Carter didn’t waste time arguing. He just took off, heart pounding, straight for the exit. Out in the alley, everything looked off. The System had slapped a digital HUD over reality—streets glowed red or green depending on how dangerous they were, and weird data-shards floated in the air, each one marking a new objective.
He started toward the main road. Then he caught movement up above—a shadow on the roof. Thanks to his boosted Processor Speed, he spotted the shimmer as someone’s optical cloak faded away. A figure in a tight, gray tactical suit dropped from the ledge and hit the ground ten feet in front of him, silent as a ghost.
Kaelen. The guy pulled out two serrated daggers that buzzed with a sickly green light. His eyes were pitch black, full System-integration. No humanity left in
