Chapter 15 - Graves, Games, and Glitches

I woke up the next morning with a headache and an unshakable feeling that I was now the official mascot for government nightmares.

Elren had already prepped our usual morning coffee. Gloria was working overtime. I made a mental note to give her a thank-you pat later.

"You didn't sleep," I said, not a question.

"I didn't need to."

"You keep saying that, but I'm pretty sure sleep is still important for non-robots."

"Focus."

"Oh, now I'm not allowed to worry about you?"

"Correct."

I sipped my coffee and watched him for a moment, the weight of yesterday still sinking in. I might be an anchor. I might be a monster magnet. And the government definitely wanted to poke me with bigger sticks.

"So what's the plan?"

"We continue training."

"Business as usual?"

"Until they make their next move."

"You're weirdly calm about this."

"You're still here."

Oh, okay, just gonna drop that at breakfast? Fine. Cool. No big deal. I'll definitely not overthink that all day.

-----

We trained harder that morning, like Elren knew the clock was ticking. He corrected my footwork with brutal precision, blocked my swings effortlessly, and only occasionally let his lips twitch when I got in a particularly dramatic complaint.

"You're stronger," he noted.

"Yeah, probably from carrying the emotional baggage of being a walking monster beacon."

"Your stance is improving."

"Thank you. I've been practicing my death-defying lunges."

"Good."

"I will win this war of banter one day."

"Possibly."

Progress. Slight but satisfying progress.

-----

Around midday, another message pinged on Elren's communicator. He scanned it quickly, his expression tightening just a fraction.

"What now? More government games?"

"They want to send you to a Grave surge zone."

"Why do I feel like this is a terrible idea?"

"Because it is."

"And you're going to let them?"

"We don't have a choice."

"Oh, I see. It's one of those 'comply or get forcibly extracted' situations."

"Correct."

"Love that for me."

...

We suited up and headed to the deployment point. The surge zone was already active when we arrived. Multiple Graves roamed the area, more aggressive and more numerous than the last field trial.

"Your resonance is the variable," Vance said when we met him at the perimeter. "We need to confirm whether your presence is drawing them in."

"You mean you want to see if I'm some kind of walking beacon?"

"Precisely."

"Cool. Thanks for clarifying."

Elren shot Vance a sharp look. "I'll be with her the entire time."

"You may compromise the results."

"Too bad."

They couldn't argue. Or maybe they knew better than to push him right now.

...

The test began. I stepped into the containment zone, Graves immediately shifting in my direction.

Okay, focus, Ava. You've done this before. You're the queen of surviving inconvenient plot twists. Just breathe.

But this time, something was different.

The Graves didn't just approach. They formed a circle around me, slow, methodical, like they were waiting for something.

"Do you see this?" one of the techs whispered into the comms.

"She's not provoking them. They're surrounding her on their own."

"Her signature is spiking again."

"What are you doing?" Vance demanded.

"Nothing! I'm just standing here!"

One of the Graves stepped closer, its form flickering rapidly. I felt that same pull in my chest—a thread connecting me to them.

What are you? Why me?

Another whisper slipped into my mind, faint, familiar, but still impossible to understand.

The Graves didn't attack.

They knelt.

Every person on the comms went dead silent.

"What… what are they doing?"

Elren was at my side instantly, sword drawn, but he didn't move yet. He was watching. Calculating.

"They're not hostile," I whispered. "They're... waiting."

"For what?"

"I don't know."

One of the Graves pulsed, and I heard it more clearly this time—a fractured echo of a word I almost recognized.

"Ava, step back," Elren said, his voice sharp now.

"I can't. I think… I think they're linked to me."

Vance's voice cut in. "Restrain her and isolate the Graves."

"Try it and I will cut you down," Elren answered calmly.

"We can't let this escalate."

"It already has."

The Graves rose slowly but made no move to attack. They simply watched me, silent and still.

What do you want from me?

Another pulse. Another whisper.

Anchor.

The word hit me like a bolt of ice.

They're calling me that. They know me.

"We need to pull back," Elren said.

"But—"

"Now."

I moved, and the Graves didn't stop me. They stayed in formation, unmoving, as if simply waiting for me to return.

...

Vance stormed over when we exited the field.

"Explain that."

"You tell me."

"Your signature isn't just anchoring them. It's stabilizing them."

"So I'm like a... Grave shepherd now?"

"This is dangerous."

"Yeah, welcome to my life."

Vance's expression was grim. "The system will want to contain you."

"That won't happen."

"You can't fight the system alone."

"She's not alone," Elren said, his voice deadly calm.

Vance didn't argue further, but the message was clear: they would come for me. They would try to control this.

-----

Back at the apartment, I collapsed onto the couch, face first.

"Okay. I have a fan club now. Of monsters."

"Graves aren't fans."

"Tell that to the ones kneeling."

"They see you as something else."

"Like what?"

"Like home."

That made me freeze.

"Home?"

"Your presence stabilizes them. They're drawn to that."

"But why me?"

"We'll find out."

I peeked up at him. "You're staying, right?"

"Obviously."

"Even if the system declares me a national threat?"

"Especially then."

Progress. Massive progress.

"Gloria will support us."

"Of course she will. She's the most loyal."

"Her programming is stable."

"Unlike me?"

"You're getting there."

We sipped our coffee in comfortable silence. Well, comfortable for us.

Let the system come. I've survived worse. Probably. Maybe. No, definitely. I'm ready.