After we went to the library, I was checking out a few books when I heard a voice behind me. It was your daughter, Aurelia. She asked if I was new there and said she hadn't seen me before. That caught me off guard.
He continued the story, explaining everything that had happened until they finished.
After the discussion, Dr. Emerin turned to one of the guards and called out, "He did nothing. Release him."
"But sir," the guard started.
"Do it," Dr. Emerin interrupted, his voice firm.
Dragan looked at him, surprised, but Dr. Emerin simply met his eyes and gave a small smile. "It's my daughter," he said gently. "Her condition makes her behave that way. I understand it now."
The guard hesitated, then nodded. He unlocked the cuffs, and just like that, Dragan was free. No more accusations. No more restraints.
As they stepped outside, Dr. Emerin placed a hand on Dragan's shoulder. "I've shared the house location to your watch. Head there now. I'll join you shortly."
Dragan went home in a state of confusion, still replaying everything that had happened. His thoughts were tangled. Memories. Doubts. Guilt. Maybe if he saw Aurelia again, maybe if he just talked to her, something would click. Maybe her memory would come back.
He walked up to the house, hesitated at the front door, then reached out.
"It's him. Dragan," the AI bot said aloud.
Aurelia was in the washroom, taking a bath. The door opened automatically with a smooth, silent slide.
Dragan stepped inside quietly, his heart pounding. He looked around, hoping to see her. Maybe she'd remember. Maybe she'd smile.
Then her voice echoed faintly from the washroom.
"Keep the door shut. Don't let anyone in," Aurelia said to her personal bot.
Dragan froze."He's here. Already inside," the bot responded aloud.
Dragan winced. Why did it always have to speak? Couldn't it just stay quiet?
Aurelia didn't quite hear the bot. She repeated more firmly, "Don't listen to him. Keep the door shut."
The bot obeyed. It locked the door with a soft click and dimmed the lights into a calm evening glow.
Dragan stood still for a moment, then walked past the massaging sofa and sat on the edge of the bed. He ran a hand through his hair. Maybe this was a mistake.
His thoughts spiraled. What if she didn't remember him? What if she screamed again? What if she called him a pervert again?
If that happened, Dr. Emerin might never trust him again. And honestly, who would? The situation looked bad. A girl in the shower, and him-uninvited-sitting in her room.
He stood quickly, walked over to the door, and whispered, "I'd like to get out. Please."
The bot responded in a calm, robotic voice. "I am under orders. I cannot open the door unless I am commanded by Aurelia."
Aurelia heard the voice this time. Her hand paused under the water. What?
She wrapped herself in a towel and quickly glanced toward the small screen on the wall. A faint figure moved in the bedroom.
"Bot, who's in my room?" she asked softly.
The bot answered after a short pause. "Dragan."
Her stomach twisted.
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "What if he came in to hurt me? Who even is he?"
She didn't need to speak loud. The washroom was wired with advanced sound-scan tech. Even her softest whispers were picked up and processed.
The mirror shimmered. Then it showed her a projection of the man sitting on her bed.
Aurelia leaned in. Her heart thudded in her ears.
It was him. The boy from the library.
Dragan.
He wasn't doing anything. He just sat there with his head down, motionless, quiet, thoughtful.
He didn't look dangerous. He looked... tired.
Still, her mind raced. Why was he there? Why didn't the bot stop him? How did he even get in?
She clutched the towel tighter around her. Steam rose behind her, but her body stayed frozen.
Dragan hadn't moved.
But inside her, something was shifting.
Aurelia stepped out of the washroom. A towel was wrapped tightly around her body, and another in her hand as she dried her ear. She wasn't nervous anymore. She was calm. The door had opened earlier, and there was no movement afterward. She assumed the bot had let Dragan out.
She hadn't meant to get him arrested. Not really. She'd panicked. His presence had confused her. His words, his eyes, the way he made her feel. It was easier to scream than to face what she felt.
Now, soft rock music floated around the room. Her playlist. The beat was slow and soothing. The kind that usually helped her think.
She didn't look around much. Her focus was on the beat in her ears and the chill of the floor under her bare feet. She walked casually, adjusting her towel without care, lost in her own rhythm.
She had no idea.
No idea that Dragan had been secretly released from the high-tech prison. That someone had bypassed the locks and the guards and sent him here. Back to her.
The bot hadn't said a thing. It hadn't seen him as a threat. Maybe someone wanted it that way.She danced gently toward her bed, unaware.
Then she turned-and froze.
"Ah!" she screamed, stumbling back. "He's still here!"
Her heart jumped. Her breathing sped up. Her face flushed red.
There he was.
Dragan.Lying on her bed. Eyes closed. Chest rising softly.
He looked peaceful. Unarmed. Still.
She stood in place, towel still wrapped around her body, arms crossing instinctively over her chest. Her mind raced.
How did he get in? Why was he still here?
Her eyes moved to his face.
He looked calm. Beautiful. Black hair scattered softly on the pillow. Sharp nose. Soft pink lips. His brows relaxed. There was no tension in his body. No malice. Just quiet.
She stared.
Even now, after everything, there was something about him that made her pause.
Maybe it was the stillness.
Maybe it was the way he didn't flinch, didn't even know she was there.
Maybe it was guilt creeping in again.
She had screamed. Called him a pervert. Accused him in front of guards. She watched them drag him away.
But now... he was right there. Asleep. Vulnerable.
Her fingers tightened on the towel.
She didn't move.
She didn't breathe too loudly.
She didn't want to wake him.
But the real question wasn't how he got here.
It wasn't even why.
The real question was…
What if he just wakes up… and sees her?