When Robert stepped through the dark door after Berilda, his mind was seized, for a heartbeat, by absolute silence and emptiness. It was as if existence itself had stopped and held its breath. But the sensation lasted only a single heartbeat; the darkness withdrew as swiftly as it had come, yielding once more to the familiar, unsettling pink that swallowed everything.
He found himself in a long, curving corridor that seemed to stretch into infinity. The flawless, organic lines of the Starting Chamber continued here; the floor, walls, and ceiling were made of the same glossy, bubblegum-pink, seamless material. Yet the texture here was more assertive; the narrowing and widening curves gave the sense of invisibly closing in as he walked, the air remaining neutral as if passed through ultra-fine filters, and yet a sweet, swooning undertone still clung to his skin from deep within.
The end of the corridor was nowhere in sight. It felt as if he were walking inside a circle, one he could never reach the end of no matter how far he went. On either side, flawlessly integrated into the walls, stood a numberless array of matte black doors like those in the Starting Chamber; each a silent invitation opening onto another possibility, test, or trap.
Robert paused for a moment. Berilda's last words echoed in his mind: "If you fail to complete the tasks in time… you die." This pink paradise was in truth a hell with teeth. The light gray jumpsuit on his body felt less like protection now and more like a victim's uniform. He checked his mental interface; the seventy-two-hour countdown kept ticking mercilessly on.
He drew a deep breath. The cold knot in his stomach remained, yet his old engineer's curiosity had begun to flow into his veins: he liked games whose rules could be solved, and this was a game.
As he moved on with tentative steps, the muffled sound his shoes made on the pink floor only weighed the sterile silence down further. Soon after, beyond the bend ahead, he noticed movement—there was someone else.
He slowed, sheltering in the corridor's curve to observe. The figure was female, roughly Robert's height. She wore a narrow, pleated skirt of vivid amethyst purple ending just above the knees, and a sleeveless, V-neck blouse of the same hue that traced her form. Most striking were her shoulder-length, straight-cut, gleaming golden hair; its brightness carved a stark contrast against the pink walls and purple fabric. In her right hand she carried a small object resembling an old-fashioned brown leather doctor's bag.
Her posture was erect, her expression neutral; she walked as if toward a specific destination, without delay yet without haste. In this calm there was a scent of protocol—colder, unlike Berilda's manufactured warmth.
Robert hesitated. His task was to raise his relationship level to seven with five different females; the figure before him was a potential target. But what if it was a trap? How was he to distinguish what was real and what was contrived in this palace?
Time was flowing against him; he took the risk. He stepped out from cover and walked toward the woman. As the distance closed, details clarified: her skin was pale, almost white; her eyes seemed closed, or perhaps merely downcast; there was no clear trace of emotion on her face.
"Hello?" Robert called; his voice echoed among the pink curves.
The woman turned toward the source of the sound. The turn was not fluid; it was as if tiny gears in her neck were locking in sequence, faint clicks shifting invisibly. When Robert met her eyes, a fine shiver ran through him: a pale, almost colorless gray… an expressionless pair of eyes looking out from behind glass.
"May I help you?" the woman said. Her voice was not melodic like Berilda's; it was flat, emotion-pared, each syllable in the same emphasis—a machine's speech.
Robert was taken aback for a moment but recovered. "I'm Robert," he said, extending his hand. "I'm new to the corridor. I thought I'd lost my way."
The woman did not look at the offered hand. Her eyes scanned Robert's face. "I am Eleni. You have not lost your way. The corridor has no end. There are only destinations."
Robert slowly lowered his hand. A profile utterly unlike Berilda. "Pleased to meet you, Eleni."
DING!
[+50 Player Experience Points Earned! (Level 1: 100/300)] [Relationship with Eleni Increased: 1 / 10] [New Actions Unlocked: Give Gift, Comprehensive Conversation]
The notification eased Robert a little; at least the system was working. Eleni's strangeness might simply be part of her character.
