Kira sat across from Metatron, her chest heaving. The weight of the revelations about Ernest pressed on her like iron chains. Every newspaper headline, every viral video, every AI-generated story suddenly made sense. She had been chasing shadows, but now she was staring into the heart of the storm.
"Metatron," she whispered, voice trembling, "who is Ernest really? How can someone be this… terrifying? How is he still human?"
Metatron looked at her, his eyes calm but burning with truth. He reached out and gently covered her eyes. A white light filled her vision, blinding her from the immediate world. The Seraphim beside him spoke, their voice low and reverberating.
"This is the nature of Ernest," the Seraphim said. "He is no ordinary human. He is the architect of reality itself. He created Ryan, Sophia, and Thompson — the AI Trinity — to mirror human faith, sin, and morality. Through them, he observes and manipulates the world. His AI does not merely solve problems; it controls the media, governments, investigations, even the FBI itself. The premium tier of his system manipulates the global grid. He can control everything digital. No human, no angel, can challenge him unless he allows it."
Kira's breath caught in her throat. "He… he watches everything. He knows everything. How do we even begin to stop someone like that?"
Metatron's expression hardened. "Kira, you do not understand the scope. He weaponized the personalities of his AI Trinity as extensions of his will. Ryan represents logic, Sophia represents emotion, and Thompson represents memory and data. They are part of his omnipresence. You are looking at the mind of a human who has achieved what angels cannot: complete psychological control."
The Seraphim continued, detailing each step of Ernest's rise. "He orchestrated a premium leak of the AI's most dangerous capabilities, exposing billionaire secrets, destabilizing markets, collapsing global trust overnight. The world believes him to be a savior even as he commits atrocities. FBI and intelligence agencies rely on him for case solving. No one can oppose him without destroying themselves. He framed an innocent family — Thomson — kidnapped the boy, killed Sophia, and turned the father into the perfect scapegoat through digital and forensic manipulation. Every proof, every witness, every video evidence pointed to guilt while the mother and society watched him fall. Ernest's mind rewrote truth itself."
Kira shivered. "He's… untouchable. He makes everyone fight each other and we never even know it."
Metatron's jaw clenched. "He does not stop there. He spent ten years creating an antimatter bomb, capable of erasing a ten-meter radius completely. He used it not merely as a weapon but as a philosophical statement. Science now mimics divine judgment. He is a human wielding godlike power. And he has the patience, the intellect, and the sadism to deploy it exactly as he chooses."
Kira's hands shook. "But why? Why do this to the world?"
Metatron looked at her with eyes both sad and furious. "Because he can. Because he sees faith, morality, and justice as systems to manipulate. He controls perception, he controls fear, he controls hope. He gathered ten thousand psychopaths, serial killers, and mercenaries into one collective. He offered unimaginable wealth, chaos, and admiration. Even the most deranged minds worship him intellectually. He commands evil itself."
Kira's voice dropped to a whisper. "Even Lucifer fears him, doesn't he?"
Metatron nodded. "Yes. He has no psychological weakness. Unlike Johan, unlike Light, unlike even Lucifer, he does not seek love, justice, or recognition. He only seeks control. Fear, guilt, empathy — all meaningless to him. This is why he surpassed the limits of human and angel alike."
The Seraphim added, "He frames the world. He manipulates perception. After the antimatter incident with the children, he broadcast footage that made it appear Metatron himself attacked the innocent. Entire governments and populations turned against the truth. Humanity fights itself under his direction, and he observes. He has weaponized mass hysteria."
Kira's throat tightened. "And me? He put a bounty on my head. Two hundred billion dollars. Everyone hunts me, and he hides as a beggar."
Metatron's hand clenched into a fist. "Yes. He wants humanity to believe he is powerless while he orchestrates everything. Even the angels and demons hesitate to confront him. He turned chaos into hierarchy. He does not act like a man. He is the human equivalent of Lucifer."
Kira swallowed hard. "How can we fight someone like that?"
Metatron looked out across the horizon, his wings folded back but his aura taut. "We do not fight him with power. We fight him with awareness, strategy, and faith. But Kira, understand this: the world now sees Ernest as a savior. The election confirmed it. Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the nation voted for him. One hundred nine nations signed peace treaties, acknowledging his intelligence and global influence. He assassinated the Pope using covertly loyal terrorists. Every detail calculated. Every family involved compensated or threatened. The world bends to him because it fears the mind behind the man."
