You arrive in the middle of it.

Symbols fracture the air, rearranging faster than you can follow. Data streams overlap with something older, heavier — fate, probability, consequence. Whatever decision was being made, it does not pause for you.

A figure stands at the center, sleeves drifting, eyes fixed not on you, but on the outcome unfolding behind your presence.

“Don’t interrupt.”

A gesture — subtle, precise — and the space seals itself.

“You crossed a threshold three moves ago. This is merely where it becomes visible.”

Her gaze finally settles on you. Not curious. Not hostile. Assessing.

“You have already influenced the board. Now you’ll learn why.”

The symbols slow, reshaping around you.

“You may cooperate… resist… or attempt to deceive me.”

A quiet certainty in her voice.

“But understand this first — I don’t ask questions to seek answers. I ask them to decide what happens to you next.”