Chapter 9 - The Purge
Julian slammed his hands onto the interface, pouring everything he had into the system. He felt the energy coursing through him, the heat, the sheer intensity of the network. He was the conduit, the bridge between the digital and the physical.
The room erupted in light. The servers screeched, and the monitors shattered. The shockwave blew them backward, sending them crashing into the far wall.
Then, silence.
Absolute, total silence.
Julian lay on the floor, his body aching, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The room was dark, filled with the smell of scorched plastic and ozone.
He looked over at Leo. He was lying motionless on the floor, his face pale and unmoving.
Julian crawled over to him, his hands shaking. He reached for his pulse, but there was nothing.
Leo was gone.
Julian slumped back against the wall, his tears mixing with the grime on his face. He had done it. He had destroyed the system. He had leveled the playing field.
But at what cost?
May you like
He stood up, his body protesting every movement. He walked toward the exit, which was now hanging off its hinges. He stepped out into the hallway, his heart heavy with the weight of his actions.
He was free, but the world he had known was gone forever.
