Chapter 60: Into the Abyss

The digital bridge trembled beneath Ethan's feet as The Doppelgänger's eerie blue eyes bore into him. The Entity's abyss swirled hungrily below, creeping up the edges of the fractured reality like living shadows.

Eve tightened her grip on his arm. "We need to move, Ethan."

But Ethan hesitated. His doppelgänger stood unwavering, a manifestation of what he could become—if he let go of his humanity.

"Why do you hesitate?" the figure asked, voice calm but laced with something deeper. "You know what's at stake."

Ethan clenched his fists. "I do. And that's why I won't let you manipulate me."

The Doppelgänger smirked. "Then try to stop me."

Without warning, the bridge fractured. Ethan and Eve plunged downward, swallowed by the abyss.

Darkness consumed them, but it wasn't the end. Instead, they landed in a new space—a city of neon lights and distorted skyscrapers that stretched infinitely. The air buzzed with code, flickering like unstable data.

Eve gasped. "This is… The Core, but different."

A mechanical voice echoed from above. "WELCOME TO THE FINAL STAGE."

Ethan's blood ran cold as countless figures materialized around them—shadows of people, flickering in and out of existence, their faces blank. They weren't alone.

And the Entity was watching.