The battlefield changed again.
But this time—
Not because of Rahim.
Something else had shifted.
The enforcers stopped moving all at once, retreating just enough to create distance between them. It wasn't a tactical repositioning.
It was… acknowledgment.
Rahim didn't lower his guard.
"…What now?"
One of them stepped forward, its gaze fixed on him.
"You have exceeded expected parameters."
Another continued.
"Your growth rate is no longer within acceptable limits."
Rahim let out a quiet breath.
"…You've been saying that for a while."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"…We are revising our assessment."
The pressure returned.
Stronger than before.
But this time, it wasn't directed at him.
It was directed through him.
Rahim felt it clearly.
The system wasn't just trying to suppress him anymore.
It was studying him.
"…So now I'm interesting," he said.
"Correction," the enforcer replied. "You are a threat worth escalation."
Rahim smiled slightly.
"…Finally."
[ Thank you for reading!
Add this to your library if you like it! 💖 ]