The woman in white stepped fully into the chamber.
The air changed instantly.
Not crushed.
Not distorted.
Rewritten.
The walls of the room smoothed. The shadows softened. Even the tower's runes dimmed, as if unsure whether they were allowed to resist.
The assistant felt his knees weaken.
"…A true god," he whispered.
The woman smiled at him kindly. "Former god," she corrected. "I resigned."
Elowen sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes.
"Oh," she said sleepily. "You're very bright."
The woman looked at her with something close to affection.
"You're younger than I expected."
The Demon King stepped between them.
"You will leave," he said.
The woman's smile faded.
"I cannot."
The Demon King raised his hand.
The space around the woman shattered.
Nothing happened.
The attack vanished before reaching her, erased as if it had never existed.
The tower shuddered violently, warning runes flashing red.
AUTHORITY CONFLICT
The woman sighed. "You see? This is why I came personally. If I let the others try, they would die."
She looked past him, directly at Elowen.
"You are not meant to remain here, child. Your existence is a flaw."
Elowen frowned. "That's rude."
"You are a stabilizer," the woman continued calmly. "A failsafe created after the last collapse. You exist so the world doesn't tear itself apart when beings like him move."
The Demon King's eyes darkened.
"She stays."
The woman shook her head slowly. "If she stays, the next conflict will end everything. Gods, demons, worlds—gone."
Elowen hugged her knees. "I don't want that."
The woman softened. "I know."
She stepped forward.
The tower screamed.
Shadow chains erupted from the floor, wrapping around the woman's limbs. Divine pressure crushed inward.
For half a second—
She didn't move.
Then she took another step.
The chains snapped like thread.
The Demon King appeared in front of her, fist already moving.
The impact erased the chamber.
Reality folded outward, the tower absorbing the shock just barely.
The woman slid back one step.
Only one.
Her expression finally changed.
"…So you chose," she said quietly.
"Yes," the Demon King replied. "I choose her."
The woman looked at Elowen one last time.
"I will not take you today," she said. "But the others won't stop."
She glanced back at the Demon King.
"And next time, I won't come alone."
She dissolved into light.
The chamber reformed slowly.
Elowen's hands were shaking.
The Demon King turned to her.
"Are you hurt?"
She shook her head. "Just… scared."
He placed a hand on her head.
"Good," he said. "Remember it."
The tower stabilized.
But deep within its core, a new warning appeared.
FINAL PHASE APPROACHING
And far beyond the sky—
Something far worse than gods began to notice them.