EPISODE 9, “BINARY BOX”
Binary code doesn’t just fall. It screams. When the ship enters the Binary Box, numbers rain down like shards of light. Zeros and ones slice through space, warping gravity and sound. The screeching is constant, like metal scraping against metal inside everyone’s head.
House of Gryffindor slumps in his seat, breathing shallow. He still looks weak and pale. Ivory glances back at him.
“…You good?”
House of Gryffindor manages a shaky thumbs-up.
“Define good.”
YOA grips the controls.
“Okay, yeah, no. This layer is loud for no reason.”
Peri instantly fires back,
“Bro, if V5 wasn’t so old, maybe it’d filter the noise.”
YOA snaps,
“At least my executor isn’t allergic to numbers.”
Suddenly, the code changes. The falling numbers start aligning and form arrows. All point forward. Phoenix checks the scanner.
“…It’s guiding us.”
Ivory whispers,
“Or chasing us.”
The ship accelerates on its own. Behind them, something moves through the binary rain. It isn’t flying; it’s phasing, like it’s skipping frames. The shadow from before is sharper now, more defined.
House of Gryffindor tenses.
“…That thing’s back.”
The ship alarms flash red.
PROXIMITY BREACH
YOA panics.
“WHY does it keep teleporting—”
The shadow suddenly appears ahead of them, blocking the path.
Peri blurts out,
“Okay, new plan: we respectfully TURN AROUND—”
The shadow splits into fragments—dozens of glitching silhouettes. Each one mimics their movements half a second late.
Ivory gasps.
“It’s predicting us.”
Phoenix shouts,
“EVERYONE HOLD STILL.”
They freeze. The fragments freeze too. One second passes. Then another.
Peri whispers, barely holding it together,
“If it jumps me, tell Neo I loved it.”
YOA: “Bro’s writing his executor will.”
The ship’s systems suddenly reboot. The fragments flicker and vanish. A path opens in the code storm. Phoenix exhales.
“…We move. Slowly.”
They drift forward as the Binary Box begins collapsing behind them, with code melting into static. Ahead, the world turns blue. Flat. Empty. Quiet. Too quiet.
House of Gryffindor stares at the screen.
“…Why does that look like a crash screen?”
Phoenix swallows.
BLUE ZONE DETECTED
The Binary Box seals shut behind them. No going back.
TO BE CONTINUED…
