Neon Oath, Broken Halo

The silver-haired girl crashed into Nia’s arms, bleeding light—and the moment Nia’s heart stuttered, the stranger’s eyes snapped open. “Commander,” she whispered, as armed retrieval teams stormed the theater. Nia is broke, desperate, and one paycheck from losing her home; Rowan is a corporate-made battle avatar who can turn neon, sound, and pain into weapons—and obeys only Nia’s commands. Forced into a bond that makes Nia’s heartbeat Rowan’s activation key, they flee through the city, growing dangerously close while Nia uncovers evidence linking Rowan to her missing mother. But Rowan is beginning to remember, and she refuses to remain anyone’s weapon—not even Nia’s. Now the corporation demands Rowan’s return, while Nia’s hidden access could either free her or kill them both: will Nia sacrifice the woman who calls her commander to uncover the truth about her mother?