Aurelia lay back in her floating bed, arms folded behind her head, eyes half-shut. The room was dim, quiet.almost peaceful.
Then her personal bot buzzed softly to life beside her.
"No response detected. Subject: Dragan Rex.the recent arrival."
She didn't answer. Just sighed.
Silence.
But the bot tried again.
"Dragan Rex. The man who just moved in
Aurelia snapped.
"Please, stop bothering me!" she barked, sitting up slightly. "I don't care what his name is, okay? Just… leave me alone."
Her voice cracked with frustration, her tone sharper than she meant it to be. She sank back into the bed, fists clenched.
"I don't care who he is," she muttered, almost to herself now.
She was tired.
Tired of thinking.
Tired of what had happened.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to make you angry," the bot replied softly.
Aurelia gave no response.
She turned over, burying her face into the pillow, trying to shut everything out. But the real question lingered in the air·how did she forget so quickly?
Just one incident… and Dragan's name vanished from her mind.
It wasn't her fault entirely. Her brain worked differently. She needed multiple contacts with someone before her memory truly registered them. A one-time encounter, like the night she spent with Dragan·it was like a shadow in her thoughts. Easy to blur. Easy to dismiss.
But now, as sleep pulled her deeper, her mind began to wander.
A projected dream played out behind her closed eyelids·a scene from that night with Dragan.
The way he smiled. The way he listened. The strange calm he brought her.
It had been two hours since she drifted off.
And now?
There was a small, soft smile on her lips.
Her bot, designed for personal care and monitoring, noticed it. It quietly took a recording of her sleep-induced smile—automatically saved and scheduled to play back when she awoke.
Somewhere else…
Dr. Emerin paced his lab, restless.
He's not here either… Where could he be by now?
He tapped the glowing interface on his wrist·a high-tech band embedded with AI systems.
"Connect me to the control grid," he commanded.
The wristband lit up.
"Pull footage from all major camera feeds. Cross-reference last movements. I'm looking for one person.Dragan Rex. The young man who saved Serenya."
His tone was sharp now. Determined.
"He's a man. He can't just disappear."
Then.a ping.
A notification flashed on his UV smart-glasses, triggering a holographic image in front of him. A file unfolded, revealing a short clip and description.
Report from the Royal Guards:
A young man had been caught harassing her daughter.
He didn't care to read the full report or review any footage.
In a fit of rage, Dr. Emerin typed a quick command into his wristband:
"I would like to interrogate him. Prepare the subject."
With that, he stormed out of his lab and made his way to the prison facility. Security bots guided him through sleek corridors until they reached the detention wing. He was directed to Interrogation Bay 3, a clean glass chamber with a single table and two chairs.
Upon entering, a polite bot rolled up beside him and offered a seat.
"Please, have your seat and relax," the bot said smoothly .The bot offered him a steaming cup of Quantum Roast·a high-grade variant of coffee enhanced with micro-adaptives for mental focus."
He took the cup but only sipped once, his mind elsewhere.
He hadn't connected the dots.
A missing boy.
An arrest.
Her daughter.
It all clicked·but too late.
While reviewing files on his wristband, a guard's voice broke the silence.
"He's here, sir."
Dr. Emerin lifted his head slowly.
And there he was.
Dragan Rex
Standing in handcuffs, flanked by two guards, face worn but still proud.
Emerin's breath caught. His anger melted, replaced by confusion and guilt. Could Dragan really have done something like that? He doubted it. Deep down, he knew it was a mistake.
Dragan's eyes widened the moment he saw Dr. Emerin. The surprise was mutual.
They hadn't expected to see each other like this.
As Dragan sat down across from him, he broke the silence with a calm, almost wounded voice.
"I didn't do it."
Emerin leaned forward, his voice low but firm.
"I know, boy. I believe you."
He glanced at the guards and gave a nod. They stepped back.
"Now tell me what really happened."