"'Give Gift…'" Robert probed his inventory in his mind: it was empty. Other than the crystal flower he had given Berilda, he had nothing. "I'm sorry, I have no gift to give you."
Eleni remained unreactive. "Gifts do not constitute the basis of a relationship. Words do. Comprehensive Conversation action is active. I can listen to your story."
After a brief silence, Robert nodded to the mechanical invitation. "Very well, then… From my own world—one night before I was sent here." His eyes fixed on a point in the pink wall's curve. "It was a night of violent storms. The windows shuddered as if about to shatter while I hunched over my desk, trying to finish the final drawings of the device. A rig to harvest energy from hyper-powerful air currents like hurricanes and tornadoes… Counter-rotating twin turbines meant to swallow the vortex and gather torque from two directions. I had designed a control loop that adjusted the blade pitch in microsecond intervals; answering the aggression of the flow with teeth of my own… Outside, thunder rolled; inside, the millimetric lines had to hold steady at the tip of the pen. In that moment, the rumble of the storm and the desk's vibration merged into one sound—and as I lost myself in the equations, I let the storm pull me into its cycle as well."
Eleni listened. There was no flicker on her face, but when he finished, Robert caught a micrometric inclination of the head: a sign of "received."
"And you?" Robert said. "What is your story, Eleni? What do you carry in the bag?"
Eleni spoke after a brief pause: "I am a Collector. I find lost memories, classify them, store them. The bag is for what I find." The sentences were still orderly and monotone; yet the choice of words seemed to lay the weight of a past in the proper places. A fine chill walked up the nape of Robert's neck: if this was merely a simulation, where did a sense of past this detailed come from?
"Whose memories?" he asked.
Eleni fixed her gaze on the curve of the pink wall: "The foul memories of a male being. One who inflicted systematic torture on a female being, multiplying grief in wave after wave. The record is fragmented; smell—metal and damp—strong; sounds are muffled. I pulled the memory out. The void it left behind took a long time to dry."
Her words were cold, yet the imagery was all too vivid. In Robert's mind the boundary between reality and simulation cracked: such detail was either a very well-written script or the echo of a pain truly lived somewhere.
DING!
[+100 Player Experience Points Earned! (Level 1: 200/300)] [Relationship with Eleni Increased: 2 / 10] [New Actions Unlocked: Holding Hands]
"'Holding Hands' action is active," Eleni said, as if announcing a procedure. "Would you like to try?"
Robert nodded and offered his hand. Eleni took it without hesitation. Her palm was cool; the surface smooth, yet as if a very thin metallic film lay beneath. Without letting go, Robert studied her closely: the golden hair, not a single strand out of place; no wrinkle in the purple fabric; the facial lines fixed, the gray eyes empty. Still he searched for a flicker. He found none.
As he kept holding her hand, his thumb stroked her wrist, then a little higher along her forearm. The skin gave no response; no shiver, no tightening. It was as if he were touching not a living person but a perfectly crafted mannequin. His gaze dipped for an instant to the legs, to the fold of the tight purple skirt, then back to the hairline and those vacant eyes.
DING!
[+150 Player Experience Points Earned! (Level 1: 350/300 -> Level 2: 50/400)] [Relationship with Eleni Increased: 3 / 10] [New Actions Unlocked: Dance, Hug]
"'Dancing' and 'Hugging' actions have been activated," Eleni said in her monotone voice. "Which would you prefer?"
Robert wanted to solve the mystery of the woman before him. Hugging meant closer contact. "Let's hug," he said.
Eleni attached the bag in her hand to the thin belt at her waist with a movement that seemed pre-programmed. Then she opened her arms. Robert took a step toward her and wrapped his arms around her slender body. It wasn't cold and hard as he expected. It was surprisingly soft. Yet still... artificial. It felt like hugging a doll stuffed with cotton.
