Page 114 of GlitchBorn Heart

Never in my life have I been on the opposite side of my own brother. The protector has become the rival, sparking a conflict that neither of us saw coming, testing our bond like never before.

44

CodeCorridor

Playlist: Dark Prince – ELFL

Lyra

I can feel Eli pulling the walls in around me, threads of code already disappearing and reappearing. I’m pulled violently out of GameNet and into a black grid.

I have to get out.

More importantly—I have to get to Eli.

I begin running through the flashes of code, shoving glitches and data streams aside, looking for the window or holo-program. I find the holo tucked in the back corridors of the system, buried under collapsing code. I need to act quickly. My pulse spikes as I force it open.

I abruptly appear in the lab, my image filling in gradually as I’m already launching myself forward. Kael, Ash, and Ember move like puppets, hands on keyboards, fingers furiously typing commands.

Kael looks up, relief melting over his expression. “Lyra!” He moves to join me by the center console.

“I’m going with Jett!” I start for the doors of the lab.

Kael is much faster. One step, then another, and he’s in front of me, a hard wall. His hand shoots out, pressing flat to the door panel, locking it down with a hiss. The green light on the console snaps red.

His eyes cut to mine, unbothered by my fury. “No.” His voice crawls over my skin. “You’re not leaving the lab. Running the halls of VikkCorp will just get us caught. You’ve trained for this—use your power, EchoWeaver. Find Eli in my system, go to him that way.” His voice is encouraging.

He’s actually giving me permission to run through his system, to get to my brother and Jett without leaving this room. One of the very things he said he’d never do.

I shove at his chest, but he doesn’t move. The calm in his eyes only makes me burn hotter. “We don’t have time for your games! Move,” I demand. My veins begin to fill with golden light. He isn’t just blocking me. He’s daring me.

His hands feel hot on my shoulders. “You’re not hearing me, Little Taiyō. Go back in, get up there. Bleed into my feed.”

I blink at him. “You’re...what? Giving me permission to...”

His mouth curves into a faint smile. “Not permission. An opportunity. Show me how powerful you are.” He leans in slightly, enough for his breath to brush my ear. “I built this place. If anyone can slip through it without tripping alarms, it’s you. Prove me right. Don’t break my code.”

His hands drop from my shoulders but stay near, fingers grazing my wrist, just enough to feel the spark there. “Go to your brother, EchoWeaver, but do it from here. Do it with me watching so I can help you, so I can protect you.” He turns me toward the wall of screens and smacks my ass playfully.

Time feels like a speeding train. Kael’s simultaneously frustrating me and empowering me. I don’t care about his system. I’m going to get my brother.

My magic hums at my fingertips, restless, and the word EchoWeaver leaving his lips, beats in my head like a drum. The name doesn’t sound foreign anymore. It sounds like...Me.

I hate him for this. But I also respect him. That’s the worst part.

The man who will not allow himself to yield even an ounce of control, is empowering me to discover my own inner strength and resilience. There’s a heat coiled inside me, the kind that makes my breath uneven when he looks at me like that. My stupid heart reacts with missed beats when he says so I can protect you. He means it.

I push my magic forward, fueled by anxiety. I snap the tether to the holo-program, slamming me back into the system. The lab fades, replaced by corridors spun from neon light in perfect symmetry. I grit my teeth, close my eyes, and reach into the grid. His world.

The pathways burst open around me, glittering veins of data and neon-lined corridors. I don’t know if I want to tear them apart or master them, but either way, I feel a presence there, like someone standing at my shoulder even though I know I’m alone.

Watching. Waiting.

“LINK,” I whisper under my breath, “no. Not now.”

She’s here, not attacking yet, just lingering in the shadows of Kael’s programs. A jealous ghost in his machine, circling me like a predator, deciding when to pounce.

I can’t fight her right now. There’s no time. But a quake under my feet tells me I have no choice. I brace myself. “Go ahead!” I yell, my voice shaking with fear. “Come at me, bitch! You’ll see what I can do.”