Aklion’s pulse thrummed in his ears, louder than the distant explosions that rocked the city of NEOTROY. The voice from the glitch echoed in his mind—they know—and he couldn’t shake the chill creeping down his spine. Whatever the glitch was, it was more than just static. It felt like something was watching, waiting for him to screw up.

But there was no time for self-reflection. He had a job to do.

[Objective: Secure West Sector Command—Distance: 350 meters]

His Pulse Rifle hummed softly in his hands as he pushed through the war-torn streets, his HUD flickering momentarily. SYNTHIA, the ever-present AI voice in his head, chimed in with her usual cold detachment. “Commander, rebel forces are concentrated around the West Sector Command. High probability of combat.”

Aklion grunted in response. “Yeah, no shit.”

The city was a graveyard of shattered buildings, smoke billowing from every corner. Aklion moved swiftly, his senses heightened, but the weight of the glitch pulled at his mind. He tried to ignore it, focusing on the task at hand. He was here to eliminate rebels, not chase ghosts.

[XP Gained: 100 for Environmental Awareness]

Ahead, a group of rebels moved through the rubble, their mismatched gear and dirty faces blending into the destruction. They were low-level grunts, not worth his time. But it didn’t matter. Killing them would get him closer to his target.

[Target: Vectora (Level 35)]

Aklion ducked behind a half-collapsed wall, observing the rebels as they secured a perimeter. The West Sector Command was close—he could feel it. And if Vectora was there, it meant things were about to get messy.

[Skill Activated: Tactical Stealth]

[Agility +15% for 30 seconds]

He moved silently, circling the group. His Kinetic Blade was already humming in his hand, its edge glowing faintly as he prepared to strike. One by one, he eliminated the rebels, their health bars dropping to zero as they fell silently into the dirt.

[Enemy Defeated: Rebel Soldier]

[XP Gained: 500]

The kills came quickly, efficiently. No need for drama. Just clean execution. But as he approached the final rebel, a surge of static flooded his vision. The glitch hit again, harder this time. His HUD warped, and the world around him twisted into something unrecognizable.

“Aklion…”

The voice was back, clearer than before. It wasn’t just in his head—it was real, tangible. “SYNTHIA, what the hell is going on?” Aklion growled, his hands trembling as the glitch surged through him. “Neural instability detected. Recommend immediate reset,” SYNTHIA responded calmly.

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“Fuck your reset!”

The face flickered again in the static, watching him, whispering. “You can’t escape.” Aklion blinked, shaking off the glitch as best he could. The final rebel collapsed at his feet, and his HUD snapped back into focus. He didn’t have time to dwell on the voice.

[XP Gained: 2,000 for Eliminating Hostiles]

“Commander, your mission is incomplete. Proceed to West Sector Command,” SYNTHIA chimed in, her tone emotionless. Aklion ignored her, his focus shifting to the building ahead. The West Sector Command. This was it.

[[Hey, soldier! You’re still with me, huh? Listen, if you’re enjoying this shitstorm of a mission, smash that rate button! And yeah, I know this isn’t charity work—if you want to help out, toss some creds on Patreon. Trust me, Aklion needs all the support he can get. Alright, back to the carnage!]]

Aklion approached the entrance of the building, his heart pounding in his chest. His HUD flickered again, but he ignored it. He wasn’t going to let the glitch screw him up now. The door to the command center creaked open, and Aklion slipped inside. The room was dark, the only light coming from the flickering displays of the tactical screens lining the walls. And there, at the center, stood his target.

[Target: Vectora (Level 35)]

She turned to face him, her cold blue eyes narrowing as she recognized him. “Aklion.” “Vectora,” he replied, his Pulse Rifle aimed at her. “This ends now.” She smirked. “You really think you’re in control, don’t you?” Aklion’s finger hovered over the trigger, but something in her voice made him hesitate. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You’re just a puppet, Aklion. A pawn in their game. The Conglomerate controls you. SYNTHIA controls you. But who controls them? You don’t even realize it, do you?” …“Shut up.” Aklion’s voice was cold, but doubt gnawed at him. Was she right? He had been running missions for the Conglomerate for so long that he hadn’t questioned their motives. But the glitch… the voice…

Vectora’s smile widened. “You’ll see soon enough. They’ll discard you when you’re no longer useful. Just like they did to me.” - Aklion’s hands shook with barely contained rage. He wanted to pull the trigger, but something stopped him. His instincts screamed at him to listen, to think. But before he could react, Vectora moved. Faster than he anticipated, she lunged toward him, her blade flashing in the dim light.

[Warning: Armor Integrity 50%]

The blade slashed across his chest, sending him staggering back. Pain flared, but Aklion didn’t let it stop him. He raised his rifle, eyes locked on Vectora.

[Skill Activated: Precision Strike]

[Critical Hit Chance +30%]

[?] [?]

[$#&@$&$++++++]

He’s vision blacked for a second, his fingers trembled. And yet, he fired. Everyone else in that situation would completely miss the target. But the shot hit her somewhere close to her ear. He tried to shoot again, but whatever was happening, brought him to his knees. “What the fuck is happening to me, SYNTHIA?”

He screamed in pain. “Syn…syn…”. “SYNTHIAAA”.

[Enemy escaped: Vectora (Level 35)]

[XP lost: -5,000]

“It seems you had a glitch, that led to momentary loss of cognitive functions, as well as coordination”. SYNTHIA tried to continue, before being stopped by an enraged Aklion, shooting, hitting, screaming. His body trembled with adrenaline. Vectora’s words echoed in his mind. Was she right? Was he just a pawn? But before he could process it, something caught his eye. A wounded rebel, lying in the corner of the room, watching him with wide, terrified eyes. She was young—barely eighteen, with a broken leg. Her blood-soaked uniform marked her as one of Vectora’s soldiers.

Aklion approached her, his anger still simmering. “Where is she hiding?” he demanded. Foaming from his mouth. The girl looked up at him, defiance burning in her eyes. “You may kill me… kill her… but the voice… it’s not going anywhere, you big dumb pawn.”

Aklion’s snapped. He stepped on her broken leg, eliciting a scream of pain. “Tell me where Vectora went, or you’ll wish I’d shot you.” - But the girl only laughed through her tears, her voice ragged with pain. “You’re just as much a slave as I am.” Aklion raised his Pulse Pistol, aiming it at her head. “Last chance.”

“Go to hell.” - He fired, the shot hitting her square in the left eye.

[Enemy Defeated: Injured Rebel Soldier]

[XP Gained: 500]

Aklion stared down at the girl’s lifeless body, his rage still boiling beneath the surface. He didn’t care about the XP. He didn’t care about the mission anymore. For the first time in years, Aklion felt something other than anger. Frustration. Guilt. He had killed a wounded girl—someone who couldn’t even fight back. And it wasn’t Vectora who had gotten under his skin—nor was this nameless soldier’s final words that echoed in his mind. There was something else going on here, he needed clarity of mind to figure it out.

Pawn.

He shook his head, trying to clear the fog of emotion. He needed to focus, soldiers keep on going, no matter what, and he was the best one. He was a commander. “Pawn up her ass”, he though trying to tame himself. But deep down, the doubt lingered. He looked around, what kind of hell was he commanding, after all?