Chapter 8 · Neon Deadline: Glitch Hunt - Chapter 8: Mirror Trap

"Don't touch the walls. Unless you want your brain fried in a loop," Seth snapped, his hand clamping hard onto my shoulder.

He shoved me back just as a shimmering wave of distorted light rippled across the corridor. It looked like a glitch in a bad video game—a mirror-sheen that didn't reflect the room, but a twisted version of it.

"What the hell is this?" I hissed, my boots slipping on the damp metal grating.

"A neural loop," Seth said, his voice low and grating. He didn't let go of my shoulder. His grip was tight, his fingers digging into my skin through the thin fabric of my jacket. "Vera didn't just lock the doors. She turned the hallway into a mirror trap. You step in, you see your worst memory on repeat, and your nervous system shorts out trying to process the paradox. Basically, you become a vegetable while you're still screaming."

I looked at the shimmering wall. My heart hammered against my ribs. "And you're the expert on being a vegetable?"

Seth’s eyes darkened. He stepped closer, his chest nearly brushing my back.