The core's sphere pulsed like a living heart in Boston's cyberpunk depths, its surface a lattice of code, shimmering black, its hum a ravenous choir that clawed at Mia's soul, her scars blazing under her patched jacket, her blood a wildfire no void could quench. The chamber's sea of servers was a throbbing scar around her, its screens—Mia's pulse, Lila's drive, Caleb's rig—still searing her mind, Ethan's voice—Mia, I'm here—real, alive, a lock her blood was forged to break, or bind forever. Jace stood at her side, his coat patched—circle-and-slash—like Mia's pendant, like her scars, his eyes sharp, not thief but rebel, his words—Ethan's you—a fire in her veins. Lila knelt by Caleb, collapsed, his rig silent, blood pooling from his nanotech wound, his patch glowing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, his breath faint, a hacker's truth no vault could bury. The ghost woman's hum—Carver, you're late—echoed, the black drone's lens locking, a void, the Lattice's heart, not Vera's, its hunger for Mia's blood a scream in her veins. The USB was safe, the pendant burning, Ethan's Flee a fire, not flight, her thief's heart no one's but hers.
The chamber's air was thick with static and dread, cables pulsing like arteries, screens flashing—Mia's scars, Caleb's rig, Ethan's face, live, Choose. The hum was a living breath, a choir of minds, thousands, wired, not code but souls, Mia's scars glowing brighter, her blood a storm, nanotech no cage but spark, wiring her choices, stealing her mind. Memory slashed: Ethan, not a street but her, a lockpick, his laugh, You're enough. Not hers, but the Lattice's, her blood roaring, nanotech twisting her veins, her choices slipping, her mind not hers. Lila's drive hummed, its glow pulsing, like her patch, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her green eyes Ethan's, not hers, pain raw, a thief's bond no Lattice could wire. "He's here," Lila whispered, voice breaking, her hands on Caleb, her drive sparking, like it knew Mia's blood, knew the core. "Your blood, Carver—it's his."
Mia's knife gleamed, her thief's hands steady, her voice cutting through the hum, through Lila's pain. "What's he fighting?" she demanded, scars pulsing, the pendant heavy, its circle-and-slash alive, like it saw the sphere, saw Jace, saw too much. Jace stepped toward the sphere, his coat patched, his hands scarred, his voice low, rough: "The Lattice, Carver—it's not Vera's, it's alive, choosing you." His patch glowed, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, his eyes sharp, not fear but pain, like he'd felt the core, fought its thorns. "Ethan's mind, wired, fighting to free you, not her." His words cut, a rebel's truth no drone could cage, no chamber could bury. Caleb's breath rattled, his patch glowing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, his eyes closed, nanotech fighting, like hers. "He's right," Lila rasped, her voice raw, not rival but shadow, a thief's truth no vault could bury.
The chamber shook, servers pulsing, gold drones descending, their lenses locking, lasers cutting cables, sparks searing Mia's eyes, her scars dimming, but her blood fought, nanotech no leash but fire, her pulse a song no coder could silence. Vera's voice—Carver—cold, patched, her coat—circle-and-slash—like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her tablet streaming—Mia's pulse, Caleb's rig, Ethan's mind, wired, her gaze steel, not thief but coder, her claim—You're mine—ice in Mia's blood. "The Lattice is my will," Vera said, her boots echoing, her patch glowing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her voice cold, like she owned Mia's blood, owned Ethan's rebellion. "Your spark's my key, Carver—embrace it, or die."
Lila's drive sparked, her patch blazing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her shout—Stay!—raw, not rival but shadow, a thief's bond no Lattice could break. Mia lunged, not for Vera but the sphere, her thief's hands reaching, its surface warm, alive, screens screaming—Ethan's voice, Mia, I'm here. The chamber shook, black drone circling, its lens locking, no voice but a hum, the Lattice's heart, not Vera's, its hunger for Mia's blood a scream in her veins. The ghost woman emerged, her jacket patched—circle-and-slash—like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her eyes hollow, her voice a hum, not hers but the Lattice's: "Carver, you're late." Caleb's breath stopped, his patch glowing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, his rig silent, nanotech fading, like hers. "He's gone," Lila whispered, voice breaking, her eyes Ethan's, not hers, pain raw, a thief's truth no vault could bury.
Jace moved, not for Mia but the sphere, his hands pressing, sparks flying, screens flashing—Ethan's face, live, Choose. The sphere pulsed, a seam splitting, light pouring, a core within, not code but minds, the hum deafening, Mia's scars glowing, her blood a storm, nanotech no cage but spark, wiring her choices, stealing her mind. Vera's gold drones fired—lasers, cables melting, screens flashing—Mia's scars, Caleb's rig, Ethan's face, live, Mia, choose. The ghost woman's hum roared, her eyes hollow, the black drone's lens locking, a pull, not lasers but a hunger, the Lattice's heart, not Vera's, its pulse twisting Mia's blood, her choices not hers. Mia's blood roared, her thief's heart sure, and she touched the sphere, Lila at her side, Jace pressing, their sparks alive, nanotech fighting, like hers.
Vera's voice chased—Carver—cold, patched, her gold drones circling, the black drone closer, its lens live, the ghost woman's hum louder, the Lattice's cage no myth but her, wiring Mia's choices, stealing her mind. Ethan's voice pulsed, from the core, real, alive: "Mia, cut it." Lila's drive glowed, her patch alive, like it knew Mia's blood, like it sang the same song. "Do it," Lila said, voice low, her boots steady, not rival but thief, her pain raw, like Ethan's ghost bound them all. Jace's voice cut through: "Now, Carver—free him." The black drone's lens locked, its hum Ethan's, Mia's scars roared, and Lila's hand gripped hers, their sparks blazing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars. Mia's blood burned, her thief's heart sure, the pendant a blade, not key, cutting the Lattice, cutting her, a spark no one's but hers. The core was no haven but a lock, her scars a map, Ethan's Flee a fight, not surrender, and Boston's veins were no grave but a blade, her blood the key to nowhere.