Heena's mind was fragmenting, thoughts scattering like broken glass.
'System,' she thought desperately. 'Open the memory. Now.'
"What?!" the System yelped. "Host, you're POISONED! This is not the time—"
'This is the PERFECT time,' Heena argued through her mental link, her consciousness already slipping. 'I'm already in unbearable pain. The memory unlock will hurt anyway. Might as well... combine them... get it over with...'
Her logic was sound even if absolutely insane.
The System trembled but obeyed. "Of course you would think this way! You're already dying, so why not add MORE pain?!"
"Open it," Heena commanded, her mental voice weak but firm.
And with that, the System initiated the forced memory unlock sequence.
The effect was immediate and catastrophic.
Heena SCREAMED—a sound of such pure, concentrated agony that it seemed impossible a human throat could produce it.
Her body convulsed violently in Samuel's arms, back arching, every muscle seizing.
