The air in the chamber felt heavier now, thick with ancient power and the overwhelming presence of Lucius Cipher’s will. Every word he spoke seemed to warp reality, as if the very idea of resistance was futile. Time itself was his weapon, sharpened over millennia, and Alastor felt the weight of every life that had been taken, every soul ground to dust beneath the wheels of the Pyramid.

Lucius’s dark eyes gleamed with fire and certainty, as though he stood at the center of the universe, watching the world revolve according to his design. The Pyramid’s secrets had been carefully guarded for centuries, but now, at the end of everything, he laid the truth bare—because it no longer mattered whether Alastor knew the game.

The choice was inevitable.

"You think the loop is a punishment," Lucius began, his voice slow, measured, like the ticking of a clock winding down. "A curse placed on those unfortunate enough to stumble into the Pyramid’s web. But it’s not. It’s a system. A perfect system—the only way to master life and death.”

He turned away, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked slowly through the chamber, his voice a mix of reverence and cold logic. "The world you know is chaos. Life slips between your fingers, fleeting and meaningless, and death is an insult—a final barrier that no man can cross. But we, Alastor—we found the way."

Lucius glanced over his shoulder, his gaze sharp. "The loop isn’t just a game. It’s a crucible—a way to strip away weakness, refine ambition, and mold those who survive into something more. The trials, the betrayals, the endless deaths—they are necessary. Because only those who rise through the fire become worthy to wield the ultimate power."

"And what power is that?" Alastor asked, his voice tense. He already knew the answer but needed to hear it. Needed to confirm the nightmare.

Lucius turned fully, his smile widening, and his voice dropped into a soft whisper. "The power to control time, life, and death. Forever."

The glyphs along the walls glowed faintly, as though responding to the truth finally being spoken aloud. Alastor felt the hum of the Scarab’s Mark beneath his sleeve, as if it, too, recognized the gravity of the moment.

"This is the Pyramid’s true purpose," Lucius continued. "To create a world where life and death are no longer chaotic forces but instruments of control. A world ruled by a chosen few—those who have earned the right to command the flow of time and decide who lives and who dies." His eyes gleamed with an eerie certainty. "And you, Alastor—you are one of them."

Alastor’s stomach twisted. The idea was monstrous, but it also made a perverse kind of sense. The Pyramid wasn’t just a network of assassins—it was a machine, grinding people down through death and rebirth, testing them over lifetimes until only the strongest, most ruthless, remained. Those who survived the endless loop weren’t just survivors. They were gods in the making.

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Lucius smiled, sensing the conflict in Alastor’s mind. "I know what you’re thinking. You want to believe you can fight this. You want to believe there’s a way out—a way to break the loop, free yourself from this prison, and live on your own terms." His smile widened, cruel and knowing. "But deep down, you know the truth. There is no escape. There never was. This was always your destiny, Alastor."

Alastor clenched his fists, his mind racing. Every death, every trial, every betrayal—it had all led him here, to this moment. But was it his choice, or had it been orchestrated by Lucius and the Pyramid from the beginning?

Lucius stepped closer, his gaze steady and filled with an ancient fire. "The chaos of the outside world is an illusion, Alastor. Out there, people live their meaningless lives, scrabbling for scraps of power, clinging to fragile hopes. But in here—**within the Pyramid—**we have created a perfect order. A world where nothing is left to chance. Where every life has purpose, every death serves a function. We command time itself. And now… we are offering you a place among us."

Alastor’s breath caught in his throat.

"Join us," Lucius said, his voice as smooth and inviting as a serpent’s whisper. "Take your place at the top of the Pyramid. With every death you’ve endured, you’ve already proven yourself worthy. Now, all you have to do is submit. Kneel before me, and I’ll show you true immortality."

The words hung in the air like a knife pressed against Alastor’s throat. He could feel the enormity of the decision—the weight of lifetimes balanced on a razor’s edge. Lucius wasn’t just offering him power; he was offering an escape from the chaos, the uncertainty, the fear. A world where life and death were no longer things to fear, but tools he could wield. The ultimate freedom… at the cost of submission.

Alastor’s mind raced. The future he had seen through the Eye of Horus flashed before his eyes—a world dominated by the Pyramid, where every soul was bound to the loop, caught in an endless cycle of death and rebirth. But now he understood the truth. The future Lucius promised wasn’t just a nightmare—it was a choice. He could join the architects of that future and wield its power… or try to fight against it and risk losing everything.

The scarab burned against his wrist, urging him to act. The power was within his reach. All he had to do was kneel.

Alastor looked into Lucius’s eyes and saw the weight of infinite lifetimes, the gaze of a man who had walked this path countless times, always winning, always recruiting the best into his ranks. He had already seen every possible outcome—and he was certain Alastor would submit.

"Why me?" Alastor asked, his voice low.

"Because you’re like me," Lucius said with a slow smile. "You were born for this. Every time you died, you came back stronger. Every betrayal made you sharper. The Pyramid has shaped you into exactly what you were always meant to be: a master of the game. And now, you are ready to ascend."

Lucius extended his hand, his expression calm, patient. He wasn’t rushing. He knew the answer.

Alastor felt his heart pounding, the scarab’s pulse syncing with his own. Time seemed to slow, stretching out as the choice loomed before him.

Lucius’s voice dropped to a whisper, filled with the weight of certainty. "Kneel, Alastor. Kneel, and I’ll show you true immortality."