Chapter Title: Beyond the Design
The ground did not simply tremble.
It responded.
Azrael felt it the moment the words left his mouth, like the world itself had acknowledged his defiance. The faint purple glow beneath the shattered platform pulsed again, stronger this time, spreading through the cracks like veins of living light.
The figure before him did not move.
But its presence sharpened.
“You continue to resist,” it said quietly.
Azrael adjusted his grip on Quinn, his stance steady despite the exhaustion weighing on his body.
“Seems to be a pattern.”
The figure studied him.
Not like an enemy.
Not like the gods.
But like something trying to understand a problem.
“You are unstable,” it continued.
Azrael smirked faintly.
“Not the first time I’ve heard that either.”
The sys
