âGet out! âGet out now!â Adina bit her tongue as she struggled to say those words out loud. Duke hugged her tightly. âAddy, itâs okay. Iâm here to protect you. Nothing will happen. Donât force yourselfâ¦â
âAddy is being controlled by the biochip. Most of the time, itâs asking her to harm the person she lovesâ¦
âI donât mind getting hurt a little. I canât continue to watch her being in painâ¦â
âGo away! I told you to go away!â Adina looked at him through misty eyes. âDuke, go! If you donât, I wonât be able to control myself anymoreâ¦â
Earlâs voice in her mind became louder and clearer.
âAddy, take out that dagger under your pillow. Aim it at Dukeâs neck and stab!â
âNo!â
Adina shook her head painfully. Duke was still in front of her, holding her shoulders and comforting her softly.
The voice in her head and the voice by her ears came together and spoke in unison. It was suffocating.
The thread of rationality in her head snapped.
Adina broke free from the ropes that she had used to tie her hands. She got up, took the dagger under the pillow, aimed it at Dukeâs neck, and rushed towards him.
Just as the dagger was a few inches away from Dukeâs neck, her wrist turned, and the blade cut into the back of her hand. It bled profusely.
The voice in her head finally dissipated.
âAddy!â
Duke held her injured hand and carried her downstairs. He swiftly got the firstâaid kit.
Addy nestled on the couch and let Duke disinfect, apply medicine, and bandage her wound.
After he was done, he asked, âWhat was the order given to you?â
Adina smiled. âI told you to get away from me, but you kept sticking around with meâ¦â
Before she could finish her sentence, she noticed Dukeâs expression darkening. She pursed her lips and did not talk anymore.
Typically, if I violated the original program of the system, I shouldnât have remembered everything that just happened. âBut I was able to clearly describe the situation just now. It is to say, the command just now The bewitching voice tried to push her will to the edge again and again⦠The back of her head hurt so much that she felt like her head was about to split in two. Half of her desperately tried to do as she was ordered, and half of her would rather die in her bedroom âAhhhh!â
Adina screamed in pain and rolled off the bed. However, no matter how much it hurt, she did not break free from the rope. âI must not hurt Duke, no matter what. âAs long as Iâm still conscious, I will never hurt the man that I love!
âIt hurts!
Itâs agonizing! âIt felt as if my bones were breaking apart!â Adina rolled on the floor, hitting the table. The glass on the table shattered to the ground âAddy, what happened?â Duke barged in and hurriedly approached her. When he noticed how much pain Adina was in as she rolled on the floor, his expression changed.