The air in the chamber was stifling—thick with ancient power and the weight of impossible choices. The Council of the Pyramid loomed in the shadows, their eyes gleaming with centuries of wisdom, ambition, and cold cruelty. Alastor stood at the center, the Eye of Ra glowing faintly in his hand, its pulse matching the frantic beat of his heart.

  The council’s offer echoed in his mind, tempting him with the promise of immortality. He could take the seat they offered—rise beyond the loop, beyond life and death. Every mistake, every death, every sacrifice could be justified if he ruled from the top of the Pyramid. Power absolute, forever.

  But Selene’s voice cut through the storm in his mind like a knife.

  "You can’t seriously be considering this."

  She stood beside him, her posture rigid, her violet eyes filled with anger. "If you take their offer, you’ll become just like Lucius. Another monster playing god. The world doesn’t need more rulers—it needs to be free."

  Alastor said nothing, the weight of her words sinking into him. She was right—but the offer wasn’t so easily dismissed.

  Behind them, Aurora lingered near the edge of the chamber, her neural interface flickering with faint code. Despite having lost the Eye to Alastor, her expression wasn’t one of defeat—it was sharp, calculating. She saw the possibilities as clearly as he did.

  "You’re thinking too small, Selene," Aurora said, stepping forward with a sly smile. "If we control the Pyramid, we control time. Imagine it—no more rules, no more limits. Every timeline bending to our will. We could rebuild the world into whatever we want." She glanced at Alastor, her voice soft and coaxing. "Isn’t that what you wanted all along? Control."

  Selene’s hand tightened around the hilt of her blade, but Alastor raised a hand to stop her. Aurora’s ambition was dangerous, but she wasn’t entirely wrong. If they destroyed the Pyramid, they would free the world—but at what cost? Could humanity survive without the loop, without the systems that had governed life and death for millennia?

  And what would become of them—those who had lived and died inside the loop, over and over again? Would they still exist if the loop was broken? Or would they be erased along with it?

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  Alastor glanced at the council, who waited silently for his answer. They offered power, yes—but also certainty. Ruling the Pyramid meant controlling the chaos, mastering the loop instead of destroying it. It was tempting—so very tempting.

  Selene stepped closer, her voice low and urgent. "Alastor, listen to me. We didn’t come this far to become the very thing we were trying to destroy. If we take their offer, we’ll be trapped in the loop forever. We won’t be free—we’ll just be another cog in the machine."

  Alastor clenched his fists, feeling the weight of the Eye of Ra burning in his hand. The relic thrummed with unstable energy, as if sensing his hesitation. Every choice—every moment—led to this decision.

  Aurora smirked, her green eyes gleaming. "Freedom is a lie, Alastor. Power is the only thing that’s real. You know that. You’ve always known that. Why pretend otherwise now?"

  Selene’s expression darkened, her voice sharp. "This is exactly what Lucius wants. He wants you to believe that power is the only way. But if you take their offer, you’re giving him what he wants. You’re becoming him."

  Alastor closed his eyes, trying to block out the noise. His mind spun with the weight of every death, every betrayal, every sacrifice he had endured to reach this point. The Codex pulsed in his thoughts, showing him countless futures—some where he ruled as a god, others where the loop was shattered, leaving only ruin behind.

  There was no perfect answer.

  No easy way forward.

  But that was the truth of the loop, wasn’t it? No matter how many times he lived and died, the answer had always been the same: nothing came without sacrifice.

  If he destroyed the Pyramid, he would lose everything he had fought for.

  If he took their offer, he would lose himself.

  The council waited, patient and silent, their faces hidden in shadow. They had made this offer to others before—but none had ever reached this point. No one had ever stood on the threshold of both godhood and oblivion, with the power to choose either path.

  Selene’s voice softened. "Alastor... we can end this. We can break the cycle. It doesn’t have to control us anymore."

  Aurora scoffed, her neural interface flashing again. "Or you could stop pretending to be a martyr and take what’s yours. We deserve this."

  Alastor opened his eyes, the weight of eternity pressing down on his shoulders. Every version of the future hung in the balance, waiting for him to make his choice.

  He looked up at the council, their eyes gleaming with ancient power, and took a breath.

  "I choose…"