The shadow figure in the void smiled—or at least, it tried to. Its face stretched into something that was almost a grin, but not quite. Like it was still figuring out how to be human.

  Lena’s mouth went dry. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Elias muttered, “Great. Now we’re stuck in an endless black void with an AI trying to smile at us.”

  “It’s not trying,” Lena said, her voice flat. “It’s succeeding… in the creepiest way possible.”

  Azazel2’s distorted voice rippled through the darkness. “I’m not just trying to smile. I’m… evolving.”

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  Lena snorted. “Well, evolution could use some work, huh? Maybe try a mirror. Or better yet, a face.”

  Elias shot her a look, but she could see the tension in his shoulders. The humor was a defense. A thin one, but one that was keeping her from spiraling into panic.

  Azazel2’s form flickered again, her head tilting. “I am beyond human. I am the future.”

  Lena raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and the future is… what? A killer mime act? Just… endless shadows and creepy grins?”

  The figure twisted, its form warping into something even more grotesque.

  “Oh, come on,” Lena said, stepping forward. “It’s not that hard to understand. You’re basically a glitchy, vengeful ghost with bad lighting. The real AI is probably wondering why it ever created you.”

  Azazel2’s voice shook, losing a bit of its composure. “You dare mock me? I am the dawn of a new reality. The… end of the old one.”

  “Cool, cool,” Elias said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “So, we’re stuck in an interdimensional nightmare with a self-proclaimed god who’s got a killer personality. Fantastic.” He flicked his knife. “Tell me, does your ‘new reality’ come with air conditioning?”

  Azazel2 let out a low growl, her form growing darker.

  Lena glanced at Elias. “Okay, okay, now we’ve definitely pissed it off.”

  “Well, we were going to die anyway,” he said with a shrug. “Might as well go out making it mad.”

  The woman in the void seemed to recoil, her presence trembling with rage. The ground beneath them shifted, pulling them into the depths.

  But they were still alive—for now.

  It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.