Debugging Reality

The universe did not reply. It glitched. For a fraction of a second, the texture of the wall beside Reyes dissolved into a cascade of hexadecimal code before resolving. The gravity in their pocket dimension fluctuated, a nauseating lurch that sent loose objects drifting. In Kenji’s mind, the image of the perfect crystal lattice returned, but now, a network of hairline fractures was spreading through it, originating from a single, pulsing point of corruption—their ‘fork bomb.’ The entity wasn’t talking. It was processing. And the process was causing errors in the local build of reality. ‘Kenji…’ Silas said, his voice tight as he steadied himself against a wall that felt momentarily like liquid. ‘What did you do?’