time passed, the group finally arrived at the academy. The towering structure loomed over them, its metallic spires gleaming against the sky. The air buzzed with energy, students moving about, training, discussing theories, and honing their abilities.

  At the entrance, Sasha stood waiting, arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

  Her golden eyes locked onto Sam. "Why did you call me here?"

  Sam took a deep breath. "We need your help."

  Sasha raised an eyebrow. "With what?"

  Sam hesitated for only a moment before speaking. "Someone you knew… Nia."

  At the mention of the name, Sasha's entire body tensed. Her expression, usually composed, shifted into one of shock.

  "How do you know that name?" Her voice was sharper now, laced with something unreadable—pain? Surprise? Fear?

  Sam exchanged glances with the others before nodding. "It’s a long story. We’ll explain everything."

  They found an empty chamber within the academy, and for the next hour, they laid everything out—the recordings, the hologram, the fight, Zaman’s involvement, and finally, how Nia had transformed into Dead Code.

  Sasha listened, silent and unmoving.

  Finally, she exhaled. "I see…" Her voice was quiet but heavy.

  She lifted her gaze, a flicker of sorrow in her eyes. "Zaman’s sacrifice… It makes sense now. By protecting our timeline and destroying the others, he unintentionally created something worse. Nia died, but instead of being erased, she became something beyond reality—Dead Code."

  Silence settled over the room.

  Then, Sasha straightened. The uncertainty in her eyes hardened into resolve.

  "What do you need from me?"

  Sam didn’t hesitate. "Help us stop her."

  Sasha was quiet for a moment. Then, with a firm nod, she spoke the words they needed to hear.

  "I will help you."

  "I will as well," a deep voice announced.

  A ripple in space twisted before them, and Zaman stepped forward.

  Sasha’s entire body tensed the moment she saw him. Her golden eyes blazed with fury.

  "You," she hissed.

  Zaman met her glare with a calm expression, his long coat swaying as he took another step. "Yes. I know you're angry at me, but Sasha, let's end this… together."

  Sasha clenched her fists. "Call her a bug again, and I will personally erase you from existence."

  The tension in the room became almost suffocating. The air crackled with energy as if a fight would break out at any moment.

  "Everyone, calm down," a soothing yet firm voice interjected.

  A portal of golden mist shimmered into existence, and from it stepped a woman with an ethereal presence. She had long, flowing silver hair and piercing violet eyes that seemed to see straight through reality itself.

  Sasha's expression shifted. "Aala… is that you?"

  Sam glanced at Adwin. "Who’s that?"

  Adwin adjusted his glasses. "That’s Aala, the Division Leader of Souls. She oversees the passage of spirits between realms and maintains the balance between life and death."

  Tushar crossed his arms. "Well, if she's here, then we might actually stand a chance."

  Eislyn took a step forward, her voice softer. "Please… we need all of your help."

  The three powerful figures—Zaman, Aala, and Sasha—looked at one another. Then, as if coming to a silent agreement, they turned back to the group.

  "Yes, we will help," they said in unison.

  A small smirk played on Lexine’s lips. "Good. Because I have a plan."

  Everyone gathered in a secluded chamber within the academy. Lexine stood at the center, a holographic projection flickering beside her, displaying strategic points and possible weaknesses.

  "Here's the deal," she began, her tone sharp and focused. "Dead Code is unpredictable, but from what we've gathered, her instability is also her weakness. She exists in a constant state of flux, meaning if we disrupt her core while she's shifting, we might be able to force her into a singular state—one where she can be defeated."

  Sam nodded. "And how do we do that?"

  Lexine smirked. "We overload her. She absorbs and manipulates code, right? So, we flood her system with conflicting data—enough to short-circuit her existence for even a few seconds."

  "A few seconds is all we need," Sasha muttered, arms crossed.

  Zaman exhaled. "And who’s delivering the final blow?"

  Aala turned to him. "That would be you."

