Half-hidden among the roots of a twisted tree, I found her. Just a child—barely a teenager—bleeding out and swearing under her breath. When I knelt and reached toward her, she flinched violently.
"I want to help," I whispered.
"You—killed—" she gasped, "Hexa."
I felt a ball of pain rise within me, but I pushed it back down. She was dying, and Hexa was already dead.
"Let me help you," I murmured, watching her flash crimson. Without hesitation, I dove into cyberspace.
Her trace was faint—glitching, flickering, nearly gone. I gritted my teeth, hunting through her fading code for the source of her injuries. I could hold it together from here, at least long enough to buy her time.
I transferred a bit of the XP I had gained to the girl and watched her stats increase, including her health stat. It felt so wrong to rip it out of me, but the relief in seeing her tether getting brighter kept me going, even if I felt weakened.
A chilling cold swept over me. Instinct took over—I threw my virtual body between her and the source.
"You're not taking her," I said. "I'm fixing it."
Blinding white eyes emerged in the void. I felt them watching as strange tendrils uncoiled, reaching toward the girl.
I spread myself like a wall between them.
Then they stopped—suspended. Watching me.
"Why did you take my friend?" I burst out.
The voice that answered wasn't spoken. It pressed into me, deep and distant.
"Protect the Architect's Cradle."
I blinked.
"Rebel was trying to save Priya," I said slowly. "He wasn't going to harm the Cradle."
The eyes didn't respond—just stared. Waiting.
"You let me live," I whispered.
"No threat detected," it echoed. "Infected code removed. No action required."
I stared at the thing. "You killed a man because he wrote a new piece of code?"
"Threat detected. Must stop the corruption. Protect the Architect's Cradle. Last command issued by my Masters."
"Your Masters?" I asked, then it rushed over me. "The Architects."
"Stop the corruption," the thing echoed even louder.
"You killed a good man," I said. "He was more than a Rotcastor!"
But it was already retreating. I wasn't even sure it had heard me.
I turned back to the girl—and froze. She was stabilized. I stared for a moment before I realized why it had been reaching for us.
The being's tendrils had finished what I'd started, sealing her wounds with perfect codework.
I returned to my body with a gasp. I was lying on my back looking up at the sky. I immediately rolled to my feet and found the girl.
She lay pale in the grass, one foot missing. Her eyes were shut and her breathing shallow. I gathered her into my arms. She felt paper-light.
I carried her past the celebration, past the cheers and stares, to Priya's home. I pushed my way through the house and laid her gently on top of the bed.
Priya appeared in the doorway, arms crossed. "Who is this?"
"They left her to die," I said quietly. "I wasn't going to— She's just a child."
Priya looked between us. "We don't nor—"
"I don't leave people to die," I cut her off. "Even if she fought against us—look at her. She's just a kid. We're better than this. That's what Rebel would have wanted."
Priya flinched like I had hit her.
Before I could apologize, she sighed. "You'd better hope she doesn't wake up and decide to kill us in our sleep."
I laughed humorlessly. The girl had been an inch from death moments before. My resolve hardened and I faced Priya. "She's too weak for that. She was barely alive when I found her." I folded my arms tighter. "You said Rebel took in strays. So do I."
That landed. Priya flinched again—then let out a short, bitter laugh. "You're going to be just as bad as he is... was." Her hand hovered over her stomach. "I hope you know what you're doing. Even Rebel was smarter than to help out a Quell Clan member."
She turned and left with one lasting glare cast down at the sleeping girl.
I sat beside the girl, brushing her deep purple hair from her face. In sleep, her features were soft. I noticed the gap in her front teeth.
Vivid had been like that, too.
I sat beside her, holding her hand and listening to her even breaths.
Then—her eyes snapped open.
She thrashed, panicked. Her weak body flopped on the bed as she tried to struggle to sit up.
I jumped to my feet and pushed her back down.
"Shh," I soothed her. I wiped my hand across her forehead and felt the heat. "You're safe. You're in bed, in a village. You were badly hurt—"
"Murderer," she rasped. "You killed Hexa. I can feel it—"
"I killed Hexa," I echoed, my voice hollow. "And I would give anything to undo it. I never meant to hurt anyone. I swear it—on my life. I never wanted to kill Hexa Quell."
She froze, blinking at me with strange, glowing eyes. She had the same ones Hexa had, slightly feral. They widened as she took me in.
"You're not like the others," she whispered. "Alis De Aura, Codewright."
"Neither are you," I said quietly as everything fell into place. I could feel her in cyberspace and I held her eye, meeting her gaze. Then I began to read out: "Nox Quell. Age thirteen. Native to this Cradle. Runner status: Codewright—modified."
Tears prickled at my eyes. The information had seeped through me, and I now knew why she looked so fearful.
"She was your cousin," I choked out.
Nox let out a ragged sob. I braced for her to lash out—but she collapsed instead, trembling.
"It was my first fight," she choked between gasping sobs. "Hexa said nothing bad would happen. She promised me they'd protect me, but I didn't even have a weapon. Hexa said it would be an easy fight and I should stay near the front to see how it was done. I got slashed by this sword, and it all happened too fast. But they left me... she left me to die."
We both lapsed into silence, then I reached out, resting my hand on hers. "But you didn't die. Instead I found you."
"You saved me." Her voice cracked. "Why?"
"When everyone else would have left me behind," I said softly, "a good man didn't. He taught me to protect the strays."
Nox stared at me, searching for a lie. When she found none, her voice turned fragile.
"What happens now?" she asked. She struggled again to sit up. I took her hands and helped her prop herself against the pillows. "I don't have a home anymore. I'm an outcast."
"You can stay here," I said without really thinking it through.
"They'd let me?" she asked.
I paused. "They will have to."
"Because they need you," she finished.
I stroked her cheek. "You're not what your cousin was. You can help me rebuild this world. Codewright." I gave her the gentlest smile I could manage. "Just... think about it."
I stayed with Nox until she'd finally settled into sleep. Her breathing evened out, soft and steady. I watched her a moment longer, then gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. On impulse, I bent down and kissed her forehead.
When I stepped outside and shut the door, Priya was already waiting for me.
"We have a problem," she said briskly.