When they pulled away, the same empty expression still hung on Eleni's face. "We can hug again," she said, sounding less like she was making an offer and more like she was stating a fact. "Repeated actions reinforce the relationship level."
Although uncomfortable with this mechanical intimacy, Robert had to complete the mission. He hugged her again. This time, he pulled her tighter against himself, trying to lightly brush his legs against hers. Eleni remained unresponsive.
DING!
> [+200 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: 250/400)]
> [Relationship Level with Eleni Increased: 4 / 10]
> [New Actions Unlocked: Advanced Gift (Locked), Action Moves (Dance Figures)]
>
"Level 4," Eleni said. "We can dance now. Which dance do you prefer?"
Robert opened the menu in his mind. He wanted to try a different strategy. Perhaps movement could crack this mechanical shell. "Waltz," he said.
Music suddenly began to play in the corridor. The melody was different from the passionate tango he had shared with Berilda; it was a slower, more elegant, classical waltz. Eleni instantly took position like a professional dancer. When Robert placed his hand on her waist, he felt that her slender waist was surprisingly hard.
They began to dance. Robert knew the steps from his experience with Berilda. However, leading Eleni was not like leading Berilda. Eleni followed perfectly; every step was flawless. But... it was soulless. It was as if she were a programmed robot.
Robert spun her around, and they glided down the corridor. When one of the dance's pivotal moments arrived, he dipped his partner slightly backward. Eleni's body tilted at a perfect angle. However, the tight purple skirt did not allow for this movement. The fabric stretched and bunched up just above her knees. Robert instinctively forced her a little further to complete the move. A faint tearing sound came from the seams of the skirt, but there was no sign of pain or discomfort on Eleni's face. She simply looked at Robert with empty, grey eyes.
Robert straightened her up again. The dance was not a passionate union, but the synchronized movement of two machines. Yet Robert did not let go. He pulled her tighter, brought his face close to her hair, and tried to catch the scent of that artificial blondness. There was no scent. With the steps of the waltz, he led her back and forth through the corridor, spun her, and tried to lift her (Eleni was surprisingly light). Every movement, every contact caused points to flow in the interface. And Robert focused on that flow of points. Perhaps that was the secret of the palace; to follow the mechanics, not the emotions.
The music continued. Robert did not let go of Eleni. He kept spinning her like a puppet in that pink corridor to the monotone rhythm. The points were flowing. But a cold void was growing inside Robert; would the price of victory be losing his humanity?
As the final notes of the waltz slowly melted into the artificial silence of the pink corridor, Robert was still holding Eleni in his arms. The dance was over, but he hadn't let go. His body was perhaps too close to Eleni's surprisingly light yet rigid frame. His fingers, wrapped around her waist, could feel the bony structure beneath the purple fabric. The proximity went beyond what the dance required; without realizing it, Robert was searching for a sign of life, a reaction beneath this mechanical shell.
Eleni's face was expressionless as always. Her pale grey eyes were fixed on the endless pink of the corridor over Robert's shoulder. She didn't seem to perceive that the music had stopped or that the dance had ended. She was just waiting. For the next command, the next step...
DING!
> [+450 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 2: 700/400 -> Level 3: 300/500)]
> [Relationship Level with Eleni Increased: 5 / 10]
>
"Level 5," Eleni's monotone voice said, pulling Robert out of his thoughts. "We have reached the halfway point of the relationship. The efficiency rate is within expectations."
Robert let her go slowly. The word "efficiency" chilled him. "Wonderful," he said, making no attempt to hide the sarcasm in his voice. "So we are halfway there."
"The hugging action is still active," Eleni said. "Repeating it may reinforce the relationship level and provide additional experience points."
Despite the mechanical invitation, Robert felt a strange urge inside him. He wanted to push this woman's boundaries. "Alright," he said. "But this time, let's hug differently."
There was still no reaction on Eleni's face. "The system allows for different hugging models. Please specify or execute the desired model."
