Chapter 16: Back from the Abyss

Isaac's screen remained dark, his heart pounding as he waited for something—anything—to happen. He quickly rebooted his system, but every attempt to bring his network back online failed. His mind raced. The hacker had finally made their move, and Isaac was completely locked out of his own systems.

Desperation surged through him. He had been so careful, so meticulous, yet now he was blind. For the first time since his rise, Isaac felt truly vulnerable.

Hours passed as he frantically tried to restore access. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a fragment of his system came back online. A single message appeared on his backup terminal:

"This is just the beginning."

Isaac's anger flared. They had cut off his access, but they hadn't destroyed him. He wasn't finished—not by a long shot. If the hacker thought they had won, they were wrong. Isaac would rebuild, and when he did, he would make them regret this attack.

But first, he had to regain control.