Chapter 34 · Shattered Resonance

“Stop fighting it, Lyra. Just let the sync take you.”

Victor’s voice didn't come from the speakers. It was inside her skull, oily and intimate.

Lyra screamed, her back arching off the cold metal floor. It wasn't just pain. It felt like someone had reached into her chest and started scrubbing her soul with steel wool. Beside her, Cain was shaking. His fingers dug into her shoulder so hard he was leaving bruises.

“Get... out... of my head!” Cain roared. His voice sounded like grinding gears. He tried to shove her away, but the second he moved, a jagged spike of agony shot through Lyra’s spine.

She gasped, lungs locking up. Air wouldn't come.

“See?” Victor’s hologram flickered above them, a smug smile plastered on his face. “The bond is perfect. Every nerve ending is mirrored. You hurt her, you hurt yourself. You try to save her? You only prolong the torture.”

“You son of a bitch,” Cain spat. He was drenched in sweat, breathing shallow and ragged. He looked at Lyra, and for the first time, the cold Enforcer looked terrified.

Not for himself. For her.

Lyra clawed at the floor, nails screeching against the plating. “Cain... it hurts...