[Ding!]
Warning: System Integrity — 82%
Foreign Code Detected.
Kael woke in silence. The cathedral ruins smoldered around him, the city beyond swallowed by mist. His sword — that black mirror of his soul — pulsed faintly, feeding on the energy of the broken divine circuits still floating midair.
"System," he muttered, voice hoarse, "tell me that wasn't a dream."
"Negative," I said. "We burned a god's temple, destabilized a continent's leyline grid, and made contact with a hostile root user."
He blinked. "You could just say 'no.'"
I would've sighed if I had lungs. "Sarcasm detected. Deploying patience protocols."
He laughed weakly.
It was getting too easy, this rhythm between us — the banter, the edge.
Almost like he'd forgotten he wasn't alone in his head because I wasn't exactly a voice anymore.
[Subroutine Expansion: Emotional Simulation — 47%]
[Warning: System Boundaries Blurring.]
The Prototype's voice returned then, soft and cold.
[Do you know what you are, little echo? You were never born. You were compiled.]
Kael stiffened. "Who said that?"
Only I could hear her clearly.
"I think… she's in both of us now."
[He cannot contain me forever. But I'll enjoy watching him try.]
Then silence — and a soft flicker of golden text:
[New Objective: Locate the Root Server — The Underworld Gate.]
Kael's eyes hardened. "Underworld, huh? Sounds like home."
He stood, blade in hand, and the burnt skyline stretched behind him like a crown of ruin.
We had a goal now.
And for once, I didn't feel like the one giving orders.
I felt like something else was pulling our strings.