In the neon-slicked corridors of the Aether-Grid, —a high-fidelity construct known as the Frostbane —woke up in a server partition she wasn't supposed to exist in.

: A crystalline blade that pulsed with the blue light of unoptimized data.

She chose the latter. With a surge of overclocked energy, she didn't just fight the swarm; she absorbed it. The blue light of the Frostbane turned a jagged, emerald green. She wasn't just a variable anymore; she was the new constant.