The pressure surrounding Max's void heart continued increasing until every beat became a struggle against the invisible force attempting to crush it. His vision blurred at the edges, and the strength in his body began to fade, yet he refused to lower his gaze or take back the words he had spoken.
If the System Creator wanted his obedience, then she would have to take it from his corpse.
A moment later, the pressure vanished.
Air flooded back into Max's lungs as his void heart expanded violently inside his chest. He bent forward, coughing as his trembling arms struggled to support him, but Rosalia and Agnia caught him before he could fall from the bed and held him until his breathing slowly steadied.
The force had withdrawn, and Max felt as though one of the chains around him had finally begun to crack.
