Page 147 of GlitchBorn Heart

I will not leave her there. Not to LINK, not to Eli, not to Vikktor.

“Whoa!” Ash’s voice cuts through my haze of anger, lazy as always, but pitched a bit higher than usual. “You look like somebody just unplugged a neon god.” He winks at his own pun.

My head snaps up. “Fuck off, Ash! Not the time!” I begin bringing up the DreamNet status feeds. It hasn’t crashed, so Lyra must be holding her own, keeping Eli from surging any further.

I have to get back in there; she can’t hold both LINK and Eli back forever. A few hours for Ash to repair this DreamNet band, and we’ll be reunited.

He leans against the console. “I love you too, man, I really do.” His hand grips my shoulder. “But it’s time for some truth bombing.” He guides me into a chair, which I willingly accept after being dropped out of DreamNet like a downed drone.

“So, it’s true then. You’ve been holding out on me.” He gestures at my arms, then my eyes. “Your veins are lit up like one of my stage sets.” He leans against the console. “Congrats, man. You spent your whole life pretending you were normal, and now the universe finally got bored with your grumpy ass and flipped the switch. Welcome to the club.”

I can only manage a groan. “Lyra’s inside. I pushed her back inside the grid, and now she’s probably in danger. And it’s all my fault, because of this shit.” I motion with my hand down my arm. “Thanks for the DreamBand, by the way. How about a heads-up next time?” I run my hands up both sides of my face, secretly hoping the magic rubs off.

“You don’t wake up one day with magic, Kaze. You’ve been glowing for years. Pining for Lyra just pushed you to the limit. It couldn’t stay buried anymore.”

“You fucking knew, and you didn’t tell me?” I feel it building again, the dragon down my back animating with light. “I’ve built my life around this job, this Corporation, everything about me screams ‘not gifted.’ I loathe all of it. I hate the chaos it brings, the way it divides people, the rebellion, it’s a complete lack of authority. I’m about as U21 as your shoe.” I stand, only to find my head spinning, the lab becoming a blur of neon white.

“I knew—didn’t say anything because watching you argue with destiny was way more entertaining. But yeah...turns out the control freak was just scared of what he’d do if he let go and let someone in.”

“This can’t be real.” I stare at the floor.

Ember brings over a bottle of FizzyWater. Ash thrusts it at me and wraps my hand around it like I’m a helpless child. “It’s real.”

“I hate this stuff.” I tilt the bottle, trying to look through it. I immediately regret every choice that led me here.

The liquid glows an unnatural yellow, but that’s not even the worst of it. Floating in the center are green chunks. Actual chunks, suspended like algae in a fish tank.

I stare at it, horrified. “Is that kale?”

Ash grins from ear to ear. “Oh yeah. Made just for you! See? It has your name on it.” He points to the label.

Idiot.

I take a look at the label as I twist the cap.

FIZZYWATER™Hydration Reimagined. Cold-pressed. Micro-fermented. Ethically enhanced. Now with SuperLeaf Kale Particulates! It’s got VitaLytes!

Ember stands over me like a nurse. “It’s good for you. Everyone says it enhances your magic and stops the afterburn. Drink up!”

I lift the bottle, watching the leafy fragments drift lazily. “Why are they floating?”

Ash joins Ember, standing over me like an interrogation. “Future nutrition, Bro. Kale’s a wonder plant now. Something about nutrient density surviving climate collapse or whatever.”

I take a cautious sip. Instant regret.

The carbonation bites first, like electricity on the tongue, followed by a wet, vegetable texture that absolutely should not be moving in my mouth. I choke it down, eyes narrowing. “This is atrocious.”

Ash looks delighted. “Ah, you got the original flavor.”

I grimace.

He leans forward, taps the bottle, and launches into a perfect imitation of the holo-ad voiceover.

“FizzyWater—why drink water when you can drink science? It’s got VitaLytes! It’s got greens! It’s the future for your genes!”

I set the bottle down very carefully, like it might explode. “If this is what they’re feeding citizens now, the rebellion is justified.”

Ash snorts. “Hey, don’t knock it. They say kale enhances cellular conductivity.”