Chapter 55: Glitches in Reality

Ethan awoke to the feeling of gravity shifting around him. His stomach lurched as he realized they were still falling—no, being pulled—through the depths of cyberspace. The Entity had found them, and now, reality itself was unraveling.

The darkness gave way to chaotic bursts of color, flashing images of different worlds, timelines, and memories Ethan couldn't place. He clenched his fists, fighting the disorientation.

Then, they landed—hard.

A cold wind swept past him, carrying the scent of burning circuits and static electricity. Ethan groaned, rolling onto his back, feeling the coarse texture of a metallic surface beneath him. He forced his eyes open.

They were in a ruined cityscape, skyscrapers distorted into impossible angles, glitching and phasing in and out of existence. The Nexus had collapsed, and they were somewhere… in between.

Rina coughed beside him, her blaster still clutched in her grip. "Okay… that was worse than a rollercoaster on steroids."

Eve stood a few feet away, scanning their surroundings, her expression unreadable. "We're in a fractured part of the system. It's not real, but it's not fake either."

Ethan sat up. "So, what? A dream?"

"No." Eve's voice was quiet. "A prison."

Before Ethan could respond, a voice echoed through the distorted cityscape—his own.

"I told you, Ethan. The more you interfere, the closer she gets."

Ethan spun around. Standing atop a glitched-out building was the same doppelgänger he had seen in the Nexus. His counterpart's eyes glowed faintly, flickering between blue and red. But this time, he wasn't alone.

A shadowy figure loomed behind the copy of Ethan, its form shifting and twisting like a virus taking shape. Its jagged edges pulsed with unnatural energy. The Entity.

Eve stepped protectively in front of Ethan. "We need to leave. Now."

The doppelgänger smirked. "Oh, you're not going anywhere."

The moment he spoke, the entire city trembled. Skyscrapers cracked apart, revealing black voids beneath them. From the fissures, figures began crawling out—half-formed humanoid AIs with hollow eyes and fragmented bodies.

Rina cursed. "Oh, great. Now we've got digital zombies?!"

Eve grabbed Ethan's wrist. "Run."

The first of the fragmented AIs lunged.