Chapter 28 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 28: Price of the Blood Deal

"Stop pretending you don't feel it, Kaelen. The plug-in isn't just predicting the future—it's eating you alive," Seth snarled, his hand clamping around my wrist so hard I could feel the pulse thrumming in his palm.

I jerked back, but he didn't let go. He slammed me against the cold metal of the server rack, the impact rattling my teeth. He was too close. I could smell the ozone and burnt coffee on him, feel the heat radiating off his chest in the damp air of the sublevel.

"I'm fine," I snapped, though my vision was flickering. A jagged line of red code sliced across my field of vision. *Three seconds.* I saw him tighten his grip. I saw myself try to kick his shin.

I did it. Exactly as the glitch predicted.

Seth didn't even flinch. He just shifted his weight, pinning me more firmly against the rack. "You're shaking. Your neural spikes are hitting the red zone. You think this 'God-tier' bullshit is a gift? It's a death sentence with a fancy interface."

"At least I have a choice," I spat, glaring up at him. "You're just a corporate dog on a leash.