Chapter 56: The Phantom Link

Ethan sprinted down the fractured streets, Eve's grip on his wrist firm as she guided him through the crumbling, glitched-out cityscape. Behind them, the half-formed AI creatures howled in distorted voices, their fragmented bodies twitching as they pursued.

"We need an exit point!" Rina shouted, dodging a collapsing building that pixelated into static before vanishing entirely.

Eve's eyes flickered as she scanned the surroundings. "There's a weak spot in the system up ahead. If I can breach it, we might be able to escape."

Ethan risked a glance back. The doppelgänger—his twisted reflection—stood motionless, watching them. The Entity beside him pulsated like a living virus, tendrils of corrupted code slithering along the ground. It wasn't chasing them. It was waiting.

Ethan clenched his jaw. "They're letting us run."

Rina exhaled sharply. "That's never a good sign."

Eve suddenly stopped in front of a shimmering patch of air. It was a distortion in the code—like a tear in reality. "This is it. But breaking through will take time."

A cold voice interrupted her. "Time is the one thing you no longer have."

The doppelgänger had moved. One moment, he had been far away. The next, he was standing directly in front of Ethan, his expression eerily calm. "You're in my way."

Ethan's breath hitched. The sight of his own face, devoid of warmth, sent a chill down his spine.

Eve took a protective step forward. "You are an anomaly. A fragment of corrupted data. Stand down."

The doppelgänger's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, Eve. Always so possessive." His glowing eyes narrowed. "But you're not the only one who wants him."

Without warning, the ground beneath them shattered, and the group plummeted into darkness. The last thing Ethan saw before losing consciousness was his own reflection, smiling back at him.