POWER OR MEMORY – Chapter 2
The moment Sofia's final command shattered the air, time itself seemed to halt.
Silence dropped like a blade—sharp, immediate, absolute.
Even breath felt forbidden, as if one wrong exhale could tip the balance between life and death.
In that void of sound, something cracked—not a noise, but a tension.
And then, Mie moved.
She didn't run—she erupted, like a storm discharging in a flash of electromagnetic rage.
Her body sliced through the atmosphere, a dagger in motion, eyes glinting with a predator's focus honed in endless shadow.
Each step was poetry in violence.
Each breath, calibrated.
Each thought, milliseconds ahead of the world.
Before anyone could blink, she was behind Vory—silent, lethal.
Her dagger shimmered like frostlit steel, poised to carve through flesh and fate alike.
A perfect leap. A horizontal slash aimed for the artery beneath his throat.
But death didn't come.
Vory moved as if he'd seen it all in a dream.
His body twisted, leg sweeping wide in a spinning arc—
CRACK.
His heel slammed into Mie's side like a kinetic blade.
The silence exploded.
The impact echoed like thunder through steel.
Mie flew across the platform, crashing into the energy wall—blue data veins flickering like shattered neurons.
She didn't scream. She didn't break.
Midair, she twisted—landed low, blade still in hand, eyes locked like a predator denied its kill.
Vory advanced, slow, casual. The smile on his lips curved like a scalpel.
"Wow. Little kitten thinks she's a tiger?"
His voice dripped mockery. The dagger in his hand spun lazily, each turn ticking like a bomb.
Mie said nothing.
In a flash, her arm jerked—the dagger flew like lightning, slicing past his head by mere inches.
He dodged smoothly, arrogant—
But before his smirk returned, she was already there.
"You bastard."
Her voice was ice.
A sweeping kick slammed into his jaw. Blood sprayed like red mist.
"Fuck… ah…!"
Across the arena, Roxy stood arms crossed, amused. Zara was bound in glowing green data. Kaiser leaned against the wall, silent and sharp. Dylen yawned, deadpan—
"What's the point? Go watch the sky."
"Shut your mouth, chatterbox," Kaiser snapped.
"Yes, holy one," Dylen mocked.
No one cared.
Above them, Landy stood frozen.
Thoughts spiraling.
What the hell is happening… I got chosen… but chosen for what?
Mie pressed forward.
She lunged, retrieved her dagger, spun, stabbed—
The blade plunged into Vory's bicep. Blood spilled hot and furious.
"You dog… fucking pig…"
Vory roared, tore the blade from his flesh, kicked.
Mie went down face-first.
THUD.
He grabbed her ankle, hoisted it high, dagger raised like a butcher's cleaver.
But Mie was a coil of instinct.
She sprang—her heel slammed into his shoulder, deflecting.
Then another kick—his nose burst in red.
"AHH!!"
Mie didn't let up.
She circled like a ghost, her speed accelerating. Vory staggered, swinging wild.
She struck from behind—he spun—nothing.
She reappeared—arm around his neck.
He flailed like a trapped beast.
"Stab me then. Go on—feel my hand choke your throat."
Her whisper was poison.
In blind panic, he stabbed.
But she let go—
PHUNK.
His blade sank into his own throat.
He fell to his knees, blood gushing.
Gurgles replaced screams. The blade had torn through his larynx.
Mie approached, gaze abyssal.
She hated herself—but she didn't stop.
"You were a beast… because you were me."
She seized his hair, forced his head up. Dagger to chin.
"You talk too much."
She thrust.
The blade drove upward.
"Know why you didn't die right away?"
Her tone was lullaby.
"Because I planned it. It's not lethal. Cute, huh?"
She stroked his cheek.
"It'd be boring if you died too fast. I don't like boring."
"But I'm bored."
She kicked the dagger hilt.
His eyes widened. Then dimmed.
Silence.
"FIGHT OVER." Sofia's voice echoed.
The doors hissed open.
[DISMISSED] flashed on the wall.
The crowd dispersed. Only Dreadwolf remained.
Sofia waved. The dome dissolved.
They walked toward Mie.
Roxy hoisted Zara over her shoulder.
"See? Mie's the best ever, lalala!"
Dylen smirked.
"That move took forever."
"Shut up! I'm awesome, admit it!" Mie snapped.
Zara glared as Roxy set her down.
The platform lowered.
Wiki appeared—expressionless—and shoved Landy.
THUD.
He landed at Kaiser's feet.
Kaiser sidestepped with ease, untouched.
Mie knelt beside him.
"You okay?"
Dylen mocked.
"You're pathetic. Hungry?"
But he helped Landy up.
Sofia vanished. Only Wiki remained.
She activated the lift.
Roxy glanced at Vory's corpse.
"Resurrect him. It bugs me."
Wiki nodded. Her fingers danced across a console.
TAP.
Snap.
Vory's body dissolved into streams of data.
Within seconds, he stood whole again.
Landy stared, shaken.
Vory glared—but his body locked in green glow. Paralyzed.
He growled and walked away.
Wiki turned. Roxy stopped her.
"Untie her."
Zara's glare could kill.
Wiki waved. The binds vanished.
Zara snapped.
"You nuts? Got a working brain?"
Wiki said nothing. She rose and disappeared.
Kaiser spoke.
"Back to our rooms. No noise."
Roxy paused by Corridor 12.
A pink-haired girl stood there, still as stone.
Emotionless. Empty.
Roxy looked once—and moved on.
At the door, Kaiser handed Landy a card.
"Tap here. Face the chip. Then scan."
Click. Slide. The doors opened.
"Got it?"
Landy nodded.
Inside.
Zara dropped onto a couch. Dylen lit a cigarette.
Mie grimaced.
"Don't smoke here."
SPLASH.
A vase emptied over Dylen.
Kaiser stood with cold precision.
"Smoke again and starve."
He walked to the kitchen.
Dylen was drenched—but silent. He couldn't cook. He had no choice.
Landy turned to Roxy.
"…That robot. It brought Vory back."
Roxy smiled faintly.
"Finally, someone asks."
"Mind Upload. Consciousness backup. Body reconstruction."
She showed her phone. Diagrams flickered.
"In the fight, the dome is a neural scan—like quantum resonance scanners. It maps your mind."
"Then we reprint you. Either clone or cyborg. Sofia's one."
Kaiser returned.
"Ability test. Tomorrow morning."
"Test?!" Landy paled.
Zara slammed her door.
"Don't worry," Mie said.
Kaiser led Landy to a room. Nameplate read:
[Landy]
"Next to mine and Dylen's."
"Thanks."
Everyone vanished.
Landy sat on his bed.
Clean. Cold. Quiet.
His thoughts spiraled.
What now? How do they live like this?
It felt wrong.
He whispered—
"Okay… I'll try harder tomorrow. Just don't give up."
He drifted off.
Today might've been peaceful.
But the storm hadn't begun.
And they would all beg… for dawn to come.