In the end, Alex learned a valuable lesson: seeking free activation keys can lead to more trouble than it's worth. He ended up purchasing the software through his university's program and was able to use it without any issues.

The screen went black, reflecting his own terrified face, and then, slowly, his reflection began to smile, even though he wasn't smiling at all.

The irony washed over him, sour and heavy. He had wanted a key for free. He had wanted to bypass the cost of doing business.