appeared around Kaiden. A dome of light surrounded Ironstride, reflecting all damage back at attackers.

  “Swap targets!” Ironstride called.

  They switched. Kaiden attacking the light boss, Ironstride engaging the shadow boss. The opposite elements broke through the defenses.

  Kaiden’s Umbral Recursion saved him twice, once from a radiant explosion, once from being pinned by a light spear. Ironstride’s Aegis Anchoring triggered when Naō nearly died to a shadow spike; half the damage redirected to her, Naō getting two seconds of immunity to escape.

  At 50%, the bosses changed tactics.

  [Phase Shift: Unified Front]

  They moved to the chamber’s center and stood back-to-back. Shadow and light swirling around them in perfect harmony.

  They coordinated their assault. Kaiden’s shadow abilities and Ironstride’s light abilities hitting both bosses simultaneously. Naō’s flasks bridging the gap between elements, creating reactions.

  [Combo Chain - Cross-Element]

  [Bonus Damage: +25%]

  At 25%, both bosses activated their final phase.

  [Desperation: The Divided Path]

  They separated, moving to opposite ends of the chamber. A line of energy appeared between them, shadow on one side, light on the other.

  [Environmental Effect: Choose Your Side]

  Standing in Shadow Zone: +50% shadow damage, -50% light damage

  Standing in Light Zone: +50% light damage, -50% shadow damage

  Standing in Center: No bonuses, no penalties

  “Don’t split!” Kaiden called. “Stay center!”

  They held the middle ground, fighting both bosses despite the lack of bonuses. It was harder, slower, but they stayed together.

  The guardians fell simultaneously.

  [BOSS DEFEATED: The Divided Guardians]

  [Combat Time: 8m 34s]

  [REWARDS]

  EXP: +2,840 (split between both bosses)

  Verdant Coins: +750

  Item: Sentinel’s Echo (Accessory - Rare)

  Item: Shadow-Touched Essence (Crafting Material - Legendary)

  Item: Light-Touched Essence (Crafting Material - Legendary)

  [Achievement Unlocked: Unity in Division]

  Defeated the Divided Guardians without choosing a side

  Reward: Title — “Bearer of Balance” (Available to all party members) | +5% damage when fighting alongside another bearer

  A new title, not Bearer of Dusk or Bearer of Light, but Bearer of Balance.

  “The lesson,” Naō said, staring at the title. “The fight was teaching us. Shadow and light working together. Not splitting.”

  “Yeah,” Kaiden said, looking at Ironstride. “Even though our Architects gave us opposing messages... we don’t have to repeat their mistake.”

  “We can find another way,” Ironstride agreed.

  The chamber brightened. Where the guardians had stood, two pedestals rose, each holding a crystalline shard. Fragments 4 and 5.

  Wait. Five?

  Kaiden checked his quest log.

  [Fragment 4/7: The Choice of Dusk] - Already acquired

  [Fragment 5/7: The Guardian’s Burden] - Already acquired (Ironstride)

  Both fragments had been here. One for each of them.

  They each touched their respective crystals. The shards dissolved into light, flowing into their chests.

  [Fragments Confirmed: 4/7 (Nyte) | 5/7 (Ironstride)]

  [Integration Complete]

  A notification appeared:

  [Quest Complete: The Shadow’s Memory]

  All objectives achieved

  Rewards distributed

  [Reputation Gained]

  Unseelie Court: Honored → Revered (+500)

  [NYTE - Level 16]

  LP: 295/295 (+20)

  ATK: 79 (+4 base)

  DEF: 51 (+4 base, equipment adjustments)

  DEX: 55 (+4)

  AGI: 85 (+4 base)

  INT: 40 (+2)

  WIS: 33 (+2)

  New Title Equipped: Bearer of Balance (+5% damage with allied bearers)

  Photosphere Status:

  Synchronization: 45%

  Fragments Collected: 4/7

  Abilities: Overflow, Twilight Overdrive, Drown the Sun, Phantom Veil (Enhanced), Umbral Recursion

  The Sentinel’s Echo accessory was interesting. A ring that reduced shadow ability cooldowns by 8%. Kaiden equipped it.

  The Shadow-Touched Essence and Light-Touched Essence went into inventory. Two legendary crafting materials.

  They ascended from the vault in thoughtful silence.

  When they emerged into the Inner Court, the in-game morning had fully arrived.

  Kaiden checked the time: 2:34 AM. Three and a half hours remaining on his shift.

  “That was...” Ironstride trailed off.

  “Yeah,” Kaiden agreed.

  “The Black Dahlia,” Naō said. “Alex was part of their beta testing. That’s how he got his artifact.”

  “And now I have it,” Kaiden said. “Which means they knew it would transfer. They planned for bearers to die or fail.”

  “So what do we do with this information?” Ironstride asked.

