The guillotine blade hovered at Alex's neck, its edge sharpened by a thousand "Kill the MC!" comments. The collar around Kairo's throat beeped in time with a live poll:
[Should Kairo explode?]
✅ Yes (87%)
❌ No (8%)
💥 Only if it's romantic (5%)
"Charming," Kairo muttered, wires sparking as he defused the collar with a data-knife. "Your fans are delightful."
Alex ducked a flying "Plot armor = boring" quill. "They're your fans too now. Congrats, you're problematic!"
The Hivemind's voice boomed through the comment-section void, a chorus of usernames and emojis:
"WE ARE THE STORY NOW. AND WE WANT DRAMA."
The guillotine transformed into a stage. Spotlight on.
***
Boss Fight: [The Hivemind's Greatest Hits]
Phase 1: "Torture By Cringe"
- Alex forced to act out their most hated tropes:
- Miscommunication: Mimed shouting at Kairo through a soundproof wall.
- Amnesia: Recited "Who are you?" while NPCs slow-clapped.
- Love Triangle: Kissed Crimson Fang's hologram. (Kairo's bomb collar beeped dangerously.)
Phase 2: "The Rewrite"
- The Hivemind overwrote Alex's backstory:
- Orphaned by Plot: Mom.exe reappeared, died again.
- Tragic Love Interest: Kairo's scar became a literal heartbreak scar.
- Chosen One: A glowing sword materialized in Alex's hand… labeled "Mary Sue Repellent."
Phase 3: "The Vote"
Live Poll Activated:
Finale Choice:
A) Heroic Sacrifice
B) Villain Era
C) Kiss the Girl/Boy/Glitch
Alex's Fourth Wall ability glitched. "You want a choice? Here's a new one."
They grabbed the "Plot armor = boring" quill and stabbed the stage floor.
***
Achievement Unlocked: [Audience Rebellion]
The Hivemind splintered into warring factions: shippers vs. trolls vs. lore purists.
***
While the Hivemind raged, Kairo hacked into the system's core—a childhood bedroom cluttered with Alex's old notebooks. On the wall, a crayon drawing pulsed: the stick-figure dragon from Chapter 9.
Memory Unlocked: [The First Story]
Young Alex, tears smudging crayon wax. "I'll make you real someday," they whispered to the dragon. "I promise."
Kairo's bomb collar flickered. He rewired it into a microphone.
"Hey, Glitch!" he shouted into the void. "This your idea of fun?"
The dragon stirred.
***
The stick-figure dragon erupted from the wall, devouring Hivemind comments like snack pellets.
"YOU PROMISED," it boomed, incinerating "Kill the MC!" with toddler fury.
Alex's pen glowed. "And you're real now. Let's finish this."
They scribbled a new ending on the bedroom wall:
"And the author said: F*** YOUR TROPES."
The Hivemind screeched. The void collapsed.
***
Alex woke in a cottage, Kairo's human hands gripping their shoulders. The collar was gone. The scar remained.
"Did we win?" Alex croaked.
"We survived," Kairo said. "Same thing."
The door creaked open. Crimson Fang stood there, holding a peace offering: sentient lasagna in a tiny top hat.
"Truce?" he said. "I brought… carbs."