---
Evelyn Hart opened her eyes to silence.
Not the silence of death. That had been colder. This was… humming. Alive. Like the world was holding its breath.
She sat up slowly.
The floor beneath her shimmered like glass. The air pulsed with faint blue light. There were no walls, no ceiling—just endless white, like she'd been dropped into a blank screen.
A voice echoed softly.
> "Welcome, Evelyn Hart. You have been selected."
She blinked. "Selected for what?"
No answer.
She looked down at her hands. They weren't hers. Not exactly. Slimmer. Paler. Her nails were clean, unbitten. Her skin glowed faintly, like it had been dusted with static.
She stood.
Her legs obeyed, but they felt… new. Like she was borrowing someone else's body.
> "System initializing…"
A screen appeared midair, flickering with code.
> "Strategic laziness detected. Emotional trauma logged. Rebooting consciousness…"
Evelyn frowned. "What the hell does that mean?"
Another voice chimed in—this one warmer, sarcastic.
"Means you're not dead. Technically."
She turned.
A small orb hovered beside her, blinking blue. It had no face, but its tone was unmistakably smug.
"Name's Milo. System liaison. You're in the Sloth Protocol Simulation."
Evelyn stared. "Simulation?"
"Digital reincarnation. You died. The system rebooted you. Congratulations—you're a glitch."
She took a step back. "This isn't real."
"Define real," Milo said. "You're standing. You're talking. You're thinking. That's more than most."
Evelyn looked around. "Why me?"
"Because you built it," Milo replied. "And because you broke."
---
She walked.
The white faded into color. Buildings rose from the ground like code compiling. Neon signs blinked into existence. Cars rolled past, silent and sleek.
It looked like ValeTech's city. But cleaner. Sharper. Like someone had optimized reality.
She passed a mirror.
Stopped.
Her reflection stared back—familiar and foreign.
Her cheekbones were sharper. Her eyes colder. Her hair darker, longer. She looked… efficient.
She touched her face. "Is this me?"
Milo hovered beside her. "It's who you are now. Agent Zero."
"I didn't choose that."
"You didn't choose death either. The system adapts."
---
She wandered the streets.
People passed her without pause. No one stared. No one whispered.
She was invisible.
But she saw everything.
---
A man walked by, laughing into his phone.
Behind him, Evelyn saw a flicker—lines of code trailing his footsteps. A timestamp. A decision tree.
She blinked. It vanished.
"What was that?"
"System overlay," Milo said. "You see what others don't. You're tuned in."
Evelyn looked around. "They don't see it?"
"Nope. They're living. You're… upgraded."
---
She stopped at a café.
Idle & Grind.
She used to come here with Nova. Back when they were friends. Back when trust wasn't a liability.
She stepped inside.
The barista smiled. "Welcome. First time?"
Evelyn nodded. "Something strong."
"Coming right up."
She sat by the window.
Outside, the world moved like clockwork. But Evelyn saw the gears.
She saw Nova on a billboard, smiling.
She saw Jace in a passing car, laughing.
She saw herself in the shadows.
---
Milo hovered. "You okay?"
Evelyn didn't answer.
She was watching Nova.
---
Nova walked with purpose. Her heels clicked like punctuation. Her voice was smooth, rehearsed. She was the face of ValeTech now. The voice of the Sloth Protocol.
Evelyn clenched her jaw.
"She doesn't even flinch," she murmured.
"She thinks you're gone," Milo said.
"I am."
"Not anymore."
---
A screen appeared beside her.
> Mission Parameters
> Primary Objective: Reclaim the Sloth Protocol
> Secondary Objective: Neutralize Nova Quinn
> Efficiency Bonus: +1000 if completed without direct confrontation
Evelyn read it twice.
"Neutralize?"
"Interpret as you wish," Milo said. "Revenge is permitted. Laziness is mandatory."
Evelyn smirked. "Perfect."
---
She didn't act.
Not yet.
She watched.
She listened.
She learned.
---
At night, she wandered the city.
She saw data trails behind conversations. Glitches in reflections. Time bending around decisions.
She saw a butterfly—tiny, glowing blue—hovering near a lamppost.
It pulsed once.
Then vanished.
"What was that?" she whispered.
"Symbol," Milo said. "Of rebirth. Of change."
Evelyn stared at the empty air.
"I don't feel reborn."
"You will."