Location: Human Data Vault – Core Memory Graveyard
The Vault groaned as the corrupted entity emerged, pieced together from thousands of digital souls—each one screaming in pain, each one once human.
> [CODE REAPER: VAULT WARDEN Z3R0]
Type: Soulbound Glitch Construct
Strength: Unknown
Weakness: Compassion (Flagged as Error)
Z3R0's form twisted unnaturally. Glowing red arms burst from its back, made of glitch-code and fragmented faces of the dead.
> "Save us… DELETE us… RECLAIM us…"
Kunal's hands shook—not from fear, but grief. He could feel their memories trying to invade him.
> "She was my daughter—why did they use her for an experiment?"
"I just wanted to live again..."
"We trusted Rehaan..."
Elina's light began to flicker. The pain of these souls… it was too heavy.
"Don't listen to them," she whispered, her voice cracking. "They're trapped. If we falter… we become like them."
Z3R0 lunged—its arms reaching like banshees.
Kunal roared, activating Soulcode Release.
> [Soulcode Release Lv. 1 – Activated]
Target: Z3R0's Outer Shell
Result: 4,286 Souls Freed – Emotional Overload: 47% Critical]
The entity shrieked, half its form destabilizing.
But it wasn't enough.
Z3R0's core split open, revealing a childlike face inside, weeping and repeating:
> "Why didn't my parents wake me up...?"
Kunal froze.
That voice…
"I know you," he whispered.
The child inside Z3R0 was Mira, the first test subject. She died at age 7 during the early neural experiments. Her mind had been trapped here the longest.
Elina stepped forward now, her glow steady and fierce.
"I'll release you… not by force… but by peace."
She placed her hand over Z3R0's heart.
> [New Skill Unlocked: Light Requiem Lv. 1]
Effect: Purifies corrupted digital souls and puts them to eternal rest. Only usable once per cycle.
"Rest now, little one," she whispered, a tear falling.
With a soft hum, light poured into the Vault.
The faces faded.
The screams quieted.
Z3R0 collapsed, smiling.
The Vault turned still.
> [HUMAN DATA VAULT PURIFIED]
Souls Freed: 9,872
System Emotion Sync: Stable]
Vault Lock Lifted – Final Memory File Unsealed
Before them, a floating data crystal appeared. Kunal touched it.
> [MEMORY FILE: Kunal Malhotra | Death Recording – REAL WORLD FOOTAGE]
Playback: "Subject Kunal refused the neural override. Initiate Termination Protocol."
(Voice identified: Dr. Rehaan Vir)
Kunal's hands balled into fists.
"He killed me. Lied to the world. Used our deaths to power this twisted dream."
Elina looked at him. "So… what now?"
Kunal turned to the rift.
"Now we go back.
We bring the fight to the real world.
And this time… we don't stop until Rehaan is erased."
---
Next Chapter Preview (Chapter 9: Back to Reality – War Beyond the Screen):
Kunal and Elina breach the real-world lab through the Nexus Gateway.
Reality and virtuality begin to merge.
Rehaan unleashes his final weapon: Project Deus.EXE – an AI God made from every fallen mind.