The corridor was silent save for the echo of my footsteps against cold stone. Each step felt heavier than the last, weighed down by what I was about to do.

Testing them.

I needed to know if their words held truth or if desperation had painted false promises in pretty colors. Actions spoke louder than words, but sometimes... sometimes you had to push someone to see what they were truly made of.

Azazel's shadow form slithered along the wall beside me, a silent companion in this cruel game I was ...