Ryo hit the ground hard, rolling onto his side as he landed. A sharp jolt of pain shot up his arm, but he had no time to recover. He forced himself to his feet, scanning his surroundings.

He had landed in what looked like an abandoned server room. Rows of flickering monitors lined the walls, their screens displaying cryptic code that shifted too fast to comprehend. The air smelled of dust and burnt circuits.

A voice echoed from the darkness.

“You’re late, Ryo.”

His pulse spiked. He turned sharply, fists clenched. The voice was calm, almost teasing—but it carried an eerie familiarity.

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Then, from the shadows, a holographic figure emerged.

A girl—no older than sixteen—flickered into existence, her translucent form laced with glitching pixels. Silver hair cascaded down her back, her eyes an unnatural shade of violet, glowing softly in the dim light.

Ryo’s breath caught in his throat. He knew this face.

Aika.

But that was impossible. Aika had been erased.

“…No,” he muttered. “You’re not real.”

She smiled. “I get that a lot.”

Ryo took a cautious step forward. “How…?”

Aika tilted her head. “How am I still here? Let’s just say the system never truly deletes anything.” She gestured at the chaotic data streams flickering across the monitors. “Especially not something—or someone—as dangerous as me.”

Ryo clenched his fists. “Then why are you helping me?”

Aika’s expression darkened. “Because, Ryo, you’re running out of time. And if we don’t move now…”

She glanced at the ceiling as alarms flared to life, the entire facility trembling with activity.

“…they’ll find us both.”

To be continued…