The pain did not fade. It drove deeper into Aria’s body, spreading through her chest and limbs with a relentless force that refused to loosen its grip.
Aria remained on her knees, her fingers digging into the ground as though she could anchor herself against whatever was tearing through her from within. Her breathing grew uneven, each inhale sharp and unsteady, as the voice inside her mind intensified, no longer distant but pressing against her thoughts with cold precision.
“Full synchronization will erase remaining human resistance.
Aria forced the word out despite the pressure crushing her chest. “No. I refuse.”
The moment she spoke, the air around her tightened violently, as if the world itself rejected her defiance. The invisible force surrounding her constricted, and the system re
