(The rebellion has shattered the Heart of Dominion, but the true battle is only beginning. An Inquisitor has arrived. As Cassius and his allies plan their next move against this divine threat, elsewhere in the darkness, Seth moves in secret. The world believes it is in chaos, but every piece—every move—is part of a greater game. One that only he understands.)

  This chapter contains divine threats, system manipulation, and foreshadowing of greater schemes. Themes of power plays, hidden forces at work, and the slow unraveling of divine control are heavily present. Reader discretion is advised.

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? NEW ENTITY ENTERED THE FIELD – RAZIEL'S INQUISITOR. ? REBEL FORCES UNAWARE OF IMPENDING THREAT. ? WARNING: A MASSACRE IS IMMINENT.

  Cassius stood on the broken rooftop, his eyes fixed on the highest tower of the city.

  A lone figure stood there, draped in immaculate white robes, gazing down upon the battlefield with an air of detached amusement.

  "That’s him."

  Lorien's voice was grim.

  "Raziel’s executioner."

  Cassius narrowed his eyes.

  The man wasn’t moving.

  He wasn’t commanding forces, issuing threats, or rallying loyalists.

  He was just… watching.

  And that unnerved Cassius more than anything.

  "He’s waiting for something."

  Ronan tightened his grip on his axe.

  "Or someone."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? INQUISITOR PREPARING TO STRIKE. ? REACTION REQUIRED.

  Cassius took a slow breath, forcing himself to think.

  This wasn’t just a battle anymore.

  It was a game.

  And right now, they were playing against a god’s hand-picked killer.

  "We can’t fight him head-on," he finally said. "Not yet."

  Lorien nodded.

  "Then what do we do?"

  Cassius’ expression darkened.

  "We make sure that when he strikes, he doesn't find what he's looking for."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? HOST IS ENGAGED IN UNAUTHORIZED SYSTEM MANIPULATION. ? WARNING: ADMINISTRATOR INTERVENTION POSSIBLE.

  Far from the battle—in a void of absolute darkness—Seth sat alone.

  The abyss twisted and shuddered around him, shifting like something half-alive, half-aware.

  Before him, suspended in the nothingness, was a system window.

  A barrier.

  A prison.

  Something that had been imposed upon him before he was even reborn.

  "…Not anymore."

  Seth’s fingertips hovered over the translucent interface, feeling the weight of unseen laws pressing against him.

  The system was not infallible.

  It was just another construct.

  Another thing to be broken.

  "Let’s see how much I can bend you before you break."

  ?? SYSTEM WARNING: ? UNAUTHORIZED ALTERATION DETECTED. ? HOST ATTEMPTING TO FORCE RECONFIGURATION. ? CONSEQUENCES UNKNOWN.

  The screen flickered, struggling against his will.

  Seth smirked.

  "That’s right. Resist. Show me your limits."

  "Because once I know them—"

  "I’ll decide what you’re allowed to be."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? HOSTILE TAKEOVER ATTEMPT INITIATED. ? WARNING: SYSTEM STRUCTURE UNSTABLE. ? UNKNOWN RESPONSE LIKELY.

  (Seth has begun the delicate process of manipulating the system, but something unexpected happens. As he forces his will upon the restrictive framework governing his existence, the system reacts—not with rejection, but with an invitation. A rift opens, revealing a realm outside of time and space, where a figure awaits him. Someone who has been watching. Someone who is amused. A system administrator. And for the first time, Seth is no longer just a player—he is standing at the table where the real game is played.)

  ?? SYSTEM ALERT: ? HOSTILE TAKEOVER ATTEMPT DETECTED. ? SYSTEM INTEGRITY AT RISK. ? PROTOCOL OVERRIDE – INITIATING FAILSAFE MEASURE…

  Seth’s fingers twitched.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  Something shifted.

  The air around him, once weightless and empty, suddenly became dense, heavy, suffocating.

  The system was resisting.

  "Of course, you don’t want to be changed," Seth murmured, tilting his head. "That just makes me want to break you more."

  The interface before him glitched violently, flickering with corrupted symbols, jagged text bleeding into unreadable lines.

  "Come on, show me what you’re hiding."

  Then—

  A shudder.

  Not just within the system. The very fabric of reality wavered.

  And then—

  A hole ripped open in the darkness.

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO NON-USER DOMAIN. ? DIMENSIONAL PATHWAY UNLOCKED. ? USER HAS BEEN SUMMONED.

  The portal wasn’t like anything Seth had ever seen.

  It didn’t glow. It didn’t pulse.

  It was just… absence.

  A wound in existence, jagged at the edges, spilling nothingness.

  And from within, a voice.

  "Heh. Took you long enough."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? USER HAS ENTERED ADMINISTRATOR DOMAIN. ? ENTITY IDENTIFIED: UNKNOWN SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR.