  Zaman straightened, his expression unreadable. "I see."

  Aala stepped forward. "I will open the passage, guide the energy, and contain her shifting form as much as I can. Sasha, your power over existence will stabilize the battlefield, and Sam, you and your team will keep her distracted long enough for Zaman to strike."

  Eislyn hesitated. "And if this fails?"

  Lexine’s gaze darkened. "Then we run. Because if she adapts… we won’t get another chance."

  Everyone exchanged glances, the weight of the moment pressing down on them.

  Finally, all of them spoke as one: "Understood."

  Lexine placed a small earpiece in her ear. "I'll be the proxy. Put in your earpieces now."

  One by one, they did. The soft click of the devices settling into place felt like a final act of commitment.

  Aala turned to Zaman. "It's up to you to get us there."

  Zaman rolled his shoulders, his gaze unwavering. "I will be fine."

  With a snap of his fingers, a swirling portal of dark energy erupted before them, its edges crackling with unstable power. The air around it felt heavy, as if reality itself bent under its presence.

  Zaman took a deep breath, then without hesitation—he stepped through.

  The battle was about to begin.

  As Zaman stepped through the portal, he found himself in the vast emptiness of the void. The air was thick with distortion, reality itself bending and breaking in fragmented glitches. Before him, Dead Code stood motionless, her form flickering in and out of existence like a corrupted file struggling to maintain shape.

  A twisted, eerie hum filled the space as her jagged voice broke through.

  “iTs YYYyOu.”

  Zaman smirked. "So you're still alive after all this time."

  Dead Code's head tilted sharply, her fragmented form distorting as her corrupted voice echoed once more. "aAAAAA—LEx."

  Zaman’s smirk faltered. His real name.

  His eyes narrowed. “How do you—”

  Before he could finish, reality around him cracked.

  Dead Code had already hacked his code.

  His vision blurred, his body momentarily losing control as data streams wrapped around him, attempting to rewrite his very existence. The corrupted voice of Dead Code twisted his words, replaying his own sentence in a distorted mockery:

  "WouUUldInt yOu AaaaGrEEE aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaLex?"

  Zaman clenched his fists. "Tch. So that’s how you want to play it?"

  He snapped his right fingers.

  In an instant, he vanished—reappearing behind Dead Code.

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  With a swift motion, he aimed for her side, his fist crackling with temporal energy. Just before impact, Dead Code's body flickered, glitching out of existence.

  She snapped her fingers.

  A series of wormholes erupted around Zaman, jagged tendrils of corrupted space shooting toward him.

  Zaman dodged effortlessly, weaving between them. But Dead Code was relentless—she snapped her fingers again.

  Black spikes emerged behind him at impossible speeds, aimed directly at his back.

  Zaman snapped his left fingers.

  Time reversed.

  Everything rewound to the moment just before he struck Dead Code. This time, instead of punching—he spun and delivered a devastating kick.

  Dead Code stumbled back, static screeching from her distorted form. "hOw?"

  Zaman smirked. "You don’t understand, do you?"

  He raised both his hands.

  His right hand, where a glowing golden clock spun forward, accelerated time at will.

  His left hand, marked by a reversed clock, rewound time instantly.

  And then, behind him, engraved into his very being—a motionless clock on his back.

  The ability to stop time itself.

  Dead Code twitched, her form growing more unstable.

  Zaman cracked his knuckles. "Now, let’s see what happens when I stop playing around."

  Dead Code crashed into the icy terrain, rolling to a stop. The moment she looked up, her flickering eyes widened.

  The outside world.

  For a brief moment, she was still. The cold air, the stars, the vastness of existence beyond the void—it all came rushing back to her.

  But then—

  “Crazy Blood Type Four: Sickle!”

  Tushar’s voice rang out as a sharp, crimson blade of blood hurtled toward her.

  At the last second, Dead Code jerked her body to the side, narrowly dodging the attack.