  “Right now? Nothing.” Kaiden gestured at the game world. “We’re mid-session. But after I log off, I’m digging into Black Dahlia properly.”

  “Careful,” Naō warned. “They’re clearly secretive.”

  “Let them notice,” Kaiden said. “They put an artifact in my chest. I’ve earned the right to ask questions.”

  They headed toward Thornforge’s workshop; the rake quest was still active.

  ???°?°???

  Master Smith Thornforge

  [Level: ???]

  [Title: Keeper of Old Weapons]

  [Faction: Unseelie Court - Master Artisan]

  “Queen said you’d come,” she said without looking up. “Dayslayers carrying a broken rake.”

  Kaiden pulled the Splintered Rake from his inventory and placed it on her workbench.

  [Splintered Rake]

  [Quality: ???]

  [Durability: 3%]

  Thornforge examined it, her expression shifting to intense focus.

  “Where did you get this?”

  “An old man near the Seelie border,” Kaiden said. “Gave it to Mixmaster and me in exchange for help.”

  “Harvest Keeper,” Thornforge said quietly. “From before the divide. The first bearers used them to maintain sacred groves.” She looked up. “This belonged to one of them.”

  She picked up the rake and held it then her eyes narrowed.

  “Strange,” she muttered.

  “What?” Kaiden asked.

  Thornforge turned to Naō. “Come here.”

  Naō approached cautiously. Thornforge held the rake toward him.

  The moment it came within a foot of Naō, the damaged wood began to glow as a faint green-gold light pulsing through the cracks.

  “It’s not responding to you,” Thornforge said, looking at Kaiden. “It’s responding to him.”

  “Me?” Naō said.

  “The Harvest Keeper recognizes balance.” She studied Naō. “You’re an alchemist. You work with transformation. That’s what this tool was made for.”

  Kaiden and Naō exchanged glances.

  “So it’s his tool?” Kaiden asked.

  “Appears so.” Thornforge set the rake down. “Which means he’s the one who needs to provide materials for restoration.”

  A quest window appeared—for Naō.

  [Quest Available: The Harvest Keeper’s Tool]

  Master Smith Thornforge offers to restore the Splintered Rake to its original form.

  Requirements (Choose One):

  Option A: Payment - 1,500 Verdant Coins

  Option B: Time - 72 hours (real-time)

  Option C: Materials - Provide Balance-Attuned Essence (Legendary)

  “I have a Shadow-Touched Essence,” Kaiden said. “And Ironstride has a Light-Touched Essence.”

  Thornforge’s eyes lit up. “Both? From the vault guardians?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s even better.” She gestured. “Shadow and light combined create balance. Give me both essences, and I can attune the tool perfectly. It’ll bond to him specifically, and it’ll adapt to his role.”

  Kaiden and Ironstride both pulled out their legendary crafting materials.

  [Shadow-Touched Essence] - from Nyte

  [Light-Touched Essence] - from Ironstride

  Thornforge took both, holding them together. They swirled, merging, creating something new.

  [Balance-Forged Essence Created]

  [Quality: Legendary]

  “This will take forty-eight hours,” Thornforge said to Naō. “When it’s ready, the Harvest Keeper will be yours. Permanently attuned. No one else will wield it.”

  [Quest Accepted: The Harvest Keeper’s Tool]

  [Payment Method: Balance-Forged Essence]

  [Restoration Time: 48 hours (real-time)]

  “What will it do?” Naō asked.

  Thornforge smiled. “The Balance Bearer used his to maintain sacred groves. To ensure growth and decay remained in harmony. What yours will do...” She shrugged. “Depends on you. It might become a weapon. It might become a tool for crafting. It might become something else entirely.”

  [Quest Progress: The Harvest Keeper’s Tool]

  Status: Materials provided. Restoration in progress.

  Attuned To: MIXMASTER

  Time Remaining: 48 hours (real-time)

  Return to Thornforge when complete.

  They left the workshop.

  “So I get a legendary tool,” Naō said, looking stunned. “From the original Balance Architect.”

  “Yeah,” Kaiden said. “Which means...”

  “Which means when I find my artifact,” Naō finished quietly. “I’m probably going to be the Balance bearer.”

  “Six Architects,” Ironstride said. “Six artifacts. Kaiden has Blade. I have Shield.”

  “Four more out there,” Kaiden added. “Growth, blade, knowledge, truth.”

  “And we all have to make the choice the original Architects failed to make,” Naō said.

  They stood in silence, processing.

  “Two days until the rake is ready,” Ironstride finally said. “What do we do until then?”

  “Event content,” Kaiden decided. “Level up and get stronger. And I start researching Black Dahlia.”

  They headed toward the quest board.

  The game continued around the players, NPCs, the world living and breathing. All of it was built by scientists trying to save the world.

  “Do not repeat our mistake.”

  He didn’t intend to. But he was starting to understand how hard it would be to avoid it.