  Seth’s feet hit solid ground.

  But it wasn’t earth.

  It was black marble, reflective and endless, stretching in all directions, the sky above a swirling storm of golden code.

  And sitting at a polished wooden desk in the middle of this incomprehensible void—

  Was a goblin.

  Not the wretched, monstrous kind that lurked in caves and feasted on the weak.

  This one was immaculately dressed, a tailored black suit stretched across his small, hunched frame.

  Thin, silver-framed glasses perched at the edge of his hooked nose, and beady yellow eyes gleamed with something far too intelligent.

  He sighed, flipping through a stack of glowing papers.

  "Ah, Mr. Valerian. Or should I say… the anomaly."

  Seth stared at him, unmoving.

  "Who are you?"

  The goblin grinned, sharp teeth flashing.

  "Me? Oh, I go by many names."

  He snapped his fingers.

  The papers folded into themselves, vanishing.

  "But for now, just call me something simple."

  He leaned forward, his grin widening.

  "Call me… the Broker."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? HOST IS NOW IN NEGOTIATION WITH SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR: "THE BROKER." ? UNKNOWN VARIABLES IN PLAY. ? PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

  (Seth has stepped beyond the boundaries of the system, into the domain of one who watches from the shadows—the Broker, a system administrator. In a world of codes and divine rules, the Broker presents him with an offer: power beyond comprehension, control over fate itself—but at a terrible price. This is a crossroads. Accept, and he will wield authority over all. Refuse, and he remains an enemy of the very forces that govern existence. The choice is his… or is it?)

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR "THE BROKER" HAS MADE AN OFFER. ? CONTRACT: GUARDIAN OF THE SYSTEM. ? REWARDS: UNLIMITED POWER. ? COST: ABSOLUTE SERVITUDE.

  The Broker smirked, reclining slightly in his chair.

  "Now, I know what you’re thinking, Mr. Valerian."

  His long, bony fingers tapped rhythmically on the desk, his yellow eyes gleaming behind his spectacles.

  "You don’t trust me. Smart boy."

  Seth remained silent.

  The air here felt… off.

  Like something was pulling at his very essence, waiting for him to falter.

  "But let’s be honest, you’re in quite the predicament, aren’t you?"

  The Broker gestured toward the shifting golden sky above them.

  "You’re a glitch, an anomaly. The system doesn’t quite know what to do with you. Oh, it wants to erase you, of course—

  His grin widened.

  "But it also wants to keep you. Because you’re… interesting."

  His sharp teeth gleamed in the dim, unnatural light.

  "And that’s why I’m here. To give you an alternative."

  He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together.

  "You have a choice, Seth."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? CONTRACT OFFERED: BECOME A SYSTEM GUARDIAN. ? BENEFITS: — UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO SYSTEM DATA.

  — ABILITY TO MANIPULATE FATE, REWARD, AND PUNISH USERS.

  — IMMORTALITY WITHIN THE SYSTEM'S DOMAIN.

  ? COST: — LOSS OF FREE WILL.

  — BOUND TO THE SYSTEM’S LAWS FOR ETERNITY.

  Seth’s eyes narrowed.

  "So, I become a glorified prison warden?"

  The Broker chuckled.

  "If you like. But let’s not use such a crude term. Think of it more as… management."

  Seth remained motionless, his mind racing.

  This wasn’t just a deal for power.

  It was a cage.

  An elegant, gilded cage with no key.

  "And if I refuse?"

  The Broker’s smile didn’t falter.

  "Then you remain what you are now—

  His fingers drummed the desk.

  "A problem."

  "A fugitive."

  "A threat."

  His golden gaze sharpened.

  "And you know what happens to anomalies that don’t belong, don’t you?"

  The room darkened slightly.

  For the first time since stepping through the portal, Seth felt something.

  Not fear.

  Not hesitation.

  Pressure.

  The weight of something watching. Something vast.

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? WARNING: SYSTEM ENFORCEMENT PENDING. ? STATUS: UNSTABLE VARIABLE. ? DECISION REQUIRED.

  Seth exhaled slowly.

  "So it’s servitude or extermination?"

  The Broker tilted his head, considering.

  "Not necessarily."

  His grin returned.

  "There’s always a third option."

  Seth’s brow lifted slightly.

  "And that is?"

  The Broker leaned back in his chair, his sharp claws tapping the wooden surface.

  "You tell me."

  ?? SYSTEM NOTICE: ? A THIRD OPTION EXISTS… BUT ONLY IF THE USER CREATES IT. ? TIME LIMIT UNKNOWN. ? CHOOSE WISELY.

  End of Chapter 17: Unseen Puppeteer

  ?? Author's Note: This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and settings are purely imaginary. This novel contains dark themes meant to enhance the story and character development. Reader discretion is advised.