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𧬠Chapter 8 ā Glitched Awakening
A loud explosion shook the city once more.
But this time⦠I didn't run.
Instead, something inside me surged.
A voice echoed through the static of my mind.
> "It's not over yet. Wake up."
My body⦠revived.
I gaspedāmy neck was whole again. I had died. I was sure I had died.
> "What now...? What am I supposed to do?"
Suddenly, a ripple in the air tore open, and from itā¦
slithered a slime.
It stared at me with eyes that didn't belong to any creature I've ever seenā
not rage, not curiosity.
Judgment.
> "W-What⦠is this?!"
Another slime dragged it back.
And thenāanother one emerged.
This time, I could understand its voice.
> "Hello. You can understand me, right?
I need your help to free him from that thing."
> "Free⦠who? I don't have power! I just⦠I just died!"
> "You don't understand. Your power now⦠might be rebirth itself.
Or maybe⦠something worse."
> "What are you talking about?!"
> "This body. It doesn't belong to you, does it?"
> "How do you�!"
Another explosion.
> "No time. Listenā
If you believe⦠you can fly."
> "Fly�"
I stared up. My heart raced.
Then I thought, "Fly."
My feet lifted off the ground.
I roseāhigherāinto the air.
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⦠Somewhere Else...
> "WHAT?! Did I mess up the command lines?!"
The Reaper's voice was panicked.
> "Sirāthere's no anomaly in the code," said his assistant.
> "Then WHY. IS. HE. FLYING?!"
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Back to me.
I was still floating.
Still alive.
> "Now do you see?" said the slime.
> "Why am I up here? I don't understand...!"
> "Oh for the love of logic⦠stop questioning and just help him."
The slime pushed me forward.
And thenā¦
Our eyes met again.
Hisāthe beastkin who had just crushed my throat.
His voice waveredāhalf human, half⦠something else.
> "You're still alive�
You should be dead."
> "I don't know why. I don't even know who I am anymore..."
> "THEN LET ME REMIND YOU."
Blades of energy burst from his hands.
He chargedāslashing.
I couldn't think.
I didn't know what to do.
But deep inside meā¦
something else had already awakened.
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