Chapter 15 · Such a touching scene

Before I could ask what he meant, the room exploded in a red strobe. The alarms didn't just scream; they wailed like dying animals. The speakers overhead crackled, and a familiar, polished voice cut through the chaos.

"Such a touching scene," Victor’s voice boomed, dripping with synthetic amusement. "The corporate hound and the stray dog, bonding over a shared tragedy. It's almost poetic."

Jaxon leaped to his feet, pulling me up with him in one violent motion. He shoved me behind him, his hand already on his sidearm. "Victor. You're not supposed to have access to this sector."

"I have access to everything, Jaxon. Especially the things I built," Victor replied. The voice was coming from every speaker in the room now, surrounding us. "Kael, dear, do you feel it? That itching at the back of your skull? That's not a bug. That's a feature."

I clutched my head, the static returning with a vengeance. "Shut up!"

"Why so aggressive?" Victor chuckled. "I simply wanted to remind you of your factory settings. You think you're a girl who was turned into a machine. But that's the first lie I fed you."

I looked at Jaxon.