The silence that followed felt heavier than anything the system had ever tried to impose on me. The air between us, between me and the man standing there, seemed to hold its breath. I could feel the pressure building, like a storm waiting to break, the hum of the system intensifying in the background.“You’ve made your choice,” he said quietly, his voice laced with something I couldn’t place, maybe disbelief, maybe the last shreds of authority the system still thought it had over me.I didn’t respond right away, not because I couldn’t find the words, but because there was nothing more to say. My choice had been made, and there was nothing he could do to take it back.I took a slow breath, steadying myself, grounding myself in this new, uncertain reality. “I have,” I said finally, my voice low but unwavering. “And it’s not the one you wanted.”“Nothing ever goes according to plan,” he muttered, almost to himself. “But you’ve crossed a line that can’t be undone.”I glanced up at him, my
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