The hospital suite was no longer a place of healing; it had become a digital slaughterhouse.
Victoria Blackwood didn't hesitate. As Lucian's hand bled violet fire, she twisted her glass-edged blade, the hilt vibrating against her palm as it attempted to "read" the corrupted code flowing from his veins.
"You think a little light show makes you a King again?" Victoria hissed, her crimson eyes flashing with a cold, predatory light. "You're nothing but a legacy file, Lucian. And I'm the admin who's going to delete you."
With a movement that blurred the lines of human physics, she launched a kick aimed at Lucian's wounded chest. He caught her boot with his forearm, the impact sounding like a sledgehammer hitting a concrete wall. The floor beneath them cracked, floor tiles spider-webbing out from the point of contact.
The Internal Struggle
Inside Lucian, a war was raging. The "Mortal Reset" was fighting against the awakening "Shadow Core."
