Maybe you were escaping the passage of time.

[ Time is an unstoppable force, after all.

Her soft smile stays in place as she thinks, as she answers. ]

Yes. It was a moment where I thought: do I choose to wake up, or do I stay on the path I was set to take? Do I stay asleep and "live" in the "dream state" of my programming?

Have you ever been half asleep and half awake? I don't know how it is for you, but I think it must be kinda hard not to wake up when you realize what's in front of you is a dream.