The control room loomed ahead.
Seojin's breath came fast as she sprinted toward it, dodging debris and the relentless drones behind her. Minji and Kade were holding them off, but they wouldn't last forever.
She had one shot to end this.
She reached the steel doors and slammed her hand against the control panel.
Access denied.
Seojin cursed. "Nari, I need that door open—now!"
Nari's voice crackled through her earpiece. "Working on it… Almost… Got it!"
The doors slid open, revealing the nerve center of Phase Two.
Seojin stepped inside—and froze.
Because standing in front of the mainframe, waiting for her, was someone she never expected.
Her mother.
Seojin's stomach twisted.
Her mother was alive.
Not a hostage. Not a victim.
She was the one running Phase Two.
A slow smile spread across her mother's face. "Hello, darling."
Seojin felt the air leave her lungs. "No… This isn't possible."
Her mother stepped forward, calm, composed—exactly as Seojin remembered her. "You really thought I was just another piece in the Council's game?" She chuckled softly. "Oh, Seojin. I was always playing the long game."
Seojin's fists clenched. "You knew about Phase Two all along."
Her mother nodded. "Of course." She gestured toward the massive supercomputer behind her. "This is the future, Seojin. A world without conflict, without chaos."
Seojin's voice was sharp. "A world without free will."
Her mother sighed. "Free will is an illusion, my dear. Humanity has proven, time and time again, that it cannot be trusted with its own decisions. Phase Two fixes that. It's not about control—it's about evolution."
Seojin's heart pounded. "You're not evolving humanity. You're erasing it."
Her mother smiled. "And yet, you're here. Which means you haven't completely rejected my vision."
Seojin's breath caught.
Was that why her mother had let her get this far?
Had this all been part of the plan?
Seojin shook her head. "You're insane."
Her mother's gaze softened. "I know this is hard for you. But you need to understand—this was always your destiny."
Seojin stiffened.
"Your father built the first system," her mother continued. "But I built the final one. And you, Seojin—you were meant to inherit it."
The words sent a shockwave through her.
"No." Seojin's voice was a whisper. "I will never be a part of this."
Her mother sighed, almost disappointed. "I was hoping you'd see reason."
The mainframe whirred to life.
"Phase Two activation: 90% complete."
Seojin's heart pounded.
She was out of time.
Her mother's eyes gleamed. "You have a choice, Seojin. Take your place beside me… or watch the world be rewritten."
Seojin gritted her teeth.
She had only one chance to stop this.
End of Chapter 116