"Imagine," Jayden continued, his voice was a low, almost hypnotic hum, "the parasite begins to mimic the chip's own neural signals. It starts to introduce subtle distortions, tiny errors in the communication. Like whispers in the wires, blurring the lines between what is real information from your mind and what is the parasitic interference..."Farouq frowned, his eyes narrowing. “You’re bluffing. There’s no way a virus could replicate the chip’s encryption protocols. They’re quantum-locked.”Jayden tilted his head, smiling faintly, circling him like a predator in slow orbit. “That’s what the Khyber designers believed. But what they didn’t account for... was intention.”The operators lining the room remained frozen, watching the two with wide, unblinking eyes. A few dared to glance at the main screen, where the pulsating crimson skull throbbed rhythmically, like a malevolent heartbeat.“At first, it’s just a fleeting thought,” Jayden continued, unperturbed by the interruption. “A mom

With a superhuman effort, he pushed himself up from his kneeling position, his legs were trembling but they were holding firm. He pointed a shaking finger at Jayden, his voice, though a little weaker than usual, resonated with the fury of a cornered beast.“Kill him!” Farouq roared, the command echoing through the stunned silence. “Kill him now! All of you! Tear him apart!”The order, raw and primal, jolted the Khyber enforcers from their stupor. The initial shock gave way to a surge of trained aggression. They were Khyber, and their loyalty, though briefly wavering, was absolute. Jayden had dared to insult their family, to invade their sanctuary, and to boast of their defeat. He had to pay.Ragnar, his earlier fear now transmuted into a burning anger, was the first to react. His hand, which had hovered over his holster, now snatched his pistol with practiced ease.The metallic click was sharp and decisive. He didn’t hesitate, charging forward, his burly frame became a testament t

"Release me, you damn Richmond!" Farouq’s voice, though strained and guttural, sliced through the heavy silence. He hung suspended, his face was a mask of furious disbelief, his eyes were blazing at Jayden. “Let me go, you insolent fool! Do you hear me? Release me!”His rage, a potent brew of humiliation and fear, fueled his words. He thrashed, a useless struggle against the invisible bonds that held him captive. The pistol, still in his hand, remained unmoving, a cruel reminder of his impotence. Farouq couldn't comprehend this power, not fully. It felt eerily similar to the stories he’d heard, the legends whispered about the synapticore force wielded by the Richmonds. Could this young man, this defiant thorn in his side, truly possess such an ability? The very thought ignited a fresh wave of fury within him.In the operational centre, the project Revenant operators watched, their initial shock had morphed into a frenzied panic. The monitors, usually displaying crisp, clear ima

Jayden's sky-blue eyes glowed with an eerie satisfaction, reflecting the macabre scene. He was a conductor, and their bodies were his instruments, playing a symphony of agony.The horror escalated. One by one, or sometimes in twisted pairs, the operators and enforcers were forced to commit unspeakable acts of self-mutilation.A large, burly enforcer, his face frozen in a snarl of fear, was compelled to smash his own head repeatedly against his console, the sickening thuds were echoing through the wailing alarms. "No! Please! I beg you!" he silently pleaded, but his body obeyed only Jayden. Blood and brain matter splattered against the screen, forming a grotesque abstract painting.Another operator, a thin woman with glasses, was forced to plunge a pen repeatedly into her own neck, her fingers were driving the sharp implement deeper and deeper until she gurgled, spraying blood across the pristine white console."My God… no… my children…" a man, an older operator, whispered internally,

Farouq Khyber, who had been huddled amidst the wreckage of the computer bank, his body still trembling uncontrollably, watched Jayden. He had been a witness to the entire, terrifying performance. His eyes, fixed on Jayden, were filled with a profound, soul-shattering terror. He had seen the monster. Now, he saw the man. And that was, somehow, even worse. The monster had been a force of nature, a thing of pure, unthinking destruction. But the man... the man had done this. The man was still capable of this. The dread in Farouq's heart deepened, crystallizing into an unshakeable horror.Jayden didn't see Farouq's fear. Not yet. His focus was entirely inward, on the storm of self-realization raging within him. He was not happy. The satisfaction, the chilling peace of moments before, had vanished, replaced by a wave of crushing disgust. This wasn't him. This wasn't what he wanted.His synapticore power, the incredible gift that allowed him to perform a telekenisis, telepathy and even