The entity standing in the visage of Sophia took a step closer, her voice echoing with a chilling, unnatural resonance.
"Sophia is special… far more special than what you can ever hope to be…."
She paused, letting the weight of her presence press down upon the broken figure before her.
"As such, for your countless transgressions, you must pay the appropriate price… Tyler Cross."
After the faceless entity uttered those words, the silence that permeated the dark torture chamber felt deafening. The thick air hung heavy with the smell of rust, sweat, and dry blood. Damp stone walls enclosed the narrow space, trapping the suffocating quiet like a tomb.
Yet, there was no trace of surprise on Axel's face. He only let out a deep, weary sigh, his breath rasping softly in his chest. "So, you knew all along that I was an Outsider?"
