Tricked by the Astral Mage.

While searching for Ahti, I passed through a Firebreak void into the shifting Ashtray Maze. Endless dead ends forced me to realize Ahti was actually in the Maintenance Sector near Ventilation.

After fast-traveling there, I fought off a hostile Hiss squad, deflecting a grenade launcher's explosive back at him to clear the path.

While gathering health crystals, I discovered the entrance to Dimensional Research. Stepping through an area that closely resembled a security block, the metal detector blared as I walked through carrying my weapon.

Heavy doors slid upward in response, leading me straight into a Firebreak, a haunting doorway suspended in a dark void with floating pathways stretching into the space. Yeah, the same one I ran on before.

A massive shadow of Dr. Darling's face loomed nearby as audio of his dimensional research echoed through the air. Bypassing the projection, I ran along the open path until the far doors opened up to reveal a hotel corridor.

I needed to locate Ahti the janitor, so I cleansed a nearby Control Point to secure my progress before exploring deeper.

Heading down the corridor, I quickly hit what appeared to be a dead end, only for the environment to shift, unsealing a hidden path forward.

I pressed ahead, but the architecture continuously warped, looping me straight back to the original hallway near the Control Point.

Reading the environment confirmed I was trapped inside the Ashtray Maze. Every time I sprinted toward an opening, a solid wall slammed down to block my path, redirecting me back toward the beginning.

After spending considerable time running in circles through the tricky shifting walls, I re-checked my objective parameters and realized my mistake: Ahti was not inside the Ashtray Maze at all. His office was located down in the Maintenance Sector near Ventilation.

I returned to the Control Point and fast-traveled straight to the Ventilation checkpoint.

Moving toward the janitor's office, a squad of Hiss entities materialized to block the corridor.

Unwilling to run past them, I engaged the hostiles head-on. A heavily armed Hiss wielding a grenade launcher began shelling my position, forcing me to execute precise dodges to avoid the blasts.

Catching one of the airborne explosives mid-flight, I hurled the grenade directly back at the launcher, destroying him in a massive blast. I then grabbed the telekinetic remains of a fallen Hiss and slammed it into the final soldier; this cleared the path to Ahti's office.

To be Continued...

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"Be Good, Think Good and Do Good"