I left the continent of Arcadia a different man. I was no longer that desperate young man searching for a cure, but a man who carried a final destiny in his pocket. My death now had a meaning, and this gave my life a strange calm.

  Our final journey led us to the heart of the continent of technology, to a place not even mentioned in the books I had read. A city made of light and liquid metal, constantly changing and reshaping itself. Here, as the legends said, resided "The Chosen One," the "Emperor of Technology."

  When we tried to approach his central tower, a defense system blocked our path, and a digital specter of an automated assistant appeared before us. "The Emperor does not receive visitors," the automated voice said. "But he does receive competitors. If you want the right to ask one question, you must win his game."

  "And what is his game?" I asked. "The game of absolute logic."

  The specter led us to a vast, empty hall. In its center, a three-dimensional chessboard formed from light, with complex and strange pieces. "Defeat the city's artificial intelligence, and you will have an audience with the Emperor."

  I sat inside Lagan's cockpit, connected to its systems, and we began the game. It was harder than anything I had ever faced. I used every strategy I had learned, and 404 beside me was analyzing millions of possibilities every second. It was a battle of minds that lasted for hours. And in the end, with a single, unexpected move—a move that was not based on pure logic but on intuition—I succeeded. "You have won," the automated voice said. "The Emperor is waiting for you."

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  We ascended to the top of the tower. We found him there, sitting on a throne of flowing data. "I enjoyed watching the game," he said with boredom. "You have one question."

  "I want to help this companion of mine," I said, pointing to 404. "I want him to feel. Is there a way?" The Emperor looked at me, then at 404, and smiled. It was a cold, empty smile.

  "I don't want to." I was shocked. "What? But we won the competition!"

  He stood up from his throne and approached us slowly. "Your victory gave you the right to ask. It did not give you the right to get an answer you like. I do not want to help you. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

  Before I could reply, I felt a massive wave of pure power press down on me. It wasn't magical or technological energy, but pure will. Lagan's systems completely shut down, and the massive metal frame fell to its knees. And beside me, 404 crashed to the ground with force, unable to move.

  I was completely helpless before him. "Now that we're done with these formalities," he said, looking down at us. "Let me tell you the truth. Do you really think this world is real? This is just a prison, made by a parasite named Anansi to trap your consciousness."

  He looked at 404 with disdain. "A Panir... what a shame. Your entire race was useless." "If this is a prison," I asked in a hoarse voice. "Then why are you here?"

  He laughed. "Leave? And deal with the 'other me' in the real world? Please. One of me is more than enough for any reality. I prefer the quiet of this cage." The last piece of the puzzle fell into place. I had won his game, only to lose everything else. There was no hope. There was no way out. There was only his will.