Chapter 2: Claudia Choice.

Standing In the dimly-lit corner of the main hall, her eyes locked onto Zodiac penetrating gaze. The air is heavy with anticipation.

Zodiac's asked with a gentle tone: "Claudia, the time has come for you to make your choice. Will you go with me to the upper realm, where power and dominion await? Or will you remain in this lower realm, forsaking your true potential?"

Claudia's brows furrow, her heart pounding like a drum against her chest. The pendant, the only precious object that was given by her mother, feel warm against her fingers as she clenches it tightly. Her mind races, torn between conflicting desires that wage a fierce battle within her.

"How can I make this choice?" Claudia's inner voice pleads, her gaze flickering to her younger brother, his unwavering support during these months is something that she couldn't ignore.

"We're just good friends, but his presence has meant so much to me. Can I really leave him behind, betray his trust?"

But then, a poignant ache pulses in her heart, a reminder of a dream she's carried since childhood.

"My mother, who is surely at the upper realm… I've longed to find her since the day she left me…"

In the center of the hall, Marcus face become pale, he opened eyes wide with disbelief and trepidation. He exchange a silent glance with Claudia, urging her to make the right choice. Time seems to stand still as Claudia's hesitation lingers, a fragile moment that could shift the very course of destiny.

Her father's anxious gaze bore into her, the weight of his hopes and expectations palpable. The members of her sect, gathered nearby, hold their breath, their expressions a mix of anticipation and unease. They all yearn for her to choose the young master, they know the benefit their sect will receive if she just answer "Yes".

As Zodiac gaze intensifies, Claudia's nervousness becomes palpable. She swallow hard, feeling the weight of every pair of eyes upon her – her father's unwavering pride, the elders' stern approval, her young brother's hopeful gaze. The weight of their expectations presses down on her, making it difficult to draw a steady breath.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Claudia's gaze steadies, a resolve growing within her. Her voice, though faint, carries unwavering determination as she meet the young man piercing gaze and declare with a firm voice: "I choose to come with you, to the upper realm."

The room is enveloped in an eerie silence, broken only by Zodiac's chilling chuckle. As he extend a hand toward Claudia, a wicked grin formed on his face: "Very well Claudia, you made the right choice, although you will just be a concubine you will not be treated badly, whether it's you or your sect. Now come here."

As Claudia take a small step toward him, Marcus expression shifts from shock to heartbreak, pain etched across his face.

Then In a voice filled with agony, and sadness he said: "Claudia, how could you…?"

With a detached expression, Claudia turns to the protagonist and offers a faint, bittersweet smile. "Thank you for these months of friendship."

she say softly, her voice tinged with a hint of regret. "But my path lies elsewhere."

Without waiting for a response, she continues to walk toward Zodiac, her resolve firm. Marcus rage boils over, and his insults cut through the air like venomous arrows. The once-supportive gazes of the onlookers turn cold and unkind, their sympathy shifting in the face of the protagonist's outburst.

Claudia's steps falter for a moment, a flicker of pain in her eyes, but she quickly composes herself and keep walking. Meanwhile, her father's face contorts with a murderous intent, his expression twisted by a mix of anger at the protagonist's behavior.

As Zodiac looked at all this with playful eyes a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Ding~…..]