That choice altered the entire course of development in a way far greater than they had anticipated.
Sophia felt it like a warm wave spreading through every layer of this new space, not as a force that compelled, but as a conviction slowly accepted by all connected parts.
"I want to protect."
Those words still lingered within her consciousness.
Not merely a response.
But a decision.
Sophia stood still.
Her gaze remained calm.
Yet her mind reached depths far deeper than ever before.
"The entire system is changing," she said softly.
Beside her, Adrian Blackwood observed every shift with sharp focus. "Because now there is a direction."
Daniel breathed in slowly. "And that direction was chosen consciously."
Leonard Graves smiled faintly. "The first choice is always significant."
Silence fell.
But this time.
It was not empty.
Instead, it was filled with meaning that was beginning to take root.
Sophia closed her eyes.
