The pain was, well, it was something else. My lungs were being turned into a construction site for a monument to Gabriel's ego. Every breath felt like a jagged blade of silver was carving its way into my chest. My vision began to blur around the edges. I could see the system interface flickering in front of me, a mess of crimson warnings.[Critical Damage: Internal respiratory collapse imminent.][Warning: Foreign substance detected in circulatory system.]Gabriel was leaning over me, his hand still clamped onto my head. He looked so smug. I think he expected me to just fold, to start begging or something. It is funny how gods always expect you to act like a victim. Maybe that is why they lose. They never expect the victim to start biting back.I didn't panic. I just closed my eyes and let the panic turn into something colder. I knew exactly what I had to do. I reached deep into the center of my being, past the pain and the fire, and I activated the Devourer’s Funnel.I didn't try to

The world behind me was just static and noise. I did not look back. There was no point. I kept moving forward until the gray haze of the collapse cleared, and then I saw it. The Mirror Palace. It was floating in the middle of a sea of pure, shimmering light. It looked like a palace made of liquid silver, reflecting every possible version of the sky. This was the place where they decided the fate of millions. This was where the souls went.I stepped onto the bridge leading to the main gates. My boots clicked against the surface, a sound that seemed entirely too loud in the dead quiet of this place. I was not expecting anyone to be waiting for me, but the doors swung open before I could even reach for the handle.Judicator Sophia stood there. She looked different from the others. She did not wear heavy armor. She wore a simple, flowing robe that seemed to change color with every step she took. She held a hand mirror out in front of her, the surface swirling with a dark, familiar energy.

The inner sanctum smelled like ozone and burning sugar. It was a sweet, sickening scent that I imagine only gods would find appealing. I walked down the long, crystalline corridor, the tip of my scythe dragging against the floor. The sound was horrible. It was a high pitched, screeching metallic grind that echoed off the vaulted ceilings. I wanted it to be loud. I wanted every single one of them to know I was coming.Sophia was ahead of me, stumbling. She was clutching her face, leaving a trail of shimmering, golden fluid on the pristine white tiles. She did not look like a judge anymore. She looked like a wounded animal trying to find its hole.You should have just died, she gasped, her voice trembling. The Architects will never let you leave this place alive.I caught up to her, grabbed her by the back of her robes, and threw her against a wall. She hit the surface with a sickening thud, but I did not kill her. Not yet. I wanted her to see what was in this room first.I looked aroun