"…?"

I strained to turn my head in the direction of the voice, but there was nothing to see. Then the same voice spoke again.

"There is no need to look… I am speaking to you through thought…."

The voice was that of a woman—cold, emotionless, and almost androgynous. Following her advice, I kept silent and focused on catching my breath.

After a brief pause, the voice seemed to gather itself and continued.

"I have no intention of hiding my identity, so I will speak plainly and quickly. I am the Demon God."

The voice was much clearer this time, …