"My dear mother… my love, my guardian angel — the one who put so much effort into pulling me out of that dark world… now wants to drag me back there — for the sake of money."
Angelo's voice was calm but carried a faint sadness. His eyes locked on hers, as if searching for something deeper than just a reaction.
Maria's heart tightened painfully. His words made her feel as though she had done something wrong — as though she should never have brought that brochure at all.
"No, it's not like that, Angelo, I just thought—" she began, but he interrupted her with a quiet laugh.
"I actually think it's a good opportunity to stabilize our finances after buying the house. Just one interview — and one million one hundred thousand dollars are ours. Easy money."
He continued with a gentle smile,
"You probably think I'm finally, consciously ready to put a full stop to the Emperor's story — to let him fade away… once and for all. And this interview is a good opportunity to do just that."
Maria exhaled with a nervous laugh.
"Silly boy. I knew you'd understand. But please, don't scare me like that again," she said, her voice still trembling slightly.
"All right, Mom," he replied gently, then added,
"These money can be considered our compensation — for everything this world once took from us."
Maria looked at him carefully.
"Angelo… are you sure about this? You really want to go through with it?"
He met her gaze steadily, his voice lower now, touched with something heavy yet controlled.
"Yes, Mom. I've grown up. I'm no longer that little boy who wore the mask of an emperor."
He paused for a moment, his expression darkening slightly.
"I want to tell the whole world what that game truly did to me — the emotions it devoured, the pain it carved into my mind, and the scars it left behind. They think it was just a game… but they have no idea what it really was."
Maria's eyes softened. For a moment, she simply looked at him in silence, her heart torn between pride and worry. Then she leaned closer and said quietly:
"I love you, Angelo… and I'll support every decision you make. Always."
Her words filled the room with warmth — fragile, sincere, and painfully human.
"Tomorrow you can call them and tell them I agree to the interview," Angelo said calmly. "But half of the payment must be made in advance."
"I'll take care of it," Maria nodded.
They finished their tea, shared the last piece of cake, washed the dishes, and then hugged before going to their rooms.
When Angelo entered his, he quietly closed the door behind him.
He moved a chair to the wardrobe, stepped on it, and reached for a dark-blue box on the top shelf.
Taking it down, he placed it on the table and slowly lifted the lid.
Inside lay a flash drive engraved in silver letters: "Life Without End."
Next to it was the virtual visor — the one Angelo had used five years ago.
It was the key — the entrance to his old gaming profile, the profile of the Bloody Emperor, who once held the entire world in fear.
For a while, Angelo stood still, the card resting in his trembling hands, as if he were arguing with himself.
"I gave you up long ago… so why can't you give me up?" he whispered quietly.
He set the card down, turned off the light, and lay on his bed.