Adrian stared at the silvery figure that had appeared before him, its presence immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the vicinity.
"M-Mother..."
The guardian, the very creature that even the Gods had failed to tame, was trembling at the mere arrival of this being. Its enormous red eyes had widened in shock as it stared at the figure standing with her back turned toward Adrian.
"Step back, Athos."
The clear voice of a woman echoed through the surroundings. There was something distinctly mechanical about it, almost as though every word had been produced by a machine rather than a living being.
Anyone hearing that voice for the first time might have mistaken it for an artificial recording. For Adrian, however, it was a voice he knew all too well.
A little too well.
He had heard it countless times in his previous life. There was no mistaking it, no matter how thoroughly its owner concealed herself beneath that silvery radiance. He could recognize her anywhere.
