Scene 1 – The First Saint

In a corridor of flickering skyglass screens, an alarm pulses cold blue. A voice intones from nowhere:

▢ ARCHIVE NODE: BREACHED

▢ MEMORY INTEGRITY: COMPROMISED

▢ SEND IN THE SAINTS

A tall figure stands at the center of a clean, silver corridor unmoving. Cloaked in white. Face covered by a mirrored mask. The mark of a Saint glows faint red on their wrist a permanent code-seal. In their hand, a spear of crystallized memory.

This is SAINT IVORY

A weapon built from belief in system purity.

IVORY (to comm):

“Target confirmed. Rogue ‘Accel’ present.

Accompanied by Class-3 anomaly.

Initiating clarity protocol.”

Behind them, five more Saints march wordlessly forward.

Scene 2 – In the Sewers

Glitch clutches the memory shard, still shivering. It pulses with energy but now it’s quiet, like a heart that’s finally found its rhythm.

NYX (hovering cautiously):

“The memory core’s dormant… for now. But we need to go. The system’s sending Saints.”

GLITCH:

“What are Saints?”

ACCEL (coldly):

“Zealots. They don’t protect the world. They protect the illusion of it.”

He pulls on his hood again, glancing upward the lights in the tunnel have stopped flickering. That means they’re near.

 Too near.

Scene 3 – Echo’s Fate

They emerge into the old Metro node a crosspoint used by Echoes to pass messages underground. But today, the floor is soaked in digital residue shimmering like spilled oil. A collapsed figure lies in the center.

It’s an Echo one of the code-born rebels, minds stitched from partial memories.

Dead.

Next to them, a Saint’s spear impaled the node tower. Glitch steps forward. She touches the Echo’s shoulder. Her code flickers in sync with theirs just long enough to see:

A mother’s memory.

A child’s laughter.

Then… a blade of light.

GLITCH (quietly):

“They remember too much.

That’s why they were killed.”

ACCEL:

“It’s why we keep going.”

Scene 4 – The Fight

The Saints arrive.

Six figures, silent as statues. Ivory at their head.No words. No warnings.

Just a command flashing across the system:

▢ PURGE THE SOURCE

▢ STABILIZE THE THREAD

Accel draws his veilblade. Nyx pulses with static. Glitch stands behind her breath still shaky, but her hand on the shard.

ACCEL (to Ivory):

“You still believe this is peace iv?”

IVORY (flatly):

“Peace isn’t belief. Peace is protocol.”

They clash.

Accel dodges and counters, blade-for-blade. Nyx stuns one with a memory loop. Glitch ducks behind a fallen sign until her eyes begin to glow. The shard in her hand activates.

Suddenly, one Saint pauses mid-strike Their mask glitching.

SAINT KORR (softly):

“I know her face…”

The hesitation is brief. But it’s enough. Accel disarms Ivory, holding a blade to their throat.

ACCEL:

“Tell them: we’re not hiding anymore.”

Ivory vanishes in a burst of white code a retreat function. The other Saints follow.

But not Korr. He lingers, watching Glitch. And for a second… he bows.

Scene 5 – What Lingers

Later that night, in a dim rooftop safezone, Accel patches a wound on his arm.

GLITCH:

“Why did one of them recognize me?”

ACCEL:

“Because you’re not an accident. You’re part of the system’s core.”

She looks away.

GLITCH:

“Then why do I want to burn it all down?”

Nyx hums low, electric.

NYX:

“Even a perfect program eventually seeks to rewrite itself.”

End of Chapter 4 – “Echoes and Saints”

Not every enemy is blind.

And not every weapon chooses its wielder.