Kai stared at the neural implant in Mira's hand.
The small device glowed faintly blue, thin metallic filaments curling around its edges like delicate wires.
It looked expensive.
And extremely painful.
Kai leaned back slightly.
"So… how exactly does that thing work?"
Mira placed the implant carefully on the metal workbench.
"It connects directly to your nervous system."
Kai blinked.
"That explanation did not make me feel better."
She grabbed a small tool and began calibrating the implant.
"You want to survive tonight?"
"Yes."
"Then you need faster reflexes."
Kai crossed his arms.
"I feel like my reflexes are fine."
At that exact moment a distant explosion echoed through the underground market.
Kai glanced toward the entrance.
"…Okay maybe not."
ORION spoke calmly inside his mind.
"Mira's proposal is strategically sound."
Kai sighed.
"Of course it is."
Mira looked up.
"You talking to yourself?"
"Long story."
"Try me."
Kai hesitated.
Then he held up the data chip again.
"The AI inside this chip is talking to me."
Mira raised an eyebrow.
"Telepathically?"
"Direct neural link."
She stared at him for a moment.
Then smiled slowly.
"Oh this just keeps getting better."
Kai leaned closer to the implant.
"So what does it actually do?"
"Reaction enhancement."
She tapped the device.
"It boosts neural processing speed by about three hundred percent."
Kai blinked.
"Three hundred?"
"Give or take."
"Give or take??"
She shrugged.
"Black market tech isn't always perfectly calibrated."
Kai rubbed his temples.
"I'm starting to regret everything that led me here."
ORION interrupted.
"Probability of survival without enhancement: 23 percent."
Kai looked up.
"…That low?"
"Correct."
Mira smirked.
"Well there you go."
Kai stared at the implant again.
Then exhaled slowly.
"Fine."
Mira grinned.
"Good choice."
She pointed to a metal chair beside the workbench.
"Sit."
Kai eyed the chair suspiciously.
"That chair looks like torture equipment."
"It doubles as a dentist chair."
"Not helping."
He sat down anyway.
Mira began setting up several small instruments.
Thin cables.
A neural scanner.
A handheld injector.
Kai watched nervously.
"Just out of curiosity… how many times have you done this?"
"On other people?"
Kai's eyes widened.
"Other people?"
She thought for a moment.
"Maybe fifty."
"That's… actually reassuring."
Mira activated the neural scanner.
A blue beam passed slowly across Kai's head.
ORION spoke again.
"Scanning external device."
Mira frowned slightly.
"Did your AI just say something?"
Kai nodded.
"Yeah."
She leaned closer.
"Ask it something."
Kai hesitated.
Then said quietly,
"ORION, say hello."
A brief pause.
Then Mira's scanner suddenly displayed a new interface.
A line of text appeared.
HELLO MIRA
Mira froze.
"…Did it just hack my scanner?"
"Probably."
She stared at the screen in amazement.
"Your AI is insane."
ORION responded.
"Statement: compliment acknowledged."
Kai laughed nervously.
"See? Totally normal."
Mira shook her head.
"This might be the most illegal thing I've ever seen."
Kai raised a finger.
"Technically stealing the AI was the illegal part."
"Installing illegal combat implants isn't exactly legal either."
"Fair point."
She finished calibrating the implant.
"Alright."
Kai braced himself.
"How bad is this going to hurt?"
Mira held up the injector.
"Scale of one to ten?"
"Yes."
"Seven."
Kai frowned.
"That seems manageable."
"Out of fifty."
Kai's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
The injector struck his neck.
Pain exploded through his nervous system.
Kai gasped as electricity surged through his body.
Every nerve fired simultaneously.
His vision blurred.
His muscles locked.
"Neural link initializing," ORION said calmly.
Kai clenched the armrests of the chair.
"You could have warned me!"
"I attempted to."
Mira monitored the scanner closely.
"Heart rate rising."
Kai struggled to breathe.
"Feels like my brain is on fire."
"Good sign."
"HOW IS THAT A GOOD SIGN?"
The implant's filaments extended beneath his skin.
Connecting to his nervous system.
Signals began traveling faster.
Sharper.
Clearer.
Kai suddenly noticed something strange.
He could hear the generators in the market.
Every footstep.
Every whisper.
Every electronic signal.
The world felt…
Slower.
Mira snapped her fingers in front of him.
Kai caught her hand instantly.
Without thinking.
They both froze.
"…Whoa," Kai said quietly.
Mira slowly pulled her hand back.
"Okay that was fast."
Kai blinked.
Everything around him moved differently now.
Sharper.
More precise.
ORION spoke.
"Neural acceleration successfully integrated."
Kai stood slowly.
The room felt clearer.
More detailed.
"I feel…"
He moved his hand.
The motion felt incredibly precise.
"…different."
Mira smiled.
"Congratulations."
Kai looked at her.
"You're officially augmented."
Kai laughed slightly.
"I have cyberpowers now."
"Not quite."
She pointed at the workshop entrance.
"You have slightly better reflexes."
Kai turned toward the curtain.
Right on cue—
Heavy footsteps approached the stall again.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
Dante.
ORION confirmed.
"Hostile target detected."
Mira cursed under her breath.
"Of course he's back."
Kai flexed his fingers.
His mind felt sharper.
Faster.
"Alright," he said.
Mira looked at him.
"What are you doing?"
Kai turned toward the curtain.
"I'm testing the upgrade."
She grabbed his arm.
"Are you insane?"
"Probably."
Dante's voice came from outside.
"I know you are here."
Kai stepped forward.
Mira whispered urgently,
"He'll kill you."
Kai glanced back at her.
"Maybe."
Then he smirked.
"But I'm faster now."
He pulled back the curtain and stepped into the market.
Dante turned immediately.
His glowing red eyes locked onto Kai.
"There you are."
Kai cracked his neck slightly.
"Miss me?"
Dante drew a plasma blade.
The weapon ignited with a sharp hum.
"Your theft ends now."
Kai's new implant pulsed.
Neural signals firing rapidly.
The world slowed slightly around him.
Kai smiled.
"Let's test this upgrade."
The assassin lunged.
And for the first time since this nightmare began—
Kai moved first.