Damon's expression tightened slightly as the memory passed through him.
He understood it now.
The Unknown God did not want blind faith.
He wanted agreement.
He wanted someone to stand in front of truth and not deny it.
But also not submit to it.
That was the contradiction.
That was the trap.
Damon's lips curved slightly, not into a smile, but something closer to disbelief.
"He may be correct," he whispered to himself, "but that doesn't mean he is right."
The air around them felt heavier for a moment.
Ashcroft trembled slightly where he knelt, as if realizing something had shifted.
Doom remained still.
Watching.
Then time resumed.
Damon let out a short, breathless laugh, almost disbelieving that he was still standing here.
He lifted his hand slightly, palm open, as if testing whether reality would collapse around it.
"Truly…" he began, then stopped.
He did not finish.
