impact didn't shake the ground—it silenced it.
The silver-eyed girl landed a few feet in front of Caspian, crouched low, one hand pressed to the cracked pavement. Her arrival didn't create noise. It created pressure. The kind that makes lungs tighten and instincts scream.
She rose without hurry.
Not tall. Not threatening in build. But the air folded around her like light avoided her presence.
Caspian didn't speak.
She didn't either.
Only Neris muttered softly behind him.
"Oh… it's her."
The girl tilted her head. Her silver eyes glowed faintly, but there was no reflection in them. Just emptiness. Not hollow—just complete.
The interface reacted instantly.
[Foreign Entity Within Range]
[Classification: Null]
[Status. Unreadable]
[Threat Level. Escalating]
[Recommendation. Retreat]
He ignored it.
Caspian stepped forward.
"Who are you?"
She blinked slowly. "I was hoping you'd remember."
"I don't."
"You will."
He felt it then. Not recognition. Not memory. But alignment.
Her presence resonated with something buried deep inside him. Like a piece of code he hadn't unlocked yet.
"What do you want?"
She took one slow step toward him. "Not want. Need."
He reached for his blood. It rose with him, swirling faintly around his arms like threads ready to harden.
"I don't trust you."
"Good," she said. "Then you'll survive longer."
Neris came closer, eyes sharp now. "She's not human, Caspian. Not system-born. Not organic either. She's… leftover."
"From what?"
"From before."
The sky trembled.
And then came the Cleanser.
It didn't arrive with sound. It simply was. One moment, only clouds. The next, a figure floating thirty feet above them. Gleaming white, faceless. Wings of shifting code unfolded from its back, flickering with glyphs the system had never taught.
[Target Confirmed. Dual Lock Engaged]
[Caspian Vale. Interface Anchor. Tier-One Deletion Permitted]
[Unregistered Entity. Tier-Zero Threat. Priority Deletion Initiated]
Its arm shifted into a weapon that resembled a blade yet moved like fluid. The air crystallized as digital heat bled from its form.
Caspian took a step forward.
"So this is what they send to erase us."
The girl didn't move. Her voice was calm, but something sharp coiled underneath.
"They're not ready for what happens if they fail."
The Cleanser moved.
Instant.
The first strike was aimed at her.
She raised one hand.
The strike never landed.
It stopped midair. Not deflected. Not blocked. Just… undone.
The blade fell apart into floating pixels.
Caspian's interface stuttered.
[ERROR. Combat Log Corrupted]
[Cleanser Signature. Distorted]
[Your Host is in Violation of All Protocols. Prepare for Erasure]
Caspian didn't back down. His blood surged. His veins glowed dim crimson as the Protocol activated fully.
"Then try."
The Cleanser shifted targets. Its second strike was for him.
And this time, it didn't miss.