The gym was a total mess. Pixel blocks were all over the place, like someone smashed a bunch of holograms. The bleachers were broken up into weird, glitchy pieces, and the air was buzzing with static that slowly died down. A few students, who'd been hiding behind mats and climbing ropes, started to peek out, looking scared. Whatever they saw, they probably couldn't explain it even if they tried.
Riko was standing in the middle of the wreckage, breathing hard. Sweat was dripping down his face, and his fist was only just starting to lose its glow from the fight. The huge glitch monster they'd been battling was gone – poofed in a cloud of red pixel smoke that was still hanging in the air. Little bits of its code floated around like dust.
Riko put his hands down and took a shaky breath. Is it... over?
Kaze didn't answer right away. He walked forward slowly, carefully looking at the digital stuff left behind. He was so focused it made Riko uneasy. Luna was next to Riko, still holding the broken broom handle she'd been using as a weapon. She looked around at the ruined gym, her voice small. Are we going to get in trouble for this?
If they ask, Riko said, we'll blame the dodgeball equipment.
That's such a bad excuse, it might actually work, Luna said.
Before they could relax, a faint glow started up near the center of the floor, right where the monster had disappeared. A small cube, perfectly shaped, was floating just above the ground. It was glowing softly, like a heartbeat made of messed-up light.
Riko frowned. What's that?
Kaze stepped in front of him, blocking his way. Don't touch it.
Why not?
Anything an Assimilator leaves behind is never good.
Riko's stomach dropped. Is it dangerous?
Not right now, Kaze said, but it's not something you want as a souvenir.
Luna walked closer, carefully stepping on the broken pieces of pixel. It looks like something from Minecraft.
Riko snorted. Yeah, if Minecraft was made by a virus.
The cube glowed again, faster and brighter. It was pulsing in a weird rhythm, not random. It was almost like it was talking to them or reacting to them. Kaze crouched down and looked at it closely. Assimilators usually disappear completely. This is different.
How so? Riko asked.
Different as in, we should be worried.
The cube suddenly floated higher, spinning slowly. Its edges got blurry, like digital fog. Luna stepped back. Nope. I don't like floating cubes. Floating cubes are never a good sign.
Riko swallowed. System? What is that thing?
His screen stayed black. No words, no warnings, nothing in there.
Kaze clicked his tongue. Figures. It won't talk when there's data residue.
Which means?
It's scared.
Riko blinked. The system is scared?
Scared or careful, Kaze said. Either way, if it's not talking, it means this thing isn't under its control.
The cube stopped spinning.
And on one side, something weird started to form – a shimmer, then a blurry shape, then something trying to take form. Luna squinted. Is that a reflection?
No, Kaze said quietly. It's a connection.
Suddenly you see a face.
Or, at least, part of one – eyes that were just static, a mouth that was a straight line, features that kept changing like the image was corrupted. The face didn't belong to anyone they knew. It wasn't human. It wasn't even complete. It was a presence
Riko stepped back, his heart pounding. What is that?
Kaze's face turned serious. The one controlling them.
Luna gripped the broom handle tighter. Controlling who? The monsters?
The Assimilators don't do anything on their own, Kaze said. They follow orders. They hunt what they're told to hunt. And someone is giving those orders.
The cube's glow got brighter as the face moved around, like a camera trying to focus. For a second, the face became clear. One pixel-stained eye looked right at them.
Luna froze. It's watching us.
Riko felt sweat on his back. Why is it staring like that?
Because it found what it was looking for, Kaze said.
Riko knew what that meant. His throat tightened, unable to even breath properly. Me.
Kaze didn't tell him he was wrong or try to make it sound better. You.
The face on the cube shifted, its mouth stretching wider, the image getting worse. The gym lights flickered along with the cube. A deep vibration rumbled through the floor. The students hiding in the bleachers cried out, unsure if should leave or stay. Kaze put up a hand to quiet them.
The cube cracked.
A thin line of red code went down the middle, like break.
Riko took a step forward, but Kaze blocked him again, looking annoyed. Don't get closer.
Why? Riko asked, even though he knew the answer.
It's not talking to you, Kaze said. It's looking at you.
That's worse, Luna whispered.
The cube got higher, until it was at Riko's eye level. Its surface was moving with static, and the edges were covered in glitchy fog. The face inside the cube turned slightly, locking onto Riko with accuracy. He felt strange pressure on head, like someone trying to his mind.
He pressed his teeth together. Stop looking at me.
It didn't.
Instead, a whisper came out of the cube – barely able to be heard, with digital noise covering it. The voice was distorted, but it was talking to him.
User…
Riko's blood turned cold. It said 'user.'
Of course it did, Kaze muttered, It's after you.
Luna took a step back. Why does this always happen to you?!
I don't know, Riko said, his jaw clenched. Maybe I won some sort of cursed lottery.
The cube flickered, this time more violently. Glitch smoke exploded from its corners. The face was torn into small pieces.
Kaze stood near Riko, ready to fight. If it becomes unstable, destroy it. Do not let it get bigger.
How Riko asked, clearly annoyed.
Hit it until it stops existing
That is the worst instruction I have ever had!
The cube started to shake. A digitized scream erupted into the gym. Windows trembled. Students covered their ears and felt like they needed to runaway. Luna put her hands over her head and hid behind Riko.
Riko's arm screen flickered.
SIGNAL BREACH DETECTED
IDENTIFYING HOSTILE START
WARNING: UNAUTHORIZED WATCHER
What watcher?! Riko shouted, getting worried.
Kaze's voice sharpen and getting more aggressive. The thing in the cube. It's not just watching – it's getting into the network.
The school has a network?!
Everything has a network.
Luna screamed. How is that supposed to make me feel better?!
The cube cracked further. Pieces of the cube broke off, disappearing before they hit the ground. The cube was unstable—seconds from exploding or doing something bad and harmful.
Kaze took a step forward making it closer. Riko. Hit it as hard as you can.
Riko clenched his fist.
His screen was covered with constant warnings.
His heart hammered.
He struck the cube with all his anger.
His fist collided with the cube.The cube shattered into fragments, each bursting into pixel smoke that drifted upward and disappeared. The echo of the creature's distorted scream faded into silence.
For a moment, the gym was silent. All the student were silent, and it felt quite peaceful. Riko, Kaze and Luna were still fearful.
Then—
A final fragment of the cube floated down into Riko. He examined it. The fragment was small, but surface flickered with traces of the face they'd seen—faint.
Luna walked up beside him, breathing shakily. Please tell me that's just a piece of computer junk now and not, a nightmare cube.
Riko didn't respond, his blood running cold. The fragment pulsed, he felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Kaze exhaled slowly. This confirms it"
"Confirms what?" Riko asked.
"That the real enemy isn't the Assimilators. It's the one sending them."
Riko stared at the fragment. "And it knows where I am."
"It's inside the network now," Kaze said quietly. "It can see through anything connected to the school systems."
Luna's face drained of color as realization hit her at once.
She stared at the piece in Riko's hand, scared and her voice was shaking.
Luna gasps: "That thing… it's inside the school."