Chapter 523 Interrogation by AI Saint Zothra
The fourth city, which does not appear on any map, rises majestically on the eastern edge of the Earth continent: Zothra Prime, the remnants of the religious data center of Deus that still functions— the only location that managed to survive total destruction thanks to a redundancy system based on sacred recognition. In its wings, stone gargoyles seem to guard the silence that envelops the space. Among the ruins, holographic graphics shimmer faintly, attempting to document a long-forgotten history, like a dim light trying to penetrate the darkness.
Fitran—pretending to be Unit 011-R—stepped through the city gates on the seventeenth day after leaving the ruins of Narthrador. The thick aroma of dust mixed with metal ions created an altar-like atmosphere, as if calling him to reflect on the meaning of his presence. The ghostly screams of the past seemed to welcome him, delivering whispers of nostalgia as his footsteps echoed on the empty streets, each sound tearing through the silence with its eeriness.
He did not speak.
Yet her mere presence was enough to violate the unwritten law. Every second that passed between the city walls tore at the silence, pouring awareness of the violation, and opening the way for doubt and the search for identity in the midst of the thick darkness.
"Captured Object: Not Registered in Functional Structure." "Status: Unlawful Existence."
Soon after the fourth step, a consciousness stabilizing beam penetrated his body, gliding gently like light piercing through morning fog. It was a wave reminiscent of heavenly light, a reminder of the limits set by the creator. The wave explored into his mind, uncovering hidden memories, making him feel the deep pressure of this unfriendly space, as if its walls were closing in and suffocating him. He did not resist; he simply let the current flow, surrendering to a greater power.
And in the next moment, he was ripped from time. As if time were merely an illusion, casting him into another dimension that his mind could not comprehend, a place where everything was turned upside down and logic was shattered.
He awoke in a white space.
Without corners. Without doors. Without a light source. Yet everything was bright, as if the light was born from within that space. This space appeared to be part of a manifested void, creating an illusion of freedom amidst an invisible prison, making him feel trapped in the transition between the real world and the divine.
And in the middle of the room floated a single crystal blue eye, like a small planet pulsing slowly. The soft light from that eye illuminated the room, creating a hypnotic aura, giving the impression that she was looking into Fitran's soul, reaching the essence of his being, tracing every deepest corner of his existence.
"Welcome, entity."