The wind rustled through the trees as Kyle walked along the edge of the village outskirts, Lira beside him. The air felt heavier today, charged with a tension neither of them could name.
Kyle tightened his grip on his sword. His magic hovered at his fingertips, sparks flickering softly.
"I feel… something," Kyle murmured. "Like the air itself is… wrong."
Lira glanced around. "You've been training a lot. Maybe your senses are sharper."
But Kyle shook his head. He could feel a pulse, a vibration in the air that made his stomach tighten.
Suddenly, from the shadows of the forest, a low growl echoed. Kyle froze. A dark shape emerged—claws glinting, eyes burning red. It was a minor demon, small but fast, its body twitching unnaturally as it advanced.
Kyle's hands sparked instinctively. "Lira… get back!" he shouted.
The demon lunged. Kyle swung his sword, cutting through the air with precision. Sparks from his magic flared, colliding with the creature. It hissed, circling him, moving faster than he expected.
"Your stance!" Lira shouted, drawing her own dagger. "Keep your center! Anticipate its movements!"
Kyle adjusted, combining magic and sword swings, but the demon moved oddly—sometimes glitching slightly, appearing a step ahead, then behind. The feeling was unsettling.
Somewhere far away, in the real world, the USA team had reached the AI world's main control room. Screens flickered red as they began accessing Fluctlight cores, trying to map and manipulate the AI humans' consciousness.
Automated defenses triggered. Barrier walls shimmered, digital constructs appeared, and alarms rang out. The AI world remained untouched physically, but the system that maintained the AI humans started registering small errors.
Back in the AI world, Kyle felt it instinctively. The demon's movements were strange, almost as if it were being slightly guided by forces outside the world. His sparks flared unevenly, and for a brief moment, he felt a shiver in his Fluctlight, a reminder of the injury it had suffered.
The battle lasted only minutes, but it felt longer. Kyle combined sword swings with fire sparks, finally striking the demon down. It dissolved into shadowy fragments, vanishing with a low hiss.
Breathing heavily, Kyle sank to his knees. Lira knelt beside him. "Are you… okay?"
"I'm fine," Kyle said, though inside he felt the tremors in his Fluctlight still echoing. "But… something's happening."
Lira frowned. "I don't see anything unusual. Are you imagining it?"
Kyle shook his head. "No… it wasn't normal. The demon… it moved like it wasn't fully real."
Meanwhile, in the real world, the USA team pushed further.
They had penetrated the main control room and began targeting Fluctlight cores, attempting to extract data and influence AI humans directly. Every tap and command caused minor distortions in the AI world, glitches that could be noticed only by those sensitive enough—like Kyle.
Dr. Vale and his team remained in the secondary control room, watching. Vale's fingers danced across his own console. "They've reached the core systems," he muttered. "We need to prepare for the worst. No one can access the Fluctlight without consequences."
Back in the AI world, Kyle and Lira returned to the church. Kyle's hands still flickered with weak sparks, and a low hum thrummed through his mind—a residual echo from the real world interference he could not understand.
Lira noticed his unease. "You're tense again. Rest. Tomorrow we continue training."
Kyle nodded, staring at his hands. He didn't understand it yet. But he could feel it: the world he thought was safe was already starting to change.
And far beyond the mountains, alarms flared, buttons were pressed, and the first ripples of interference began touching the heart of the AI world.