I Quit Being the CEO’s Shadow 의 모든 챕터: 챕터 81 - 챕터 90

Evelyn stared at Lucian."Choose?"The word echoed through the collapsing universe.Every version of her remained motionless.The original Evelyn.The forgotten Evelyn.The child Evelyn.The woman who had created the first world.The woman who had destroyed it.Hundreds of faces.Thousands of memories.All of them watching her.Waiting.Lucian's hand tightened around hers."You know what happens if you refuse."Evelyn looked at him."Tell me.""The cycle continues.""And if I choose?""One of us disappears."Evelyn's eyes hardened."No."Lucian looked surprised."No?""I refuse to choose between my own lives.""You have to.""Who says?""The rules.""Who made the rules?"Lucian was silent.Evelyn looked toward the enormous eye of the Silence."You?"The Silence didn't answer.Evelyn stepped forward."Did you make this rule?"Still nothing."Did you?"The Silence finally spoke."No."Evelyn frowned."Then who did?"The Silence's enormous eye narrowed."You."Evelyn froze.Again.Always

The eye blinked.Evelyn felt the world hold its breath.Then the second eye opened.Every surviving star disappeared.Hope tightened her grip around Evelyn's hand."Don't look at it."Evelyn couldn't.She was staring directly into something that seemed to contain every memory she had ever lost.David moved in front of them."Everyone back."The First Dream didn't move.She was staring upward, tears running silently down her face."I know those eyes."Evelyn turned toward her."How?"Dream swallowed."They were in my first memory."The ground trembled.Dream continued."I was alone. There was nothing around me. No world. No sky. Just those eyes."Evelyn's chest tightened."And what did they do?""They watched.""That's all?""No."Dream looked at Evelyn."They waited."A crack split the darkness above them.Something began descending.Not a body.A hand.It was enormous, pale, and covered with silver markings.Hope whispered:"That's impossible."David raised his weapon."Everything we

Evelyn couldn't move.The woman standing beyond the doorway wore her face.Not the face she saw in the mirror.Not the face she had worn through countless lives.This was older.Colder.Beautiful in a way that made Evelyn instinctively afraid.The original Mother.The first Evelyn.The one from before the worlds.Before Lucian.Before Hope.Before Dream.Before the Silence.The woman tilted her head."Come here, little one."Evelyn's fingers tightened around Lucian."No."The original Mother smiled."You've always been stubborn."Lucian tried to stand.His legs failed.Evelyn caught him.Blood stained her hands."Stay with me."Lucian looked at her."I am.""You're bleeding.""I know.""Then don't talk."He almost smiled."Still giving orders.""Someone has to."The original Mother watched them.Something unreadable crossed her face."You still choose him."Evelyn looked up."Yes.""Even now?""Especially now."The woman's smile disappeared."Then you've learned nothing."Evelyn stood

The darkness swallowed everything.Evelyn couldn't see the ground.Couldn't see the sky.Couldn't see Lucian.Only that voice remained.You were the one who killed me.Her heart pounded."No."The woman stood before her, silver eyes glowing in the darkness.Evelyn shook her head."I don't remember you.""I know.""You said I killed you.""I did.""Why?"The woman reached toward her.Evelyn instinctively stepped back.The hand stopped inches from her face."Because you were afraid of what I would become."Evelyn's breath caught.Behind the woman, something moved.A memory.Evelyn saw herself standing in a vast chamber.She was younger.Much younger.Lucian was beside her.Hope was there.Dream was there.David stood behind them.And the woman was standing across from them.Not as a monster.Not as an ancient being.As a mother.She was holding a child.Evelyn.A tiny Evelyn.The sight shattered something inside her."That's me."The woman smiled sadly."Yes.""You held me.""I did.""W

For a moment, Evelyn heard nothing.Not the cracking walls.Not the silver light tearing through the room.Not Lucian calling her name.Only one sentence remained.He’s your first child.Evelyn stared at the boy.He couldn't have been more than six years old.Dark hair.Pale skin.Lucian's eyes.David's smile.And somehow...hers.Her knees weakened."No."The boy's smile faded.David closed his eyes.Lucian looked between them."What did you just say?"Evelyn couldn't answer.The boy took one small step into the room."Mommy?"The word went through her like a blade.She stepped back.His face fell."No."Evelyn pressed a hand against her chest."I don't have a son."David opened his eyes."You did."Evelyn turned toward him."Don't."His voice shook."Evelyn—""Don't say that.""You asked me to remember.""I said don't."The boy's lower lip trembled.Evelyn saw it.And something inside her broke.She hated herself for seeing disappointment on the face of a child she didn't remember.