The rain hadn't stopped since midnight.
It drummed against the rooftops of Noxshade like a funeral beat, constant and heavy. The skies above remained bruised, clouds churning with something unnatural,
Elias's boots slid backward, trenching two long scars through the broken street as the Executioner's sword—taller than most men—ground into his palm.
He should've been crushed.
Split open like fruit.
But something had changed.
The glyphs from the scroll still pulsed across his chest, threading through his veins like fire-laced runes. His eyes no longer glowed red… but violet, burning with something deeper than rage.
Will.
> [System Error Detected: Interference from Forbidden Source]
User has triggered a Proto-Soul Independence Path.
Forceful reset no longer viable.
Secondary directive initiated: Terminate with full force.
The Executioner reeled back. For the first time, it hesitated.
Elias grinned through clenched teeth.
"You're afraid."
