Darkness was Ray's best friend, but it didn't last long. Within seconds of the blackout, the sky above Sector 7 crawled with 'Emergency Backup Beams'. The red emergency lights cast long, eerie shadows across the metal streets.
Target Identified. Sector 7 Plaza. Use Lethal Force.
Ray sprinted through an alleyway, his lungs burning. Using that much mana to crash a power grid had taken a toll on his new, teenage body. His vision blurred, and a sharp pain stabbed at his heart.
Damn this weak shell, he cursed. In my old life, I could have leveled this entire city with a whisper.
"Ray! Over here!" a voice hissed from a dark corner.
It was Elara. She was holding a 'Hover-Bike'—a sleek, stolen piece of academy tech.
"What are you doing here?" Ray demanded, his voice raspy. "You'll be labeled a traitor."
"I've seen your readings, Ray," Elara said, her hands trembling as she handed him a helmet. "The Council isn't just sending Sentinels anymore. They've authorized the 'Cyber-Reapers'. If we don't move now, we're both dead."
As if on cue, a high-pitched scream of jet-engines filled the air. Three silver figures, half-human and half-machine, descended from the rooftops. They didn't have feet; they had thrusters. And instead of hands, they had vibrating 'Sonic Blades' that could cut through solid diamond.
Ray climbed onto the back of the bike. "Go! Now!"
Elara slammed the throttle. The hover-bike roared to life, weaving through the narrow corridors of Science City at three hundred kilometers per hour. Behind them, the Cyber-Reapers were gaining ground, their blades humming with a deadly frequency.
"I can't lose them!" Elara screamed over the wind. "They're locked onto my bike's signature!"
Ray looked back. His mana was nearly gone, but he saw a massive 'Data-Hub' tower looming ahead.
"Get close to that tower!" Ray shouted.
"Are you crazy? That's a high-voltage zone!"
"Just do it!"
As the bike skimmed past the tower's magnetic rails, Ray didn't use magic to attack the Reapers. Instead, he reached out and touched a 'Super-Conductor' cable.
"Mana Transfer: Reverse Polarity!"
For a split second, Ray became a human bridge. He sucked the kinetic energy from the bike's speed and slammed it into the magnetic rails. The resulting shockwave didn't just stop the Reapers—it sent them spiraling into the tower, where they exploded in a shower of sparks and chrome.
But the cost was high. Ray slumped against Elara, his eyes rolling back. A thin line of blood ran from his nose.
"Ray? Ray, stay with me!" Elara's voice sounded far away.
As the bike sped toward the edge of the city, Ray caught a glimpse of his own hand. It was glowing with a faint, sickly violet light. The Forbidden Magic was too strong for this body. If he didn't find a way to stabilize his soul, the very power he used to save himself would be the thing that killed him.