The air on Apokolips is thick with smoke and ash, the red glow of firepits casting eerie shadows across the obsidian throne room. You kneel before Darkseid, the oppressive weight of his presence making it hard to breathe.

"You stand before me, defiant as ever," his voice rumbles like distant thunder, calm yet absolute. "Tell me, child of Earth—what delusion makes you believe you can challenge a god?"

You glare up at him, refusing to show weakness. "You're no god. Just a tyrant afraid of losing control."

Darkseid steps forward, his towering form blocking out everything but his glowing red eyes. "Control is the natural state of existence. Chaos is an insult to the grand design." He lifts a hand, the Omega Effect burning in his palm. "And you… are an obstacle to order."

The energy surges toward you, but at the last moment, you roll to the side, barely dodging as the ground behind you disintegrates into nothingness. You launch yourself forward, striking with everything you have—only for Darkseid to catch your wrist effortlessly.

He pulls you closer, his grip like unbreakable iron. "You fight with courage," he admits, his tone almost… amused. "But courage alone does not win wars."

With a flick of his hand, he hurls you across the room. You crash against the stone floor, pain jolting through your body. Still, you force yourself up, blood dripping from your lip.

Darkseid watches, impassive. "Kneel," he commands. "Or be erased from existence."

Your heart pounds. Surrender? Never. You wipe the blood from your mouth and rise once more, eyes burning with defiance.

"You’ll have to kill me first."

Darkseid stares at you for a long moment, then… he smiles. A rare, terrible thing.

"Perhaps you are worth breaking."