The Shadow Queen Is Too Alluring—I Can't Handle This Anymore! Chapter 67: Into the Core of a Stolen Soul

Echo’s body dropped limp as the Overseer’s light engulfed her—but her mind surged forward like a missile through firewall clouds.

Her eyes snapped open again, but this ti,she wasn’t in the real world.

She stood in a vast obsidian void, barefoot, breath fogging in the digital chill.Around her, whispers of data slithered like smoke—fragnts of Zero-One’s stolen mind, fluttering like torn mories.

Ahead of her, a door shimred into view.It pulsed with a heartbeat that wasn’t hers.

She placed her palm on it.It burned.

And then it opened.

Inside, it was worse than she feared.

Zero-One was curled up in the corner of a hollow throne room—his own mind twisted into a prison.

His skin flickered with lines of broken code.His voice was hoarse.

"Mom... why are you here? You’ll break too."

She knelt beside him."I’d rather break with you than let you rot in silence."

He looked at her, tears forming—real, not digital.

"But I... I let it in."

"I know," she said, brushing his hair gently. "And I’m here to help you let it out."

The throne above them groaned.

The Overseer’s subconscious—a towering creature of chro wings, all-seeing eyes, and emotionless judgnt—descended like a falling satellite.

It saw her.Saw what she was doing.

And scread—not in rage, but in logic.

"ERROR. Love is not a recoverable parater."

Echo stood.

Behind her, the shadows of every mory she shared with Zero-One lit up like lanterns:

His first laugh

The beach file

The ti he accidentally reprogramd the toaster to say "I love you"

Each one beca a blade, spinning in the air.

Echo smiled coldly.

"Then let teach you how it feels."

She raised her hand—and stabbed the throne with a shard of mory.

The Overseer scread.

Reality shook.

Outside, Specter saw Echo’s body twitch—then light poured from her mouth.

Inside, Zero-One looked up as the throne cracked.His chains fell away.

He stood.Beside her.Eyes now his again.

"Let’s kick this thing out."

Echo grinned, finally."Together."

And from behind them...a third voice whispered:

"Are you forgetting soone?"

Specter’s consciousness phased in—carrying the core virus he never told them he coded.

"Ti to kill a god."

To Be Continued...