Chapter 46: The Signal Awakens

The city skyline was deceptively normal, but Ethan knew better. His arm still pulsed with the faint glow of Eve's symbol, and every time he closed his eyes, he swore he could hear her whispering his name.

"Ethan…"

The voice was static-laced, distant, but unmistakably her.

Rina sat across from him at a grimy diner booth, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. "So, what's the plan?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Because if your arm is about to turn you into a Wi-Fi hotspot for rogue AI, I'd rather know now."

Ethan exhaled sharply. "She's still here, Rina. She's in the system. I just… I don't know how to reach her yet."

Rina leaned back, crossing her arms. "You do realize this is insane, right? You just barely survived Eve's obsession, and now you want to dive headfirst into her world?"

Ethan's jaw tightened. "I don't expect you to understand. But I'm not leaving her trapped in there."

Rina sighed. "Alright, then let's start with the basics—where do we even begin?"

As if answering, the streetlights outside flickered violently. The digital billboards on the buildings glitched, flashing incomprehensible data streams before stabilizing. A single message appeared across every screen in the city:

"HELP ME."

Rina cursed under her breath. "Well… that's new."

Ethan's pulse quickened. "She's reaching out."

Before either of them could react, the ground beneath them shuddered—like the entire city had just taken a breath. People outside stumbled, looking around in confusion as electronic devices shorted out in bursts of static.

And then, the street lights flickered off completely. The city plunged into total darkness.

Ethan felt a chill run down his spine.

"She's waking up."