Ray froze in the middle of the room like someone had just ripped the floor out from under him. That blue holographic text kept floating there, but his brain felt like it had been cracked open with a sledgehammer.
"…What?" The word barely made it out. His own voice sounded distant, like it belonged to someone else.
His heart was slamming against his ribs so hard it hurt. His hands curled into fists so tight his nails dug into his palms. All this time he'd walked around thinking he was untouchable. The only sick fuck lucky enough to pull a broken system out of some rusted street slot machine. He'd felt like a goddamn minor god—able to reach inside people's heads and twist whatever he wanted. Common Sense Alter System. The ultimate cheat code. Total freedom. No rules. No consequences that actually stuck.
But now?
