Aiden’s POVThe smell of burnt circuits filled the air, mingling with the stale aroma of old takeout. My cramped apartment wasn’t much to look at—just another dingy box in the endless labyrinth of Erebus Spire, humanity’s last refuge. It suited me fine. Isolation had been my companion for years, and I wasn’t about to change that.But tonight, isolation wasn’t cooperating.“System breach detected,” the cold, automated voice of my terminal announced. “Level 9 firewall compromised. Remaining time: two minutes.”I muttered a curse under my breath, hands flying across the keyboard. “Amateurs. Always poking at things they don’t understand.”The glow from my screen painted the room in eerie shades of blue, shadows flickering on the peeling walls. My avatar blinked into existence in The Abyss, a faceless figure cloaked in neutral gray. No identifiers, no personality. Just the way I liked it.The labyrinthine pathways of the server sprawled out before me, twisting lines of code pulsating like

Aiden’s POVDarkness wrapped around me like a suffocating shroud. Pain radiated from where the sniper’s bullet had struck me, the dull ache a cruel reminder that even in The Abyss, danger was very real.Somewhere in the distance, voices filtered through the haze.“Is he dead?” a gruff voice asked, followed by the sound of footsteps crunching over debris.“Not yet,” came another voice, smoother but edged with suspicion. “Patch him up, and let’s move before they track us.”I blinked, trying to bring the world back into focus. Shadows flickered, shapes materializing into figures standing over me.“Who…” My voice cracked. “Who the hell are you?”The taller of the two crouched down, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine. He had a scar running across his jawline, and his presence screamed authority.“Zane Wolfe,” he said bluntly. “Leader of the Resistance. You’re lucky we got to you before the Crimson Hand did.”Resistance? The word felt foreign, out of place.I forced myself to sit up, winci

Aiden’s POVThe world was on fire.The sky above The Abyss cracked open, jagged fissures of red light bleeding through as if the very fabric of reality was tearing apart. The once-familiar terrain around me—the crumbling towers, the neon-lit streets—morphed into a chaotic nightmare. Buildings shifted, collapsing and reassembling themselves in impossible configurations. NPCs that usually ignored players now turned their glowing eyes on me with unnatural intent.I swore under my breath, gripping my weapon tighter. "Kara, what the hell is happening?"Her voice crackled through my comms, sharp and breathless. "It’s Malrik. He’s triggered an event—a fracture. He’s rewriting the game’s code in real time. This isn’t supposed to be possible."I dodged as a chunk of debris crashed down where I’d been standing, the ground trembling beneath my boots. "Yeah, well, it’s happening. And it’s a damn mess."Ahead, an NPC—a vendor I used to buy gear from—lunged at me with a wild scream. Its face was f

Aiden’s POV"Keep moving!" I barked, gripping Kara’s arm and dragging her forward as the ground behind us crumbled."I’m moving, I’m moving!" Kara snapped, her voice sharp with panic. "But maybe slow down before I break my ankle!"The labyrinth was alive, twisting and groaning as if the very walls were trying to swallow us whole. The red glow illuminating the jagged stone gave everything an ominous, blood-soaked hue. Every step felt like it might be our last."You hear that?" she hissed, glancing behind us.I nodded. The rhythmic clinking of boots on stone was growing louder, closer. Seraph’s operatives were relentless, hunting us like predators stalking their prey."They’re not giving up," I muttered, scanning the corridor ahead. The map on my HUD was fragmented, glitching out with static. But a faint waypoint still flickered in the corner of my vision, pulling me forward like a beacon."Where are we even going, Aiden?" Kara demanded. "You seem awfully confident for a guy running bli

Aiden’s POVThe resistance hideout was dimly lit, the faint hum of machinery filling the silence. Zane stood at the center of the room, arms crossed, his sharp eyes drilling into me like laser beams. Kara leaned against the far wall, feigning indifference, though her clenched fists betrayed her tension. The air was thick with mistrust, and I felt like a pawn on the verge of being sacrificed."You’re holding back," Zane said, his voice low and dangerous. "I can see it in your eyes, Aiden. You’re not telling us everything."I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I’ve told you everything I know. Rhea Valen warned us about Malrik’s plan, and—""And yet," Zane interrupted, stepping closer, "you conveniently forget to mention the part where you’re the Catalyst. The one person Malrik needs to pull this off."Kara snorted. "Oh, so now we’re putting all our chips on Aiden? Great strategy. Let’s ignore the fact that he’s been stumbling through this entire mess like a lost puppy.""You’re one to ta