The oppressive weight of Eve's presence bore down on us like a tidal wave, every moment in her proximity a struggle against the suffocating madness she exuded. Her spiraling twin tails undulated rhythmically, casting ripples through the warped air. Her grin stretched wider with every passing second as she waited—no, demanded—for my name.
My breath hitched, my mind racing. To name oneself in front of such an entity, one so unpredictable, so unhinged—what could she do with it? There were ancient warnings about names, how they could be used to control, bind, or worse.
Usually, when I was unsure like this, I would have just gone with deception, giving out false answers as I scan for information. But at the same time, I felt like something bad might happen if I were to throw a lie carelessly.
Out of all the things I trusted, my instinct was one of the most trustworthy ones so far.
