The sensation of falling into the Red Void was unlike the physical drop in the chasm. This was a sensory overload a violent tearing of consciousness as the red data stripped away Nala's memories, layer by layer. Beside her, the Shadow Nala remained perfectly composed, her dark matter suit rippling like oil on water.
"Stop resisting," the Shadow Nala commanded, her voice vibrating inside Nala’s skull. "The more you fight, the more of 'yourself' you lose. To defeat Elisha, you must become the glitch."
"I am... not a glitch!" Nala gasped, forcing her eyes open. Around them, the red void began to take shape. It wasn't a hole; it was a library of discarded possibilities. She saw flickering images of the Rift Valley versions where Leo never betrayed her, versions where Maricha Sonoko never dis