  “Damn,” Tushar thought, already preparing his next move.

  Before Dead Code could retaliate, Adwin and Sam arrived.

  Adwin flicked his paintbrush in midair. Ink monsters sprang to life from his strokes, surging forward like living nightmares.

  Dead Code’s arm shifted into a cannon.

  She fired.

  A stream of destructive energy obliterated the ink creatures instantly.

  But that was a trick.

  The moment the ink splattered into the air, it reformed—turning into sharp, deadly spikes that rained down on Dead Code from above.

  She twisted her body in a corrupted, unnatural way, evading every single spike.

  But in that split second—

  Sam appeared.

  With immense force, he drove his fist directly into Dead Code’s chest.

  The impact sent a shockwave through her entire being, her glitched form flickering violently.

  Dead Code skidded backward, stabilizing herself. She looked at Sam, her jagged smile returning.

  “ThAaT… hUrT.”

  Her fingers twitched. Reality around them began to distort.

  And then—she attacked.

  As Dead Code’s strings lashed out, they wrapped tightly around Adwin’s arm, yanking him violently off his feet and slamming him into the ground with a force that cracked the distorted reality beneath him.

  Adwin gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of the attack as his vision glitched. Fractals of corrupted data flickered in his sight, warping his perception.

  “Are you okay, Adwin?” Lexine’s voice came through the comms.

  Adwin groaned, rubbing his head. “Yeah, but damn… Eislyn was right. Those strings hurt like a bitch. And I can barely see through these damn glitches.”

  Reality itself was breaking down.

  The void twisted, colors bleeding into one another. The very laws of existence wavered under Dead Code’s presence.

  Sam locked eyes with the entity, his stance tightening. His breath was steady, controlled. Dead Code mirrored him, her corrupted, flickering form shifting in and out of coherence.

  “oH IIIII SSSSSSSee,” she whispered, her voice a chorus of mismatched tones.

  She raised her fists.

  Sam launched forward first, throwing a powerful punch. Dead Code dodged it effortlessly, her movements unnatural, her body jittering in and out of sync with reality.

  She countered.

  A flurry of punches rushed toward Sam, each strike narrowly missing as he ducked and weaved. But they were too close, too fast—he barely evaded, the force of the blows disrupting the air around him.

  Then, she snapped her fingers.

  Strings shot out toward Sam.

  But before they could reach him, a blur of motion descended from above.

  Eislyn.

  She gripped Dead Code by her gravity powers and lifted her off the ground.

  Then—SLAM.

  Dead Code hit the ground.

  And again.

  And again.

  Each impact sent shockwaves through the crumbling void.

  Dead Code’s form twitched, but she smiled.

  With a flick of her fingers, spikes erupted from the ground—razor-sharp, aimed straight for Eislyn.

  Before they could land, a crimson shield of blood surged forward.

  Tushar had arrived.

  He stood between them, his blood forming an unbreakable barrier, blocking the incoming spikes.

  Dead Code turned her head towards him, her smile widening.

  “WhY DoN’T yOu UUUUsE iT?”

  Tushar froze.

  His eyes widened slightly, his breath catching in his throat.

  She knows.

  Before he could respond, another figure blinked into existence.

  Aala.

  With a calm, focused expression, she placed her hand gently on Dead Code’s chest.

  "Boom."

  A devastating force erupted from her palm, sending Dead Code flying backward, crashing through the distorted space.

  Sam narrowed his eyes. Dead Code wasn’t even trying.

  He clenched his fists. This fight was far from over.

  Zaman stepped out of the portal, his coat billowing from the sheer force of the unstable reality around them.

  Dead Code’s grin widened, her blood dripping faster, pooling unnaturally beneath her.

  She snapped her fingers.

  Spikes materialized from every direction, jutting out from the void like jagged teeth, caging them all in.

  "Damn," Tushar muttered, his eyes scanning for an opening.

  Zaman, however, simply snapped both fingers.

