A sudden system window appeared before Max, its letters burning with an unfamiliar mixture of gold and black. Darkness shifted within each golden stroke, making the words seem to move even after they had finished forming. He faltered for a moment, his eyes narrowing at the message blocking his view of the horizon.
[I have already told you that without me, you are a nobody who would die before a candle could burn out. You can hate me all you want, but I still need you for one purpose: to free me.]
Max read the words slowly, his eyelid twitching as he tightened his jaw. Even now, with blood drying across his body and his people dying far beyond his reach, she had come to remind him of what he owed her.
"Fuck off. Honestly, find somebody else to save your useless ass." His lips twisted as he forced another step forward. "Oh, I forgot. You can't."
The window remained before him, following his movements.
