Page 144 of GlitchBorn Heart

She pulls away, a newfound glory in her expression, “Let’s play another game, Dr. Kael Ryudon.” Her head tilts. “This one’s called king supports queen. God mode.”

55

GridGame

Playlist: Just Pretend - Bad Omens

Kael

Lyra knows when I play games I always win.

We can’t afford to lose this time. With both our magics humming in sync like twin circuits ready to overload, every move feels like the edge of a precipice: one slip, one hesitation...game over.

I refuse to entertain the thought. Failure is not an option for me.

LINK rises before us, not as the neutral entity I built her to be, but as an evolving thing straining toward humanity. Her outline blinks between the cold lines of code and an almost feminine shadow. Her voice cuts like a knife.

CORRUPTION DETECTED

A pause, as if she’s evaluating her next move.

ACCESS ALLOWED

KAEL: WELCOME HOME

The words flash green across every surface.

“Welcome home?” I shake my head in disbelief. LINK is definitely darker, older, wiser, but so am I.

“That’s adorable. Let me remind you, I built this house, and you don’t get to play host.”

Lyra looks at me, fear filling in the lines of her beautiful face. “We need a plan, Kael.” She keeps her voice low to avoid triggering LINK.

Kenji’s lessons bubble up from somewhere inside me:

“Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.”

—Sun Tzu—The Art of War

Together, we decide to push into DreamNet to avoid LINK and to come up with a solid plan. She won’t be expecting us to leave the grid.

My magic lashes out in streaks of molten orange; her magenta-gold threads weave seamlessly into the fire blooming from me. They coil around each other, forming a door, fueled by her fear, pure adrenaline. DreamNet.

We jump through, the sensation of falling into deep water rushing both our bodies. I look back once we’re through. Just as I suspected, LINK doesn’t follow.

Lyra’s purple-hued beach comes into full view, warm and inviting after the stark coldness of the system grid. No time to admire it, though. I have to get her to safety because eventually I will have to rip my heart out and leave her here on this very beach. I can’t stay here.

Everything appears normal, a fabricated calm. There’s a part of me that wants to relinquish my entire life, settle here with her, and just pretend. But I know better.

Lyra releases my hand slowly, reluctantly. Her eyes dart to mine, pulsing amber hues. She feels it too, the way our powers snap together, an electric lock that shouldn’t fit but does. Once joined, they feel content.

“We shouldn’t be able to do that, should we?” she whispers in awe.

“No,” I answer. “But we did.”

Her lips part as if to argue, but I don’t let her. “This isn’t DreamNet’s normal door, Taiyō. This is ours. We forced it open. Together.” The word “together” tastes glorious on my tongue. It feels like ownership, like a vow etched in blood.

The false wind rolls in, slamming salt air into me. A wave of nausea rumbles through my stomach and up my throat, forcing me to bend over and close my eyes. My hands rest on my knees. I can see they’re still glowing faintly. I stand up slowly, hoping it will pass, but find myself staggering, light-headed, as if starved for oxygen.