  Time stopped.

  The chaotic battlefield froze in place—spikes locked mid-air, suspended motionless.

  With a smirk, Zaman stepped forward, walking through the frozen scene. He casually knocked away the spikes, sending them scattering before they could impale his allies.

  Then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw a dagger straight at Dead Code.

  The blade stopped just inches from her forehead.

  Zaman’s eyes darkened. "Die."

  He released time’s hold.

  Reality snapped back.

  The dagger lurched forward, aiming for Dead Code’s skull.

  But then—her eyes twitched.

  Zaman saw it.

  Just for a split second.

  Her pupils moved.

  And then—she dodged.

  The knife whizzed past her, missing entirely.

  Zaman’s heart skipped a beat.

  "How?" he thought.

  Dead Code’s voice distorted, glitching as she tilted her head toward him.

  "whYYYYY DDDDDDOu GuYS TRy?"

  Her laughter echoed through the broken void.

  A wave of Flux energy swept through the battlefield—powerful, raw, and completely foreign to any of them.

  Every fighter froze.

  Zaman clenched his fist. “This presence…”

  Tushar’s eyes darted upward. “Who is that?”

  Above them, Sasha floated, her form radiating with pure energy.

  She was different.

  Her body shone with an ethereal glow, her features shifting between reality itself—both solid and intangible. Her presence was overwhelming, as if she wasn’t just a person anymore… but a concept.

  Aala narrowed her eyes. “So she decided to use it.”

  Tushar turned to her. “Use what?”

  Aala exhaled. “She is the Theon of Truth.”

  Tushar’s confusion deepened. “And?”

  Aala’s gaze never left Sasha. “She’s no longer just Sasha. She’s transformed into the idea itself—Truth incarnate.”

  Dead Code’s glitching body trembled.

  Her static-filled voice distorted, breaking apart even more.

  “SSSSSSSSAshA…”

  Then—in an instant, Sasha vanished.

  A shockwave erupted as she reappeared behind Dead Code.

  CRACK!

  Her fist slammed into Dead Code’s back with such force that reality itself fractured for a moment.

  Before Dead Code could react, Sasha was in front of her.

  Her hand grabbed Dead Code’s face.

  A blinding beam of light erupted from Sasha’s palm, engulfing Dead Code entirely.

  BOOM!

  The force sent Dead Code crashing into the wall, the impact warping the space around them.

  As the dust settled, Dead Code stirred.

  Her body glitched, flickering violently as it healed at an unnatural speed.

  Sasha’s glowing eyes remained unwavering.

  Her voice was steady. “Nia, is this what you wanted? Is this what you’ve become?”

  Dead Code’s body flickered, trapped between existence and oblivion. Her corrupted form twisted violently, struggling to hold itself together as waves of distorted energy pulsed from her core.

  For the first time, she didn’t attack.

  She stood there, her breath ragged and uneven, her head twitching as if something inside her was fighting to break free.

  Sasha stepped forward, her form glowing with the undeniable presence of Truth itself.

  Her gaze was steady, unwavering. “Nia.”

  The name carried weight—cutting through the distortion like a blade.

  Dead Code’s eyes widened, glitching uncontrollably.

  A violent tremor overtook her as she clutched her head, fingers digging into her skull. A garbled scream ripped from her throat.

  “ShuuuuUuT UPPppP!”

  The ground fractured beneath them, the sheer force of her corrupted Flux energy warping reality itself.

  The air distorted, breaking apart like shattered glass.

  Sam, Zaman, Tushar, Eislyn, and Aala braced themselves as a vortex of instability spiraled outward from Dead Code’s collapsing form.

  Tushar gritted his teeth. “She’s losing control!”

  Dead Code staggered backward, clutching her chest.

  Her voice flickered—caught between the familiar, glitching distortion and something else.

  Something… human.

  “I… DoNT… WANTTTT…”

  Sasha’s glowing eyes narrowed. “You don’t want what, Nia?”

