The Abandoned Luna's Return
Beside me, Silas was screaming.
It was a raw, primal sound that tore through my heart. He was being held down by "Audit-Claws"—jagged, silver needles of light that were stitching themselves into his skin. He wasn't a program anymore; he couldn't "glitch" away. He was a human man, and the needles were drawing real, crimson blood.
"**SUBJECT 02: DEPRECIATED ASSET,**" the Chief Adjuster’s voice boomed, a sound like a thousand filing cabinets slamming shut. "**INITIATING: RECOVERY OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS.**"