Chapter 22 · Chrome Poison Blooms

"Don't you dare let go," Rook hissed, her voice cracking. Her fingers dug into the fabric of my shirt, pulling me closer even as I tried to recoil. "If you snap now, Kade, we both end up as scrap."

I couldn't even answer. My jaw was locked, teeth grinding together so hard I thought they'd shatter. Inside my skull, the chip wasn't just screaming anymore—it was rewriting. It took her voice, that sharp, commanding tone, and twisted it into a distorted loop that echoed in my marrow. *Feed. Consume. Stabilize.*

"Get... away..." I managed to choke out, though my arms were doing the opposite. I had her pinned against the cold clinic wall, my chest heaving against hers. I could feel her heart hammering—fast, terrified, but steady. That stability was exactly what the glitch-chip wanted. It didn't want her dead; it wanted her integrated.

"I'm not going anywhere," Rook snapped. She didn't pull back. Instead, she shifted, her thigh pressing against mine, forcing me to feel the heat of her skin through the tactical gear. "Look at me. Kade, look at me!"

I forced my eyes open.