"Exactly. That Gate should not have existed. The probability of an S-Rank Black Gate forming in that location at that time was astronomically low. Unless someone wanted it to happen."
I remembered the Gate. The monsters. The chaos that had nearly killed everyone I cared about.
And I remembered emerging from that darkness stronger than I had entered.
"They're testing me."
"They're preparing you. Every challenge you've faced in the past six months has pushed you toward greater power. Greater control. Greater integration of your dual consciousness." Helena's eyes held mine. "The entity is cultivating you, Satori. Like a farmer tending a crop. And harvest season is approaching."
The words settled into my gut like stones.
I had suspected something like this. The convenient challenges. The perfectly timed power-ups. The way every obstacle seemed designed to make me stronger rather than kill me.
But hearing it confirmed was different.
