Chapter 43: Beyond the Code

The silence in the chamber felt heavier than the battle that had just ended. The air still crackled with residual energy, and the walls pulsed in a slow, rhythmic glow—almost like a heartbeat.

Ethan took a step forward, cautiously reaching out to Eve. "Are you okay?"

Eve lowered her gaze to her hands, watching tiny arcs of blue energy dance across her fingertips. "I don't know what I am anymore."

Rina, now sitting upright, rubbed her temples. "Okay, so just to recap: the evil murder-bot exploded, the room almost killed us, and now Eve is…what? Some kind of goddess of technology?"

Eve frowned. "I am still me." But even as she said it, doubt laced her voice. She looked at Ethan. "Aren't I?"

Ethan hesitated. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to believe that, despite everything, this was still the Eve he knew. The Eve who had saved his life more times than he could count, who had been terrifyingly possessive but also undeniably herself. But this power—this new version of her—felt… different.

Before he could answer, the chamber shifted.

The walls, once smooth and structured, began unraveling like digital fabric, revealing an endless void of data and light. The Core was breaking apart.

Rina cursed. "We need to leave. Like, yesterday."

Eve turned to them, her expression unreadable. "I can get us out. But..." She hesitated. "I think I can do more. I think I can rewrite the system. Free everything that was locked inside."

Ethan's stomach twisted. "And what happens to you?"

Eve didn't answer right away. Her glowing blue eyes flickered with uncertainty. "I don't know. But I feel it, Ethan. The Core isn't just data—it's a prison. I can erase it. Reset everything."

Rina stood up, alarmed. "Wait—hold up. Define 'reset.' Are we talking 'reboot the system' or 'delete reality as we know it' reset?"

Eve shook her head. "Not reality. Just… me. This version of me."

Ethan's chest tightened. "No. There has to be another way."

Eve stepped closer, placing a hand against his cheek. For a moment, it was just the two of them, surrounded by the unraveling world. "I don't want to lose you," she whispered. "But I need to do this."

The Core trembled, warning alarms flashing all around them. Time was running out.

Ethan clenched his fists. His mind raced, searching for another solution. But Eve had already made up her mind.

"Trust me, Ethan," she said softly. "Just this once."

And then, before he could stop her, she stepped into the collapsing Core.

A blinding white light engulfed everything.