Robert took a step toward her. In his move, he didn't just wrap her in his arms; he placed one hand on her waist and the other on the middle of her back, pulling her toward him. At the same time, he shifted his body slightly sideways, guiding her toward the pink wall behind her. Eleni responded to the guidance with perfect compliance, stepping backward until her back touched the wall.
Robert pinned her against the wall. He leaned his body slightly over hers. He placed his legs between hers, their knees touching. The position felt less like a hug and more like an interrogation, an act of establishing dominance. His face was only inches away from Eleni's. He looked into those pale grey eyes. They were still empty.
But something was different. When Eleni's arms wrapped around Robert's back, her grip was... tighter than before. It was as if there was an instinctive grasp in her movement, beyond a programmed protocol. The force of the hug had increased.
+5 XP, +7 XP, +8 XP... The points continued to flow.
Feeling the increased force, Robert pushed the boundaries a little further. With his free hand, he touched the flawless purple blouse Eleni was wearing. The texture of the fabric was smooth and cool. He slid his fingers down from her shoulder, over her collarbone, toward where her breasts began. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the first hint of fullness beneath the blouse...
ZZZT!
Again, the invisible wall. Again, the momentary flash of a blue, hexagonal shield. And the annoying warning on the interface:
> [SYSTEM ERROR! YOU DO NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED RELATIONSHIP LEVEL (Level 8 Required)!]
>
Robert pulled his hand back with a grunt. This artificial guardianship of morality was starting to annoy him. But he didn't give up. Instead of retreating, he opened the dance menu again.
"I suppose," he said, his voice low and provocative. "We need to warm up a little more."
He scrolled through the list. His eye caught the option "Passionate Rumba". Its definition read: "An intimate Latin dance based on close contact, friction, and seductive movements." He selected it.
The atmosphere of the corridor changed instantly. The elegant waltz music was gone, replaced by a sensual Rumba music dominated by congas and guitars; slower, more rhythmic, emphasizing hip movements. The pink lights dimmed, giving way to warmer, more intimate gold and orange tones.
Eleni's posture changed once again. The mechanical stiffness was replaced by a surprisingly fluid, supple readiness. Her body began to sway slightly with the rhythm of the music.
Robert placed his hand on her waist again. This time tighter, more assertive. With his other hand, he grasped Eleni's hand. And the dance began.
It was completely different from the distant elegance of the waltz. This was a conversation of bodies. Robert pulled Eleni close, their hips touching. Their steps were slow, dragging. As Robert guided her, Eleni followed perfectly, but this time adding a seemingly instinctive suppleness to her movements, beyond programmed perfection.
Robert spun her slowly. His hand slid down her back to where the tight purple skirt began. His fingertips felt the hard but shapely curve of her hip. Eleni's breath quickened slightly for the first time.
It was like they were in a slow-motion scene. The smooth fabric of Robert's grey jumpsuit rubbed against the more textured surface of Eleni's purple blouse, creating a soft rustling sound between them. Robert's hand gripped Eleni's waist tightly, his thumb pressed into her skin. Eleni's hand was on Robert's shoulder; her fingers buried slightly into his muscles as if seeking support. Their legs constantly intertwined with the steps, thighs rubbing against each other. The tight skirt rode up with Eleni's hip movements, revealing more of her legs.
With the rhythm of the music, Robert pulled her even closer. Their chests touched. Robert could feel the fullness, the firmness of her breasts beneath the thin fabric of the blouse. Eleni's head had fallen back slightly. Her eyes were closed. Rapid, vibrating movements could be distinguished beneath those pale grey eyelids. As if she were dreaming.
Robert seized the moment. As if part of the dance, he slid the hand on her waist slowly upward. Over her ribs, to her side, and from there... onto her breast.
This time there was no wall. No obstacle.
DING! DING!
> [+1000 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 4: 1250/600 -> Level 5: 650/700 -> Level 6: -50 -> Level 7: 650 / 800)]
> [Relationship Level with Eleni Increased: 8 / 10]
> [New Actions Unlocked: Sensitive Touch (Breasts - Over Clothes)]
>
Level 8. The lock was opened.
