10 : Kill The Temptation Direct

The temptation was a physical weight, pulling his arm toward the silver chip. His brain chemistry was firing in all the wrong directions, demanding the dopamine hit. "Kill it," he hissed to himself. "Kill the ghost."

As the clock struck twelve, Elias didn't reach for the chip. Instead, he pulled the photograph from his wallet and held it tight against his chest, the damp paper crinkling under his thumb. He looked the Dealer in the eye and let his wallet fall into a puddle at his feet. "I’m done," Elias said, his voice finally steady. 10 : Kill the Temptation

"Just one," Elias whispered. The Dealer smiled, a predatory tilt of the head. "The first one is always 'just one,' Elias. But this is a Ten. You won’t ever want to come back." The temptation was a physical weight, pulling his

Elias stepped into the rainy alleyway. At the far end stood a Dealer, his eyes glowing with the tell-tale violet hue of an Echo user. He held a small, silver chip—a "Level 10" hit. It was pure, unadulterated nostalgia. One dose could make Elias feel his wedding day for a thousand years in a single second. "Kill the ghost

His phone buzzed. A message from an unknown sender: