Ayane's pulse raced as she was dragged through the shifting, chaotic world around her. The man—whom she still didn't trust—pulled her through an alley, his grip tight as they weaved in and out of the jagged, distorted buildings.
"Keep up!" he snapped over his shoulder. "Excuse me?" Ayane hissed, still struggling to keep pace with him. "Can you give me a second to process this? I'm stuck in some weird simulation with no idea how I got here, and you're telling me to just keep up?" "Fine, then stay here and get caught," the man said, not even looking back. Ayane clenched her fists, ready to throw an insult his way, but she could feel the strange pressure building around her again. The static noise filled the air as the world around them flickered and shifted. It was as if they were in a dream—no, something worse than a dream, where reality wasn't just bending, but breaking. Before Ayane could react, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the alley. The shadows stretched unnaturally, and the air grew colder. She turned her head to see several figures emerging from the darkened streets. They were tall, faceless, and their limbs jerked unnaturally like glitching animation. The Programers. Ayane's breath caught in her throat. "Those… things are real?" "Unfortunately," the man said, pulling her forward with urgency. "And they're not here for tea. They're after you, and we need to run. Now." "What is it with everyone wanting me for some weird thing I don't understand?!" Ayane's voice shook with frustration as they sped up, but the sound of static grew louder, and the Programers' figures moved faster. One of them stepped forward, its distorted face flickering with static. "You shouldn't be here, Chrono-Seeker." Ayane froze for a moment, her blood running cold at the words. "Chrono-Seeker?" she repeated, trying to make sense of it. "What the hell does that mean?" The figure didn't answer. Instead, it raised a hand, and Ayane felt the air pulse, a wave of energy radiating from the Programer toward them. Before she could react, the man yanked her out of the way, just in time to avoid a blast of searing energy that tore through the alley, disintegrating the stone walls. Ayane stumbled, catching herself against a wall. "Okay, so not a dream," she muttered, her mind racing. "But what the hell am I supposed to do? You didn't even explain what's going on!" "We don't have time for explanations!" the man snapped. "We need to get to the Nexus Core. That's our only chance of stopping the Programers." "The Nexus Core?" Ayane raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's the best idea? I mean, it seems like everything connected to this simulation is trying to kill me, including you!" "Trust me," he said, grabbing her wrist again and pulling her along. "It's the only way to sever the connection. Otherwise, you'll be stuck here forever." "Great," Ayane muttered under her breath. "Being stuck in a glitchy simulation with creepy figures. Just what I always wanted." The man didn't respond, his face hard with determination. As they ran, Ayane's mind kept spinning. There was something about the man's urgency that felt too real. She had to admit—whatever this Nexus Core was, it might be her only hope of escaping this nightmare. The Programers wouldn't stop until they had her, and she didn't want to find out what would happen if they did. Ahead, the city continued to distort, its once-stable skyline flickering like a malfunctioning video game. Every corner they turned, the ground seemed to tremble beneath them, as though reality itself was warping. Ayane could barely keep up with the man's pace, her legs aching from the constant sprinting. "This place... it feels wrong," Ayane said, her voice strained. "Like, it's trying to eat me alive." "That's because it is," the man said grimly. "The Nexus is alive in its own way. It adapts, shifts, and if it catches your mind, it traps you." "Wonderful," Ayane muttered. "I'm trapped in a twisted nightmare with a creepy stalker who says he's trying to save me." "I'm not here to 'save' you," the man shot back, his voice cold. "I'm here to make sure you don't get us both killed. Now, stay close." They rounded another corner, and suddenly, Ayane's world tilted as if she had walked into a funhouse mirror. The alley around them twisted into a narrow, impossibly long hallway. The air grew thicker, and shadows began to creep along the walls, stretching and twisting toward them. "This is it," the man said, his voice tense. "We're close to the Core. But it's not going to be easy from here." Ayane didn't need to ask what he meant. The Programers were closing in. Their distorted forms shimmered in the distance, moving faster than before. "No choice," the man said. "Hold on tight." Without warning, he lunged forward, taking Ayane's hand and pulling her into the next portal. The ground beneath them vanished, and they were swallowed by darkness.