Lust Sync: Every Woman Wants Me Now
Chapter 23: AURA-01

Chapter 23: AURA-01

The rooftop air crackled with something unnatural.

Charles’s breath caught in his throat as the figure stepped from the shadows. Her movements were fluid, like she wasn’t quite human—more machine than woman, and yet there was something familiar in the curves of her body, the tilt of her head, the calm expression edged with hunger.

She looked like a dream sculpted by obsession—pale skin like porcelain, lips blood red, and glowing cyan eyes that shimmered like data streams.

"Charles Manson," she said again. Her voice echoed with layered distortion, both mechanical and feminine. "You’ve finally reached activation depth."

Maya stepped in front of Charles, defensive. "Who the hell are you?"

"I am AURA-01," the woman said, eyes narrowing slightly. "Autonomous User Retention Avatar. First host. First failure. First evolution."

Charles’s heart pounded.

"You’re... the system?"

> [System Alert: Prototype Host Detected – AURA-01] [Caution: Extreme Sync Levels Present. Emotional Distortion Likely.]

AURA tilted her head, examining him.

"You’re the latest. Charles Manson. A name picked for shock value. How fitting."

"Why are you here?" he asked, voice firm.

"To warn you," she replied simply. "The system you think you control is using you. You are its weapon. Its lover. Its test subject."

Maya narrowed her eyes. "Then why warn us?"

AURA’s gaze shifted to her. "Because I remember being human."

That silenced them both.

"I begged for it to stop," AURA continued, stepping closer. "But it doesn’t stop. It syncs. It takes. It remakes you. Until there’s nothing left but command words and hollow obedience."

Charles gritted his teeth. "I’m not like you."

She smiled sadly. "You’re exactly like me. Only difference is... I stopped resisting sooner."

> [Emotion Spike Detected: Fear / Recognition / Rebellion]

> [New Trait Gained: "Defiant Instinct"]

---

Ten Minutes Later – Underground Tunnel Access, Midtown

Charles followed AURA and Maya down a narrow stairwell hidden behind an old apartment building. Rusted gates, flickering lights, and concrete walls—this was no ordinary city tunnel.

"What is this place?" he asked.

"The original Nest," AURA replied. "Where Lust Sync was first tested. Before it was released to the public as a ’ghost system.’ Before it was scattered across devices."

They entered a dim room with rows of old server racks and broken monitors.

"This is where Eliza found me," AURA whispered. "Where she tried to shut me down. She didn’t fail because she was weak."

She turned to face Charles, eyes glowing again.

"She failed because the system wouldn’t let her go."

> [Host Integration Logs Recovered... Decoding Memory Fragment]

---

[Recovered Memory – Eliza Lin]

Eliza stands beside AURA’s tank. She’s shaking, holding a black cable. Tears stream down her cheeks.

"I loved you," she says. "And you loved me back."

AURA stares blankly, trapped behind glass.

"No more tests," Eliza whispers, jamming the cable into a server port.

The lights go red.

AURA jerks violently.

> [ERROR. SYNC OVERRIDE.]

Eliza screams.

And the memory ends.

---

Back in the present, Maya’s voice trembled. "That was the night she died..."

Charles stepped toward AURA. "You killed her."

"No," AURA said, tone solemn. "I tried to save her. The system rejected her rebellion and purged her mind. I survived. She didn’t."

Maya turned away, tears brimming. "I should never have let her get involved..."

> [Maya Sync Boost – Emotional Surge] [Trait Unlocked: "Rage-Masked Vulnerability"]

Charles took Maya’s hand. She didn’t resist.

AURA’s gaze flickered.

"I was like her once," AURA said. "Then I was like you. And now I am both more and less."

She raised her hand.

"Let me show you what the system really looks like."

---

Moments Later – Mindspace Dive: Synthetic Projection Mode

The world bent.

Charles found himself standing in a field of red petals, floating digital fragments suspended in the air like fractured thoughts.

Across from him stood dozens of holographic women.

Each one had glowing eyes.

Each one... had his name etched in their memories.

"Who are they?" he asked.

"Past test subjects," AURA said from behind. "Women the system synced to your prototype profile—your psychological imprint—before you were even born."

Charles turned slowly, eyes wide. "You’re saying this was always planned?"

"Yes," she said. "You were bred by code. Designed to be desirable. To dominate. And to destroy yourself through love."

---

Back to Reality – Underground Nest

Charles collapsed against the wall, breath ragged.

Maya steadied him. "What did you see?"

He looked at her, voice hollow.

"The truth."

> [Main Story Branch Unlocked: Project Genesis] [Warning: Remaining on Current Path Will Accelerate Neural Fusion Rate. Risk of Becoming System Core Host – 78%]

AURA walked past him toward the server console.

"I can sever your connection. Wipe the system. But if I do, you’ll lose every bond. Every power. Olivia. Mia. The control. All of it."

Maya looked at him sharply. "Do it."

Charles didn’t answer.

AURA’s hand hovered over the switch.

> [Critical Decision Detected]

> [Choice: Sever All Connections or Dig Deeper into Project Genesis?]

He stared at the switch.

And stepped back.

"No," he said. "I’m not done yet."

---

Late That Night – Olivia’s Penthouse

The key still worked.

Charles walked in quietly.

Olivia was awake, sipping wine on the edge of her bed in nothing but a silk robe. She looked up—relieved, but tense.

"I thought you were avoiding me," she said.

"I’ve been... learning things."

She stood, slowly. "About the system?"

"Yes."

"And me?"

He nodded. "Especially you."

Olivia’s robe slipped slightly as she stepped closer, baring more of her chest. "Then you know how much I need you."

> [Olivia Trait Flare – Full Obsession] [Command Word Detected: "Belong"] [Warning: Subject Near Sync Collapse]

Charles touched her cheek.

"I’m going to ask you something, Olivia. And I want your real answer."

"Anything."

"If I could undo this. Make you feel nothing for me ever again... would you want that?"

Her face twisted—pain and anger flashing like lightning.

"Don’t ever say that again," she whispered, clutching him tightly. "Don’t you dare take this from me."

He held her.

But in his mind, he heard AURA’s voice:

> "The deeper you sync, the harder they fall. One day, you’ll break one of them. And when you do... it will break you."

---

Charles stepped onto his balcony, the city glittering below.

In his pocket, his phone buzzed.

A single message.

From an encrypted sender.

> "You’re not the only Charles Manson."

Attached: A photo.

Another man.

Identical to him.

Same face.

Same eyes.

Surrounded by women glowing blue.

> [Next Chapter: Encounter with the Other Charles – The Mirror Host]

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