MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
Her hands were folded over her stomach, and the violet light pouring from her eyes was so intense it was casting shadows that looked like ink.
"Ruby, it’s me!" I shouted, running toward her.
I didn't reach her. Ten meters away, I hit an invisible wall—a kinetic barrier of pure data and force. It threw me back, my broken ribs screaming in protest as I tumbled across the cobblestones.
The Shield is compromised, the voice of Elena Lane echoed through the bridge, growing louder, drowning out the human static. He is a remnant of the old design. To protect the Heir, the Architect must be purged of her attachments. The Shield must be deleted.