The battle slowed.
Not because it was ending
But because something had shifted again
The figure stepped back
Not forced
Not pushed
It chose to
Rahim stopped as well
Watching
Measuring
Waiting
For a moment, nothing moved
Then the figure spoke
You are not functioning as expected
Rahim let out a quiet breath
I figured that out already
A pause followed
Then
You are no longer within standard classification
Rahim tilted his head slightly
Then stop classifying me
The figure looked at him
And for the first time
There was a difference in its presence
Not emotion
But recognition
You are approaching deviation beyond correction
Rahim smiled faintly
Good
Because I was never planning to be corrected
Silence settled again
But it felt different now
Less controlled
Less absolute
Something had changed
Not just in the battlefield
But in how he was being perceived
[ Thank you for reading!
Add this to your library if you like it! đź’– ]