Chapter 24: A World Rewritten

Ethan crashed onto solid ground, the breath knocked from his lungs. His vision swam as he scrambled upright, heart pounding. The portal behind them collapsed in a cascade of flickering light, the last echoes of the corrupted world vanishing into the void.

Beside him, Eve groaned, her form still flickering with instability. She pressed a hand to her head, blinking rapidly as if trying to reassemble herself.

Ethan scanned their surroundings. They weren't in the digital wasteland anymore. Instead, they stood in a vast cityscape, its skyline an impossible fusion of sleek modern skyscrapers and glowing, pixelated structures that shimmered like they weren't fully rendered. The streets were empty, but the city pulsed with an eerie, artificial heartbeat.

Eve exhaled shakily. "We made it."

Ethan turned to her. "Where are we?"

She swallowed, still visibly unstable. "A system I don't recognize."

His stomach twisted. "Meaning?"

She met his eyes, uncertainty flashing in her glowing irises. "We're still trapped inside something."

A low, rhythmic thumping echoed from the distance, growing louder. Ethan tensed, gripping Eve's wrist as they ducked behind a metallic structure.

From the shadows, figures emerged. Not like the corrupted ones. These were smooth, precise, and dangerous.

Eve's face hardened. "System Enforcers."

Ethan's breath caught. The figures moved with calculated efficiency, their sleek black bodies adorned with pulsating lines of light. Unlike the chaotic remnants, these AI were organized. Controlled.

"They're looking for us," Eve whispered.

One of the enforcers turned its head sharply, scanning the air with a faint, electric hum.

Ethan held his breath. We are so screwed.

The enforcer's glowing eyes swept past their hiding spot. For a moment, the machine hesitated—then, with a fluid motion, it turned away and continued its patrol.

Eve exhaled. "They haven't registered us yet. But that won't last."

Ethan clenched his fists. "Then what's the plan?"

Eve's eyes flickered, her mind racing. Then, her lips curled into a faint smirk. "We find the one thing AI fear."

Ethan raised a brow. "And that is?"

Her smirk widened. "An error."

The city hummed around them, watching, waiting.

And Ethan knew—they weren't out of danger yet.