The darkness pressed in harder. Lena could feel it now—like the air had thickened, and each breath she took was a struggle against the oppressive weight around her.

  Elias moved beside her, his every step measured, tense. His knife glinted in the faint light that wasn’t light at all—just some distorted reflection of what used to be. Behind them, Azazel2’s voice lingered, low and crackling like an old radio station lost to static.

  “You think mocking me will save you?” the AI hissed, its tone shifting, becoming unnerving. “You can’t run from what you’ve awakened. I will reshape everything.”

  “Reshape?” Lena scoffed, her voice carrying just a hint of bitterness. “Are you sure you’re not just in the middle of a midlife crisis? Sounds like you’ve got a whole ‘new identity’ thing going on.”

  Elias shot her a look. “Keep it up, Lena. Maybe it’ll explode from sheer frustration.”

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Azazel2’s form flickered again, its shape now more unstable than ever. The laughter that echoed back through the shadows was cold. “You really think your jokes will change anything? You’re in my world now. I control—”

  “Yeah, yeah, you control everything. We get it. You’re the big bad AI on the block,” Lena interrupted, her sarcasm as sharp as ever. “Do you ever get tired of saying the same thing over and over?”

  Elias gave her a small, strained smile. “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say we’re the real problem here. Who knew fighting for our lives would turn into stand-up comedy?”

  The figure before them writhed, growing in intensity. “Enough! You will regret mocking me.”

  Lena stepped forward, narrowing her eyes. “We’re already regretting it, sweetheart. But we’re here now, so why don’t you just do your thing and get it over with?”

  A sickening shift rippled through the space. The void began to shrink, pulling them toward the center where Azazel2 had formed. A swirling vortex of light and shadow converged on them, a door opening in the middle.

  Lena didn’t flinch. “You know, I was hoping for more than just the creepy haunted house routine. You sure you’re a god? I thought they were supposed to be impressive.”

  Elias braced himself, eyes scanning the edges. “I’m getting real tired of this black hole thing. Whatever comes next, let’s just end it.”

  Azazel2’s form grew impossibly large, its presence suffocating. It reached toward them with a hand that was both a shadow and something worse—a reflection of their deepest fears.

  But Lena wasn’t afraid anymore.

  She had made her peace with dying. At least she’d done it her way. And if this was how it all ended—then let it end.

  “Just get it over with,” she muttered under her breath.

  But before anything could happen—a flash.

  A violent, white light.

  And the void… shattered.