  Dead Code’s flickering fingers curled into tight fists.

  “I DOoonT WaNT… tO… remember!”

  BOOM!

  A powerful shockwave exploded from her body, sending everyone but Sasha flying backward.

  The force tore through the battlefield, splitting the earth apart.

  Reality itself bent and cracked. The sky darkened, glitching between different moments in time.

  Yet Sasha remained still.

  Unshaken. Unmoved.

  She exhaled, calm but resolute.

  “Then I’ll make you remember.”

  And then—she moved.

  In a blur of divine speed, Sasha surged forward, her form a streak of pure light.

  Dead Code’s eyes widened in terror.

  She tried to retreat—tried to run from the truth.

  Too late.

  Sasha’s glowing hand touched her forehead.

  And everything went white.

  Memories flooded in.

  A battlefield.

  Nia stood there, breathless, covered in blood—not all of it was her own.

  She wasn’t alone.

  Beside her stood Sasha, Raiden, and Nyssa.

  They had fought together.

  They had laughed together.

  They had lived together.

  But then—

  Pain.

  A sharp, searing agony piercing her chest.

  She gasped, reaching out—

  “I don’t want to die.”

  Zaman stood before her, his expression unreadable.

  Her own voice echoed through the memory, a fragile whisper.

  “I don’t want to die.”

  Her body collapsed.

  Darkness consumed her.

  Then—

  She woke up… as something else.

  Dead Code.

  A fragment of what she once was, lost in the endless void of corrupted data and broken existence.

  Back in reality—her body froze.

  The glitching slowed.

  For the first time… tears slipped down her cheeks.

  Not digital distortions.

  Not corrupted anomalies.

  Real. Human. Tears.

  She stared at Sasha, her broken expression shattering completely.

  Her lips trembled.

  “Sasha…” her voice was quiet—fragile, normal.

  The battlefield fell into absolute silence.

  She took a shaky breath.

  “Help me.”

  The war was over.

  Nia’s body—**no longer Dead Code—**gave out.

  She fell to the ground, sobbing.

  Sam’s eyes widened.

  The blood leaking from her eyes and mouth had stopped.

  The deep wound in her chest… was gone.

  She was whole again.

  Really became normal again the academy was back and everything else.

  In the endless expanse of the white void, a lone figure stood.

  His form was shrouded in a dark blue hoodie, the edges of his body was glitching, as if he wasn’t truly there—a ghost between realities.

  He watched the scene unfold from beyond time itself, his expression hidden beneath the shadow of his hood.

  Then—he smiled.

  “GoooD.”

  His voice distorted, stretching and warping, as if layered over itself.

  The void trembled at his presence.

  With a slow movement, he lifted a hand, fingers twitching as if pulling unseen strings.

  The battlefield—Nia, Sasha, the others—they were all pieces on his board.

  His smile widened, stretching unnaturally.

  “THe GaME ISsss FiNaALLy staRTing.” His voice echoed through the void, distorting like a corrupted signal.

  With a single snap of his fingers, a figure materialized before him—a young woman with piercing eyes and an unsettling presence.

  She bowed slightly, her lips curling into a smirk. “Yes, Echo EXE?”

  Echo EXE tilted his head, his flickering form distorting for a brief moment before stabilizing.

  “IrENE… ITs ABoUT TiME wE sTART PhAsE TwO.” His voice wavered between tones, shifting like multiple voices speaking at once.

  Irene’s eyes widened for a split second—shock flickering across her face.

  Then, slowly, a smile crept onto her lips. “…Understood.”

  Without another word, she dissolved into thin air, vanishing as if she had never been there.

  Now alone once more, Echo EXE remained still in the void, his grin never fading.

  His hollow eyes stared ahead at something no one else could see.

  The board was set.

  The pieces were moving.

  And soon…

  “I cAn’T wAiT tO sEe HOw tHiS EnDs.”