(The golden haze, thicker than ever, spreads across the central square. The few remaining passersby retreat to the edge of their vision, fearful of feeling the invisible touch.)

(An old man, his cane trembling in his hand, whispers to someone who is not there.)

Old Man (with a rasping voice):

— They say that whoever walks there… hears their own heart scream.

(The camera pulls back, revealing the dry fountain, dead leaves scattered across the steps. No water splashes; only a hollow echo.)

[Scene II – Echoes in the Flesh | 9:33 A.M.]

(Kael advances, each step piercing into his mind. The fog coils around his legs as if trying to drag him down.)

Brief vision:

A dark hallway, lined with shattered mirrors. His simultaneous reflection splits into a thousand fragments that scream:

> “You abandoned yourself.”

“You were our pride.”

“You left us voiceless.”

(Kael lowers his head, breathing heavily. There are no monsters, only him—and tons of guilt demanding space.)

Kael (thinking):

Every mirror knows my betrayal better than I do…

[Scene III – Fragment of the Future | 9:37 A.M.]

(A flashforward, like lightning amid the storm of mist.)

> An office building burning from within.

A frantic crowd running.

And above the smoke, the silhouette of a tall man, robed in light, utterly calm.

(The vision lasts less than a blink. Kael stumbles, struggling to regain his bearings.)

Kael (in a faint voice):

— That calm… is it salvation or damnation?

[Scene IV – The Inner Voice | 9:40 A.M.]

(The aura grows denser. Kael no longer hears the distant noises of the city; only a collective whisper rising as if from his own blood.)

> “Deny yourself… and you will deny them.”

“Abandon doubt… or abandon yourself.”

(He falls to his knees. The ground creaks. He closes his eyes.)

Kael (in a murmur that hurts):

— My doubt… is the only thing I have left.

(He clutches the Codex hidden beneath his jacket. The parchment throbs, as if recognizing his agony.)

[Scene V – The Uncertain Threshold | 9:45 A.M.]

(The fog withdraws before him, revealing an echo of ruined columns. In the distance, a figure takes shape within the golden glow.)

(Kael lifts his gaze. The figure does not advance—only watches. Its features remain hidden beneath the hood.)

Kael (voice firm despite the tremor):

— If you’re here…

— You’re the stranger who began all this, aren’t you?

(A moment of silence. Then, a nearly human murmur spreads through the clearing.)

(The figure tilts its head and vanishes into a faint beam of light.)

---

Codex Gnosis Dei – Fragment XI

> In the faintest whisper

is born the most forceful accusation.

It is not the voice of a god

nor the echo of his promises,

but the soul’s outcry

recognizing its own shadow.

> 

Whoever withstands the whisper

will become either a beacon or ash.