We talk more in-depth about the Abyss and its relationship with the Fallen World.

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The Lie is not a passive prison, deployed once and forgotten. It is actively perpetuated by the Abyss in a manner unknown to any Mage, possibly even the Exarchs themselves. Caused by the Abyss, Sleepers are cursed to be faced with unimaginable horror any time they directly witness a Supernal Truth or Abyssal phenomenon. Mages call this curse Quiescence. It prevents sleepers from remembering anything which triggers it, regardless how memorable it would seem to be. Every Sleeper carries a piece of the Abyss in their soul. When one Awakens, the Abyss is banished from their soul, freeing them from the curse of Quiescence. But that's just the beginning of Abyssal trouble for the Mage.

The Abyss separates the Fallen World from the Supernal; every spell the Mage casts must reach through this barrier for the Supernal power that makes their imagination True. This reaching risks a Paradox if the Mage is not careful with their spellcasting, including any time a Sleeper is around to witness their magic. A responsible Mage will avoid Paradox where they can or deal with it where they can't, either by attempting to contain the Paradox within their own soul, risking harm to themselves, or, when a Paradox is too great to contain, by releasing it into the Fallen World as yet another problem to solve. The stranglehold of the Abyss is unavoidable in the Fallen World.