DRIFTFORCE:IGNITION

Chapter 4: Bloodshift Protocol



Marcel stared into the face of the man who should've been ashes.

Adrian Vega.

His older brother. The legend. The myth.The ghost who'd vanished in a fireball during the Syndicate Clash two years ago.

"You… died," Marcel whispered, breath choking in his throat.

"I burned, yes," Adrian said. "But death is a luxury the Syndicate doesn't allow."

Ayaka froze, her jaw twitching. "This is impossible. You were in that explosion. We saw it."

"You saw what they wanted you to see," Adrian replied.

He turned. The walls around them flickered, revealing a hidden chamber: blueprints, satellite footage, AI drift models rotating in holographic projection. One image stood out—Marcel's Skyline, dissected to the bolt.

"They've been watching you," Adrian said, voice hard. "Every drift. Every mod. Every turn."

Marcel stepped back. "Who's 'they'?"

Adrian stepped forward, eyes shadowed. "The ones who built the Syndicate. The founders. Not racers. Not fans. Engineers of evolution. They want the perfect driver—not human. Not machine. Something in between."

Ayaka's voice sharpened. "Drift-hybrids. I heard rumors—about Project Typhoon in Neo-Tokyo. Drivers wired into cars. Synced to AI through their spine."

"They failed," Adrian said. "But now… they're testing new subjects. And you, Marcel, are next on the list."

Silence fell. Heavy. Electric.

Marcel looked at his hands. Felt the vibration of his steering wheel in his bones."Why me?"

Adrian placed something in his palm—a chip, shaped like a key.

BLOODSHIFT PROTOCOL – ACCESS LEVEL 1

"Because you passed the Ghost Ring. And because you've got something they'll never understand." Adrian locked eyes with him. "Instinct."

Marcel laughed, but there was no joy. "You faked your death to spy on them?"

Adrian shook his head. "No. I faked my death to become one of them. To get deep enough to tear them apart from the inside. But I couldn't finish it. Not alone. That's why I need you."

Ayaka crossed her arms. "You used us. That drone in the first race—was that a warning or bait?"

Adrian didn't flinch. "It was a test. The Ring watched how you'd respond. You passed. She passed. You're both drift-born."

Marcel turned the chip in his hand.It pulsed red. Warm. Like blood.

"What is this thing?"

"It links you to the protocol. Your car becomes alive. It'll read your pulse. Sync with your muscle memory. Predict your every move—if you can handle the surge."

Marcel nodded. "And if I can't?"

Ayaka answered for him. "Your mind melts."

Suddenly, alarms blared.

INTRUSION DETECTED.LEVEL-3 ENFORCERS INBOUND.

Adrian's calm cracked. "They found us."

Metallic roars echoed through the chamber as doors slammed shut.

Marcel slid the chip into his steering wheel port.Ravyn's voice distorted.

"WARNING: Bloodshift Protocol initializing. This is irreversible.""Accept terms?"

Marcel stared into the lights. Into the storm.And smiled like the devil learning to drift.

"Accepted."

His veins felt like lightning. His breath synced with the revs.The Skyline's HUD reformed itself—alive, hungry, fast.

Ayaka gunned her Spectra. "You just turned yourself into a weapon."

"Good," Marcel said. "Because I've got gods to kill."


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