The silence stretched between them like a living thing.
Heavy. Expectant. Final.
Lilith watched him with those glowing eyes, and for the first time since she'd appeared, Alex saw something in her expression that wasn't manipulation or contempt.
Something else. Something that might have been... Hope?
"Are you certain?" she asked quietly.
The question hung in the air, deceptively simple.
"You understand what you're doing?" Her voice carried none of its earlier sharpness.
"What you're choosing to throw away?"
She gestured, and the interface blazed between them one final time:
REWARDS:
- $1,000,000,000
- Next Stage Advancement
- System Level Up
"A billion dollars," Lilith said softly. "Strength beyond human limits. The power to protect everyone you care about. The ability to face threats and actually win."
She moved closer, and the cold radiating from her presence felt almost... sad.
