An awkward silence stretched between us. The only sound was the faint crackle of lingering embers from Ma's awakening, it's glow casting long, restless shadows across the hall.
But I wasn't looking at her anymore.
My mind had short-circuited the moment Venus said it.
"She's been chosen by a god."
I blinked once. Twice.
The words rattled inside my head, jumping off the edges of my thought like a loose gear in a broken clock.
The same person, who—according to The Book of Sin, was supposed to be dead before this moment even existed?
How the fuck was that possible?
I felt like the ground below me had been ripped apart.
This wasn't just an unexpected twist.
Because in The Book of Sin, there was only ever one person who had a system.
And yet… I received one too.
And now you are telling me that Sylvie had been chosen by not just anyone but a god?
A dull pain ached in my head.
My thoughts jumped about, the sheer weight of what this meant scaring the shit out of me.
The story, the world itself… was changing.
Not just because I refused to follow the script.
Something else was moving the pieces.
If I hadn't been before, now I was sure of it.
The wires in my brain sparked, trying to make sense of this chaos.
The system had gone not only to Azazel but to me as well.
Sylvie was alive and stronger than before.
She had been chosen by a fucking god.
And if that changed—what else had?
A sharp laugh echoed in my head, cutting through the noise.
"Finally caught on, huh?"
My eye twitched. "What are you talking about?"
"For someone who reads so much, you sure are slow," he mused, sarcasm dripping off his tone. "You really thought all these changes were because of you?"
I stiffened. "They're not?"
"Oh, some of them are," Damien admitted, albeit strangely, "You refusing to be the villain? That definitely threw a wrench in things. But this?" He chuckled.
"You're not the only one playing around with fate, kid."
A sickening feeling held itself onto my stomach. "Then who?"
"Tch. Who else? The god of this world, of course."
My breath hitched. "What?"
The god of this world.
The one who wrote The Book of Sin.
The one who created the system.
The one who designed this entire world.
If Damien was right, if these changes weren't just because of me, but because of that unknown god, then…
This wasn't just a deviation.
And I had no idea what the new script looked like.
I swallowed hard, my gaze snapping to Venus. He was still watching Sylvie's cocoon of flames, his expression unreadable.
I needed answers. Now.
"Careful," Damien murmured, almost lazily. "He's not going to give you much."
I ignored him. My voice came out sharp, demanding. "The gods. The system. What the hell is going on?"
Venus exhaled heavily, rubbing his temples. "That's not something I can discuss yet."
A muscle in my jaw twitched. "Not something you can discuss, or something you won't?"
His dark eyes met mine, unimpressed. "Both."
"Ouch, he's good," Damien snickered.
I wasn't in the mood for games. "You sealed Sylvie's mana. You tried to keep her away from all this. And now you're telling me she's been chosen? What changed?"
Venus didn't answer right away. His fingers twitched at his sides, a subtle movement most people wouldn't notice.
I narrowed my eyes. He knows something.
Then, finally, he sighed. "The world is shifting, Noah. The old rules don't apply anymore."
My pulse roared in my ears. "What rules?"
It wasn't me who said it.
Because he had just realized his mistake.
A cold weight settled in my chest. "What did you just say?"
Venus hesitated. "Forget it."
I took a step forward. "You said the old rules don't apply anymore." My voice was sharp. "Which means something has already changed."
Venus's gaze flickered. Just for a second.
I didn't. I couldn't.
And then—Venus made his final mistake.
He exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath.
"The system has already started to interfere."
The world around me seemed to freeze.
No. No, that wasn't right. That wasn't how it was supposed to go.
According to The Book of Sin, the system was a gift given only to the hero. A divine tool meant to guide Azazel to victory.
It wasn't supposed to be here yet.
And Venus knew something.
Everything—everything…was falling apart.
My hands clenched into fists. "What do you mean by that?"
Venus didn't respond. His lips pressed into a thin line, as if he realized he had said too much.
My breathing was uneven. "Answer me."
"He won't," Damien hummed. "He's too deep in it."
My head pounded. "Then tell me what you know."
Then, finally—Damien sighed.
His voice lowered, turning almost... cautious.
"A lot of these changes, Noah... they aren't because of you."
A chill ran down my spine. "Then who?"
Damien's voice was quiet, almost mocking.
"The god of this world."
I felt like I had been punched in the gut.
Damien chuckled, amused by my silence. "Did you really think you were the only one rewriting the script? Please. The author of this world is a lot more involved than you think."
My stomach twisted. "How long have you known?"
My fists shook. "And you didn't think to tell me?"
"I was busy," Damien said, not sounding the least bit guilty. "Besides, I figured you'd put it together eventually. Guess I gave you too much credit."
Nothing was going according to the plan.
And now, I wasn't just fighting against fate.
I was fighting against the god of this world.