“Every system has a core. And when it catches fire so does everything around it.”

Scene 1 – Countdown

They return to Elaris, following a pulse from Glitch’s shard a last tether to a core memory buried under the city’s ruins.

Nyx floats above the streets, scanning.

NYX:

“The entire city grid is… flickering. Reality cohesion is at 64%. Veil response imminent.”

ACCEL (checking HUD):

“We’ve got minutes.”

GLITCH:

“So let’s steal them.”

Scene 2 – Ghost Signals

Inside the central tower, they reach the Core Nexus the place where Glitch was first created, and where the Veil’s foundation code was seeded. Memory fragments project themselves around them scientists arguing, purging data, laughing, crying, running.

A memory of Accel appears but he’s wearing a lab coat. Standing beside Raihn.

GLITCH (whispers):

“You were part of this…”

Accel doesn’t deny it.

ACCEL:

“I was. But I tried to stop it.”

Suddenly: a signal spike.

▢ VEIL PURIFIER UNITS INBOUND

▢ DISRUPTION PROTOCOL: BURN

Scene 3 – Invasion

The sky over Elaris splits. Saints rain down like comets. Purifiers breach reality, warping space as they pass. The city begins to shake not from explosives, but from code unraveling. Streets loop into themselves. Buildings rewrite. Civilians trapped in memory echo screaming for help, over and over.

Accel grips his blade.

ACCEL:

“We stay or we run?”

NYX:

“If we run, the data dies. The people too.”

GLITCH:

“Then we stay.”

Scene 4 – The Choice

They find the terminal beneath the tower a root access node that can upload the real memory of Elaris to the outside world. Preserve it, even if the city burns. But it takes time to stabilize.

GLITCH:

“I’ll do it. You fight.”

ACCEL:

“Not alone.”

He places his hand on the terminal too. Nyx floats above, projecting light-shields.

Outside, the Saints breach the tower.

BOOM—

A Purifier slams through the wall, screeching.

They fight.

Accel uses a memory blade pure data, forged from the shard Glitch uncovered. Nyx redirects Veil fire. Glitch types with one hand, dodging blasts.

94%

98%

99%…

GLITCH:

“One more second—”

▢ TRANSFER COMPLETE.

Scene 5 – Collapse

The tower begins to fall.

Glitch grabs the core shard. Nyx launches her through a crack in the wall. Accel stays behind holding off the last Purifier.

For a moment, he sees a memory flicker across its face:

his own.

A younger Accel, smiling. Then turning away.

PURIFIER (distorted):

“We remember you.”

Accel detonates his backup core.

Scene 6 – Aftermath

Glitch and Nyx emerge as the city crumbles behind them.

No sign of Accel.

Just silence.

And on every nearby terminal across the Veil, a message plays:

▢ DATA UNLOCKED: ELARIS // MEMORY: RESTORED

People stop. Watch. Remember.

End of Chapter 9 – “Elaris Burns”

A city lost.

A truth restored.

And a friend… left behind.