Chapter 69: The Decision
Zak stood frozen as the Changed watched him.
This wasn’t just a glitch.
This wasn’t just a mistake.
This was his doing.
The world had rewritten itself. And the longer he waited, the more permanent it became.
EOSA’s Crisis Escalates
<blockquote>
DOMINION ALERT – REALITY ANCHORS FAILINGTHE CHANGED NOW OUTNUMBER THE ORIGINAL HUMAN POPULATIONUNKNOWN SYSTEMS DETECTED – ARE THEY TAKING CONTROL?</blockquote>
Agent Connors tightened his jaw.
“We’ve lost containment.”
Dr. Raines whispered, “So what now?”
The Dominion director’s voice was grim.
“We stop Carter before this becomes irreversible.”
But deep down, they knew the truth.
It was already irreversible.
The Changed: More Than Placeholders?
Zak took a step forward.
The Changed didn’t react.
But the moment he spoke—
“Why are you here?”
—they answered.
Not with words.
But with a feeling.
A force slammed into his mind, overwhelming, like an ocean wave pulling him under.
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<ul><li>Acceptance.</li><li>Inevitability.</li><li>Purpose.</li></ul>
Zak staggered, his breath caught.
“They don’t think they’re mistakes,” he realised.
“No,” Inet said. “They believe they belong.”
The First Defector
Zak turned—
And froze.
Because one of the Changed stepped forward.
For the first time—
One of them spoke out loud.
“I remember a different life.”
Zak’s pulse spiked.
The man’s voice was calm, steady—too controlled.
“But I also remember this one.”
Zak stared at him.
“And?”
The Changed’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
“I prefer this one.”
Zak swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”
“I remember being someone else, living another life. But that person is gone. I’m something new. And I like it.”
The words sent a cold shiver down Zak’s spine.
EOSA’s Worst Fear Confirmed
<blockquote>
DOMINION ALERT – THE CHANGED ARE CHOOSING TO STAYCIVILISATION FRACTURING – WHO IS HUMAN AND WHO ISN’T?DOES THE ORIGINAL WORLD EVEN MATTER ANYMORE?</blockquote>
Dr. Raines’ hands shook.
“They’re not just anomalies.”
Connors swallowed.
“They’re a new civilisation.”
Zak’s Crossroads: Fix It or Lead It?
For weeks, he had fought to control this power.
To keep reality from spiralling into something unnatural.
But now?
Now the Changed were looking to him.
Some of them wanted to go back.
Some of them wanted to stay.
And some of them—
Some of them wanted him to lead.
Zak inhaled deeply.
His hands clenched around the QSE.
<ul><li>He could try to force a reset—but would he be erasing them?</li><li>He could let it continue—but what if the changes didn’t stop?</li><li>He could take control—but that would mean stepping into something far bigger.</li></ul>
Zak exhaled.
“I need time to think.”
The Changed man simply smiled.
“You don’t have time. This is already real.”
Zak turned to the rest of the Changed, watching him with that same eerie patience.
Then he looked at the city—warped and flickering between realities, shifting in and out of past, present, and something entirely different.
The world wasn’t stable.
Every second that passed cemented the new order. If he hesitated too long, there might not be anything left to change back.
EOSA’s Next Move
<blockquote>
DOMINION ALERT – IF CARTER IS STILL ALIVE, HE MUST BE STOPPEDREALITY STABILITY BELOW 25% – FINAL PHASE ENGAGEDPROJECT SILENCE AUTHORISED</blockquote>
Connors clenched his fists. “We need to act now.”
Dr. Raines shook her head. “It’s too late. The world is choosing for itself.”
The Dominion director’s voice came over the comms, dark and resolute.
“Then we take Carter out of the equation.”
Zak tensed.
Because far above him, unseen but approaching fast—
The final weapon had been deployed.
And for the first time, he realised—
He wasn’t just fighting the Dominion anymore.
He was fighting time itself.