Chapter 14 · Glitched Leash

"Stop twitching, Jett. Every time you shake, the link spikes. You're practically screaming in my head," Reign snapped.

He didn't move his hand, but I could feel the heat of his palm pressing my wrist against the cold metal of the shipping crate. He was too close. I could smell the sharp, metallic scent of ozone and something like burnt cedar clinging to his skin. His eyes—too bright, too focused—were scanning the glowing red glyphs swirling around my wrist like a digital noose.

"Maybe because it feels like my skin is being peeled off by a blowtorch!" I spat, trying to yank my arm back. He didn't budge. It was like being pinned by a hydraulic press.

"It’s a synchronization error," he said, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum. "The System thinks you're a bug. A piece of trash it forgot to delete. And since I'm shackled to you, your glitch is bleeding into my core. It's irritating."

"Oh, I'm sorry my existence is such an inconvenience for the great War-AI," I sneered, though my breath was hitching.