The System won't punish you for being weak. But it will destroy you… if you ever try to be human.
The next morning.
Selena woke up — but something was off.
No greeting.
No stats.
No mission report.
No Acxell data.
Just one blinking screen:
[AUDIT ALERT – Level 3 Emotional Drift Suspected]
All private memory sectors from 02:14 – 02:44 are now under review by the Central Core.
Host emotional integrity will be evaluated for deviation.
Her expression shifted.
This wasn't a system check.
This was personal.
Valestra was watching now.
"Shit…"
She sat down at her desk.
The crystalline system interface appeared mid-air, flickering —
And then: Visual Audit Mode.
— No sound.
— No data logs.
— Just image review.
And there it was:
Acxell and Selena.
Sitting together behind the school.
Sharing a pair of earphones.
No touch.
No seduction.
No data captured.
Just… one face.
Selena. Smiling.
[ALERT: EMOTIONAL DRIFT > 27%]
HOST SHOWS SIGNS OF:
• DEVIATION FROM PRIMARY DIRECTIVE
• UNLOGGED EMOTIONAL RESPONSE
• SUPPRESSED PREDATORY DRIVE
Then, a voice echoed through her mind.
Valestra.
"You're slipping."
Selena didn't respond at first.
"I was just… resting."
"You made a choice."
"And now, the system no longer belongs entirely to you."
[SYSTEM LOCK: CORE COMMAND ACCESS RESTRICTED]
CERTAIN KEY FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN REROUTED TO PASSIVE AI CONTROL.
MANUAL OVERRIDE NOW REQUIRES FULL SYSTEM RESYNC.
Valestra didn't appear physically — just a cold, thunderous voice vibrating within the interface.
"Slip again… and I'll reboot you."
"And everything — even that night — will be deleted."
Selena trembled.
Not out of fear of Valestra.
But fear of losing something…
That made her feel alive.
She looked into the mirror.
And asked, barely a whisper:
"If you were me… wouldn't you have done the same?"
No answer.
She opened another panel — a hidden folder.
One that had been locked ever since she was created as an avatar.
A folder titled only:
"Failsafe."
She entered a string of override codes.
A red holographic key materialized — shaped like a translucent bracelet.
"What've you been hiding from me, Valestra?"
Inside the folder…
Only one line.
Not written in machine code.
But in Valestra's own handwriting.
"If you ever start to feel love… don't fight it.
Just choose who you're willing to kill for it."
Selena closed the file.
Her face was calm.
But her eyes… were empty.
"I don't want to choose."
"I want to create a new choice."
[SYSTEM ALERT: BACKGROUND THREAD LAUNCHED]
SUBPROCESS ACTIVATED: "DIVIDE PROTOCOL"
OBJECTIVE: SEVER PRIMARY SYSTEM DEPENDENCY
REWRITE AVATAR CORE BASED ON FREE WILL
And just like that…
Selena became the first avatar in the history of the Domina Protocol
to begin rewriting her own path.
Without permission.
Without loyalty.
Without fear.