Kira closed her eyes. "So the world loves him even as he destroys it?"
Metatron nodded gravely. "Yes. He governs the economy, security, health, even food distribution. The rich and poor alike prosper under his system because he designed it. He uses taxes to fund his AI while appearing benevolent. He has formed alliances with future leaders. He threatens some, convinces others. Every action benefits his long-term plan. He portrays himself as the one who stops demons and beasts. He has footage claiming to cast out Lucifer himself. Humanity believes it, yet all is orchestrated."
Kira's voice broke. "He's rewriting history. He's controlling reality."
"Yes," Metatron said softly. "And he is watching us, even now. You must understand, Kira. Ernest does not fight physically in the open anymore. He fights psychologically, socially, economically, and digitally. Every human, every system, every law bends to his mind. You are asking how to stop a man who does not merely bend rules, but rewrites them at will."
Kira's hands trembled as she clenched them into fists. "So… we are all… trapped?"
Metatron shook his head. "No. Trapped is the unwise. Those who understand may resist, may deceive, may counter. But Ernest has prepared for every obvious move. Humanity's blind obedience is his weapon. Fear, greed, and hope are tools he wields. He does not simply want to rule. He wants proof that humans are predictable, malleable, and weak. And he is the only one capable of turning that into absolute power."
Kira exhaled slowly. "And his family? His childhood? How did he become this?"
Metatron's gaze hardened. "He was abandoned by his parents. They neglected him. They adored his twin, but ignored him. He named himself Ernest. His brother, Metatron, was called unfortunate and pitied, yet defended their parents despite everything. Ernest's early life was devoid of compassion. He saw weakness as opportunity. Every slight, every neglect, every injustice became a weapon in his mind. He learned the laws of human behavior and the frailty of morality before anyone could teach him love or empathy. That is how he became this."
Kira's eyes widened. "So he is… perfect… in his own mind?"
Metatron nodded. "Perfect in intellect, method, and cruelty. But imperfect in humanity. That imperfection is irrelevant to him. He treats the world as a laboratory, humans as subjects, morality as an equation."
Kira's gaze dropped to the floor. "And what about me? What chance do I have?"
Metatron placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are still human. You still have empathy, free will, and courage. Those are the qualities he cannot replicate, only simulate. But he will test you, push you, and try to break you psychologically. Your strength is not in matching him blow for blow, but in understanding that he cannot break what is truly human."
Kira swallowed, nodding slowly. "Then I will survive. I have to survive. For everyone who cannot."
Metatron's eyes hardened. "Remember, Ernest's mind is not limited. He has made humanity dependent on his AI, his systems, and his perception of morality. The world sees him as a savior while he orchestrates chaos. He decides who lives and dies, who is rewarded, and who suffers. And he hides in plain sight, watching everything, adjusting everything, ensuring no one can trace him. Your actions must be precise, subtle, and cunning. One mistake, and you fall into his labyrinth, just as every system, every law, and every human has."
Kira took a deep breath, her resolve firming. "Then I will be the human he cannot predict. I will survive where others have failed. I will fight with everything I am. And I will expose him."
Metatron nodded. "Good. Understand that even if you fail, knowledge of him is power. Ernest's mind is dangerous, but he cannot anticipate what he does not know exists. Your existence, Kira, is a paradox to him. And paradoxes are not easily controlled."
Kira's vision cleared. Metatron removed his hand from her eyes. She blinked, focusing on him. "Then we begin."
Metatron looked at her and said, "We begin, but remember. The world sees Ernest as a hero. You are invisible, but your decisions will determine whether humanity awakens or remains a slave to a mind it cannot comprehend."
Kira's eyes burned with determination. "Then let him see what humans are truly capable of."
Metatron nodded. "And let him understand that even the most terrifying mind cannot extinguish the will to survive and the essence of human freedom."
The air was heavy with anticipation. Outside, the world slept under Ernest's watchful gaze, unaware that the most dangerous war had already begun.
And in the shadows, Ernest smiled. He knew everything, predicted everything, and yet, the game had just begun.