Page 48 of GlitchBorn Heart

“Exactly.” I stare at the glowing monitor, unease flowing through me. “Between Vikktor and the anomaly, something’s been dragged into my system.”

“Shit.” That’s all Ash can say.

I’m moving code around on the wall screen trying to locate where Lyra may have landed. “So...I was in DreamNet with a girl when it spilled over.”

“You little stalker!” Ash laughs dryly. “And not spilling. Try drowning. Corp drones are everywhere, scooping up anyone who twitches wrong. Eli’s on the list, Kael. Lyra’s brother. You know what that means?”

“Eli?” I squint “I didn’t know Lyra had a brother. Was that the nerdy glasses guy at STATIK?” It’s starting to piece together in my mind. A muscle flickers in my cheek as I continue to multi-task watching the anomaly flicker on screen.

“You crush on a chick this hard, and you don’t know she has a brother?” He sighs. “Are you hiding something, Bro?”

I sigh through clenched teeth and confess. “Listen, I need your help. I was in DreamNet with Lyra, the girl from STATIK, when this shitstorm launched.”

He cuts me off “Why you little...were you fucking? Any RedRoom action?”

I tsk at his bluntness but ignore it. I don’t have time for his games right now. “I don’t know where she landed. It collapsed taking her with it.” My voice cracks with worry. “I need you to locate her vibrations, her signature, anything.” I sound like I’m pleading...in a way I am.

Ash’s words are bitter. “I told her not to jack in tonight. I warned her she’s glowing hot.”

Again, he knows something I don’t. “You what?! If you’re keeping vital information from me, you’d better pray I don’t find it first.”

“I’ll find her.” He breathes deeply, groans like a caged animal, and cuts the line.

I stare at the anomaly running recklessly like a person bouncing off a trampoline. My hand hovers over the kill command again, but I can’t commit. Instead I turn back to the DreamNet feed, searching for any sign of her.

I whisper to myself, thinking of the way Ash said he “warned her” and will “find” her.

No. I will find her.

I lean into the console staring at the light beckoning me.

“Mine.”

18

FuryFound

Playlist: Fire For You (Midnight Version) – Cannons

Kael

The anomalies are numerous now around the city. They light up the entire grid like godsdamn short-circuiting stars. The one violet spike, still at full power, stands out registering off the charts and it’s moving toward VikkCorp rapidly. One inside the building, one approaching. Interesting. The only two powerful enough to hold my interest.

Ember stands beside me, clearly distraught, feeling partially responsible. “I have updates for you, Dr. Ryudon.”

“Continue.” I’m too exhausted, too overcome with worry to deal with her right now. I lean back in the chair scrubbing my hands over my face to relieve the tension.

“LINK notified the CIC. They’ve been dispatched to VikkCorp living towers. They are bringing in the large anomaly now to my father. There’s also been”—she swallows hard, her voice trembling—“a casualty.”

My eyes flicker up to her slowly, “And...?”

“Well, it appears that the large anomaly is a man by the name of Eli Vaille. A college student at the university, very powerful U21. His magic spiked so hard when we picked him up that he melted the CIC’s grid, taking down most of their systems.” She can’t even look me in the eyes, just continues scrolling through the facts on her LINKpad.

Eli Vaille. The realization hits hard, like a kick to the head. Lyra’s brother is the massive anomaly. This night just keeps getting better and better.

Ember continues. “His magic sends out echoing distortion waves, like reality bending inward, sucking the DreamNet or anything technical, into a spiraling, digital black hole. He’s a VoidChanneler.”

I’m taken back for a moment. This is huge. He’s enemy number one. A problem for both U21 rebels and the Corporation. “You mean to tell me he can draw energy out of people or machines, leaving them empty husks?”