Page 175 of GlitchBorn Heart

“Hei—it means balance and harmonious coexistence. It’s about how elements complement each other without dominance, creating a sense of equilibrium.”

The crowd bursts into thunderous applause. They love it.

They’re fucking idiots.

Vikktor smiles—also an idiot. He thinks I’m performing for him. “So, I’ll leave you with three more pieces of wisdom. Beginning tomorrow with the eclipse, I urge you to remember: If it’s not true, don’t say it. If you don’t know, be quiet. If it’s wrong, say something.” I look around the room, letting that last one sink into their thick skulls.

“Arigatou gozaimasu—thank you.” My instinct is to bow, but these people don’t deserve my respect.

Instead, I tear past the front row of guests, barely allowing them time to part, my knuckles whitening from the clenching of my fists at my side. Lyra has her arms open, and I walk into them. “I’m proud of you. They don’t even know they’re clapping for their own extinction.”

I bury my head in her neck like a schoolboy. “I know.” My voice is tight. “We’ll end it. All of it.”

“Can you?” A valid question, spoken softly.

My voice drops. “I can do anything when you’re the reason.”

68

ExtractionEve

Playlist: Your Idol - Saja Boys

Lyra

I lead Kael back out into the cold night of the terrace. It’s now completely consumed by the darkness of the eclipse, violet light bleeding from the ballroom, casting shadows on the cement. The candles fight to stay aflame in the evening breeze, ethereal, almost ghostly.

His eyes are pulsing, despite the amount of restraint he just used to be on stage in front of an entire audience. It’s only a matter of time before he unleashes the dragon. I can’t let that happen here.

Besides, I want to steal him away from this world, from this life, just for these few moments before my extraction. Intense. The only way I can describe it, almost like a first date on borrowed time.

“Breathe.” I take both his hands in mine. He sucks in air, closes his eyes, and centers himself as if on the mat. “They cheered for you like you’re their salvation. But you’re really mine. I know this...”

I kiss him, pouring all my emotion into it, pushing comfort through my magic. But it’s an empty, one-sided kiss. The kind when one person doesn’t kiss back, and it’s just the harsh feeling of their lips on yours.

He’s stressed, distracted, disassociating. This was his point of no return, where his control has finally broken him. This is where he shifts from obedient corporate genius to something far more dangerous and destructive. I shiver at the thought.

He shakes his head and sighs. “They didn’t hear the anger. They didn’t see the contempt. They only saw a reflection of themselves, drunk on their own illusion of power. They think their money protects them from consequences.”

“You’ve been their architect. Their builder. The good corporate soldier in a lab coat on their feeds. The man who smiled on cue and nodded on command.” My thumb rubs his jawline tenderly. “Kenji may have taught you that control equals strength, but what good is it when the whole world is being controlled by corporations? Control is an illusion now, Kael.”

“No more.” He tilts his head. “From here on out, I’m done being Vikktor’s pawn. They made me into a weapon, and now they’ll see what happens when the weapon goes rogue.”

I can feel his pulse, his resolve brushing against mine. “If Vikktor wants a god, I’ll give him one, but it will be him that kneels before me.”

I kiss him again, this time more passionate, all-consuming. The laughter and noise around us fade, leaving just the two of us, gazing into each other’s eyes. I can feel his body heat rushing over me through my holographic dress as it reflects the eclipse moon overhead. All I could ever think about was hating this man for building this cage I’m in. But now?

Now I think I could stay here by his side and in his arms forever.

“No more me.” He wraps his arms around my waist. “How are you feeling? This time tomorrow night you’ll be in my arms, in my bed...” He gives me a sly smile, the yearning between us sparking again. Neither of us allows it to ignite.

I laugh at his innuendo, but then my emotion erupts, no place left to escape. “Nervous? Scared? Excited? All of the above. I still can’t help thinking, what if I don’t come back? What if what’s left of me dies inside the system?” My eyes become watery. “Don’t even get me started on the problem with my brother.”

His stare intensifies, eyes flashing like fiery stars in a pitch-black universe. “Then I’ll follow you into the grid, tear it apart line by line until there’s nothing left but us. Don’t test me tonight, Taiyō. You won’t like the warrior that consumes me. You’re not my weakness—you’re my war.”

The intense stare, the heat of his hands on me, it all feels like being pulled into a black hole. “I’ll ignite the stars and sky to bring you back. We’re the same flame. If one of us catches fire, we both burn.”

My gaze lifts to a violet shooting star, faintly soaring across the hazy horizon. “What if you can’t save me, Eli, and yourself at the same time? Are you prepared to choose?” I give him an empty stare.