Chapter 38: Severing the Chain
Author: MrLostLetter
The pulse of the Codex echoed louder in Ethan's mind, a steady, relentless rhythm that reverberated through his body. The Core's energy was no longer just humming beneath the surface. It was surging—stronger, faster—pushing him closer to the edge with every beat.
"Ethan..."
Lena's voice was barely above a whisper now, her hand still gently resting on his arm, her touch grounding him. But he could feel her fear, her uncertainty, and it was growing.
"Don't let it take you."
Ethan's jaw clenched, his grip on the pulse blade tightening as the Codex's power thrummed harder through his veins.
"I won't."
But even as he said the words, the line between himself and the Codex was growing thinner.
---
Dorian stood at the holo-interface, his fingers moving quickly over the controls as data streams flashed across the display. His cybernetic eye flickered as he processed the shifting protocols faster than any human mind could.
"The Core's system is entering critical phase," Dorian murmured, his jaw tight.
Ethan's pulse quickened.
"How long do we have?"
Dorian's brow furrowed as his implants analyzed the data, his expression growing grimmer by the second.
"Less than a minute."
Ethan's breath caught, his mind spinning as the weight of that reality settled over him.
"If the merge completes..."
Dorian's jaw clenched as he looked up, his eyes meeting Ethan's.
"You won't be you anymore."
---
Ethan's pulse pounded louder, the hum of the Codex growing more insistent, more invasive.
"You can feel it, can't you?"
Crowe's voice was softer now, almost... understanding.
"The Core isn't just rewriting itself, Ethan."
Ethan's jaw tightened as he forced himself to breathe.
"It's rewriting you."
Ethan's grip on the pulse blade tightened, his knuckles white as the Codex's energy surged harder.
"I can stop this."
"Can you?"
Ethan's pulse quickened, the line between himself and the Codex blurring with every passing second.
"I have to."
---
Lena's grip on his arm tightened, her green eyes locked onto his, filled with desperation and something else...
Hope.
"Ethan..."
Her voice was barely above a whisper now, but it was enough to pull him back—just for a moment.
"Come back to me."
Ethan's heart pounded harder, the Codex's pulse vibrating louder, but Lena's voice cut through the noise, grounding him.
"I'm still here," Ethan murmured softly, his voice strained.
But he wasn't sure how much longer that would be true.
---
Dorian's holo-pad flashed red, the system's protocols shifting faster now, adapting with every failed attempt to override them.
"The Core's locking down," Dorian muttered, his jaw clenched as his fingers moved faster over the interface.
"I can't hold it back."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
"Then we cut it off."
Lena's eyes widened, her grip on his arm tightening.
"Ethan..."
Her voice was barely above a whisper now, her fear bleeding through.
"If we sever the connection—"
"We don't have a choice," Ethan murmured, his gaze hardening as he looked at her.
"If we don't stop this now... there's no coming back."
---
Dorian's jaw clenched as his implants processed the data faster, his expression growing grimmer.
"Severing the connection manually could destabilize the entire system."
Ethan's pulse quickened.
"Then we make sure it doesn't."
Dorian's brow furrowed.
"How?"
Ethan's jaw clenched, his mind racing as the Codex's pulse grew louder, stronger.
"We take out the primary conduit."
Dorian's eyes narrowed.
"The Core's neural conduit?"
Ethan nodded, his grip on the pulse blade tightening.
"If we sever the neural conduit, it'll cut off the Codex's influence... and stop the merge."
---
Lena's breath caught, her eyes widening.
"But if we do that..."
Her voice trailed off, her grip on his arm tightening.
"Ethan, that could kill you."
Ethan's jaw clenched, his pulse pounding harder.
"I know."
Lena's eyes filled with quiet desperation, her expression torn between fear and hope.
"Ethan..."
Ethan's gaze met hers, his expression unwavering.
"I have to do this."
---
Dorian's holo-pad beeped sharply, the system's protocols shifting again, faster this time.
"Ethan..."
Dorian's voice was tighter now, his jaw clenched.
"The Core's preparing for a full neural override."
Ethan's pulse quickened.
"How much time?"
Dorian's gaze hardened, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Seconds."
---
Ethan's jaw clenched as he stepped toward the Core's interface, the pulse of the Codex growing stronger, more insistent.
"I can stop this."
Lena's hand brushed lightly against his, her touch grounding him for just a moment.
"Ethan..."
Her voice was softer now, her eyes pleading with him.
"Don't do this."
Ethan's breath caught, but his resolve didn't waver.
"I have to."
Lena's jaw clenched, but her grip on his hand tightened.
"Then promise me..."
Her voice was barely above a whisper now, her eyes searching his.
"Promise me you'll come back."
Ethan's pulse quickened, the weight of her words hitting harder than anything else.
"I promise."
---
Dorian's holo-pad flashed one final warning, the system's protocols locking into place.
"Ethan..."
Dorian's voice was tight, his jaw clenched.
"The merge is seconds away."
Ethan's grip on the pulse blade tightened, his jaw clenched as he stepped toward the Core's neural conduit.
"This ends now."
---
The pulse of the Codex surged harder, the energy vibrating through his body like a storm. But Ethan's mind was clearer now, his focus sharpened.
He could feel it—
The connection.
The last thread binding the Codex to the Core.
Ethan's jaw clenched, his breath steady as he raised the pulse blade.
"Ethan..."
Lena's voice was barely above a whisper now, her eyes filled with quiet desperation.
"Come back to me."
Ethan's pulse pounded louder, the Codex's energy surging one last time as he brought the blade down—
And severed the chain.
---
The moment the blade connected, a shockwave of energy erupted from the Core, pulsing outward like a ripple through reality. Ethan's body was thrown back, the force of the severance tearing through him like fire.
"Ethan!"
Lena's voice echoed through the chaos, but Ethan's mind was already slipping—
The darkness closing in.
---
For a moment...
Everything was still.
Then—
Silence.
---
Next Chapter: Chapter 39: After the Fall