The void didn't stabilize.
It collapsed further.
Not outward—
But inward.
Into him.
Rahim stood at the center of nothingness.
But this "nothing"—
Wasn't empty.
It was alive.
Twisting.
Observing.
Reacting.
To him.
The entity watched.
Silent now.
No longer speaking casually.
Because something had changed.
"…You're consuming it."
Its voice carried a hint—
Not fear.
But recognition.
Rahim didn't answer.
His body—
Was no longer fully visible.
Edges flickering.
Like he existed between layers.
"…You're not just controlling shadows anymore…"
The entity stepped back.
Slowly.
"…You're becoming the space they exist in."
Rahim's eyes opened.
Completely black.
No light.
No reflection.
"…I told you."
His voice echoed everywhere.
"…I'm not your system."
The void trembled.
Not because of power.
But because of authority shift.
For the first time—
The entity raised its hand.
Not to test.
But to stop.
"Enough."
Reality tried to reassemble.
Fragments of the sky returned.
Broken land stitched itself together.
Time resumed—
Partially.
But Rahim didn't let go.
The darkness around him—
Compressed.
Denser than anything before.
"…You're trying to restore control."
Rahim said.
"…That means you're losing it."
Silence.
Then—
A faint smile from the entity.
"…Interesting conclusion."
It moved.
And suddenly—
Rahim was pushed back.
Not by force.
But by rewriting.
The space he occupied—
Was erased.
And redefined elsewhere.
Rahim reappeared.
Miles away.
He looked around.
The battlefield—
Now distant.
The Rulers—
Frozen.
Time around them—
Slowed to near-zero.
"…You separated us."
The entity stood across from him.
Now clearer.
Still incomplete.
But more present.
"…They're beneath this conversation."
Rahim tilted his head.
"…So this is your real level."
"…No."
The entity replied calmly.
"…This is the lowest form I can use without destroying everything."
A pause.
"…Including you."
Rahim smiled again.
"…Try me."
The entity didn't hesitate.
It moved—
And this time—
Rahim couldn't follow.
A strike landed.
Direct.
Rahim's body—
Shattered.
Not injured.
Not damaged.
Shattered.
Fragments of him—
Scattered across space.
Silence.
Then—
Darkness moved.
Each fragment—
Pulled back.
Reforming.
Rahim stood again.
"…That all?"
The entity's eyes sharpened.
"…You adapted faster."
Rahim stepped forward.
"…You showed me something earlier."
Darkness surged again.
"…Now it's my turn."
And suddenly—
The void shifted.
Not by the entity.
By Rahim.
A second domain.
Not shadow.
Not void.
Something new.
"…What is this…"
The entity whispered.
Rahim's voice echoed—
Calm.
Certain.
"…This is where even you don't belong."
The battle—
Restarted.
But now—
On equal ground.
And for the first time—
The entity felt it.
Uncertainty.
[ Add this to your library if you like it! ♡ ]