The service tunnel was long, dusty, and filled with old pipes that rattled with every step they took. Ryan walked in front, the diary warm against his chest, while Kate and Vale stayed close behind. Every few minutes, Vale would stop and listen, as if he expected someone or something to appear in the darkness.
When they reached the end of the tunnel, the space opened into a massive underground chamber. The ceiling stretched so high that parts of it were lost in shadows. Rusted machines stood everywhere some tall like towers, others shaped like cages or engines Ryan couldn't recognize. A soft hum filled the room, like a heartbeat hidden inside the metal.
Kate whispered, "This place looks ancient."
Vale nodded. "It is. The Oracle has lived here longer than the Hollow Court has existed. Some say she was born in the cycle too, just like you, Ryan."
Ryan frowned. "You're saying she's immortal?"
"Not exactly," Vale replied. "She just… doesn't die in the usual way."
At the center of the chamber sat the Oracle,an old woman on a raised platform. Her skin was lined, but her eyes were bright, glowing faintly with the same golden color Ryan had seen in the Loom. Dozens of thin wires connected her to the machines around her, like roots to a tree.
Without opening her eyes, she spoke.
"Come closer, Ryan. I have been waiting."
Ryan felt a chill. He stepped forward slowly, the air becoming heavier with each step. Kate held his arm for support, but Ryan kept walking until he stood before the Oracle.
Her eyes opened.
They weren't normal eyes,they swirled with memories like living threads.
"You seek answers," she said. "You run from Lucien, but you don't even understand what he wants."
Ryan swallowed. "Then tell me."
The Oracle lifted a trembling hand, touching the air in front of him. Immediately, a circle of light appeared shifting images of Ryan's past lives. A warrior. A scholar. A thief. A king. A wanderer.
"You have lived many lives," the Oracle said. "But the first life… the one that started everything… that memory was taken."
Kate stepped closer. "Taken by who?"
The Oracle turned her glowing eyes to Kate. "Lucien. He stole the core memory the moment that created your endless rebirth. Without it, Ryan cannot break the cycle."
Ryan felt his stomach tighten. "Why would he do that?"
"Because your first life holds the truth," the Oracle said. "A truth powerful enough to end him… or destroy everything connected to the Loom."
Vale suddenly stiffened. The air grew icy. Ryan felt it too …. a light pressure in his chest.
"They're here," Vale whispered. "The Hollow agents."
The machines around them flickered. Shadows formed on the far walls, tall and thin. Their white eyes blinked, one by one.
Kate grabbed Ryan's hand. "We need to go."
But the Oracle shook her head. "I will stay. I am connected to this place. If I leave, everything collapses."
Ryan protested. "We can fight with you!"
The Oracle gave a small smile. "You cannot save me, Ryan. But you can save the cycle."
She reached behind her chair and pulled out a small metal shard silver with patterns that glowed faintly.
"This will guide you to the lost memory," she said. "And unlock its power when the time comes."
Ryan took it carefully.
As soon as he closed his hand around it, the chamber exploded with light. The Hollow agents rushed forward, sliding through the machines like shadows.
The Oracle rose from her chair, wires snapping free.
"Go!" she commanded.
Her voice rang through the chamber, shaking the floor.
Ryan, Kate, and Vale sprinted into the tunnel as the Oracle unleashed a blast of energy behind them. For a moment, Ryan looked back.
The Oracle stood alone, glowing like a star, facing an army of shadows.
Then the chamber door slammed shut.