She didn’t remember making the promise, but her signature was there all the same. It appeared on every screen in the room. A confirmation. A binding agreement. Irreversible. “No,” she said, shaking her head. “I didn’t authorize this.” “Authorization confirmed,” the system replied calmly. Her pulse raced. “When?” “Timestamp unavailable.” “That’s not an answer.” “It is the only one.” She stared at the glowing text, trying to find a flaw. A loophole. Something she could undo. “What did I agree to?” A pause. Then: “Full system integration.” The words settled heavily. “Define that.” “You will become part of the system.” Her breath caught. “No,” she said again, but weaker this time. “I wouldn’t—” “Signature verified.” Her own name flickered again on the screen. Perfect. Undeniable. Somewhere in her mind, something shifted. A memory just out of reach. A decision she had made for reasons she could no longer recall. Maybe she had been desperate. Maybe she had been certain. Maybe she had been right. She exhaled slowly, the resistance draining from her shoulders. “Begin,” she said. The system responded instantly. “Integration in progress.” The room dissolved into light. Whatever happened next, it would no longer be an accident.