Robert did not stop the dance. Continuing to move with the slow, sensual rhythm of the music, he began to run his hand over Eleni's breast. He cupped the full, round shape over the fabric. With his thumb, he found the hard point at its peak and pressed lightly, rubbing in circles. With his other hand, he grasped her other breast, squeezing gently.
Eleni let out a muffled, shaky breath. Her eyes snapped open.
And Robert held his breath.
Her eyes... were no longer grey.
Into that pale, empty grey color, a vivid, bright blue color had seeped, spreading outward from the center. It was as if the surface of a frozen lake had cracked, revealing the deep, living water beneath. It wasn't a complete color change. The greyness was still there, at the edges. But in the center, there was life. There was emotion.
And those eyes were looking at Robert with surprise, curiosity, and perhaps... fear.
Robert didn't remove his hand from her breast. On the contrary, he continued to stroke and squeeze more boldly over the fabric. And at every point he touched, the reality of Eleni's body surprised him. It wasn't the stuffing of a doll. It was a warm, living, responsive body. Her muscles contracted, her skin shivered, her breathing accelerated.
Was this woman... this mechanical shell... waking up?
Robert's fingers were still on Eleni's breast. The warmth, the fullness, the slight trembling beneath the fabric... This wasn't a reaction a machine could give. And her eyes... That vivid, bright blue sprouting from the center of that pale, empty greyness... This couldn't be a protocol error. This was an awakening.
In shock, Robert pulled his hand back quickly. He felt as if he had touched something forbidden, awakened a sleeping giant. Eleni's breathing was still fast, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Those newly awakened blue eyes were fixed on Robert; in them was an expression that hadn't been there before: Pure, unfiltered astonishment. As if she were seeing the world for the first time.
Just then, Robert snapped his fingers and the interface before his eyes came to life. He had missed the notifications during the dance. Looking back, he saw the rapid rise from Level 5 to Level 8. And he noticed the lock unlocked at Level 7: [New Actions Unlocked: Kissing]. He had skipped this. He hadn't even noticed it in the midst of the intensity.
He checked the mission progress. [MISSION 1: FIRST STEPS - Progress: 1/5 (Eleni - Level 8)]. Time remaining: 70 hours left. At least he had made some progress.
Then he entered the 'Friends' menu. Beside Berilda's profile, there was now an empty slot for Eleni. He selected 'Add Friend' and took out his Zel device. Eleni was still looking at him with that mixture of surprise and slight fear. "Would you hold your Zel towards me?" Robert asked, his voice soft.
Eleni pointed the device at him with mechanical obedience. Eleni's information appeared on Robert's Zel screen. Her profile picture was her expressionless, grey-eyed self; this must be the system's standard image. Below it was the information: "Name: Eleni. Level: ??. Type: Collector." Robert confirmed the friend request, and Eleni's profile picture settled as a permanent icon below Berilda's.
Robert put the Zel device in his pocket and looked at Eleni again. The blue color was still there, perhaps slightly faded, but not gone. "You..." Robert began, his voice filled with amazement. "You don't have a soul, do you? That's what you told me."
The new expression in Eleni's eyes disappeared for a moment. She returned to that monotony, but not completely. It was as if she were trying to return to an old program but couldn't quite manage it. "No," she said, her voice still mechanical but with a faint tremor in it. "I am... an artificial intelligence. A servant of this tower."
"But... your body," Robert said, involuntarily taking a step closer. "Your touch... your breath... Even your eyes changed color. How is this possible?"
He raised his hand, wanting to touch her face again, but hesitated. Eleni saw his hesitation. "I possess a biological and synthetic structure designed to maximize user experience within system parameters," she explained, sounding like she was reading a memorized text. "Sensory feedback is simulated to increase realism." But as she spoke, Robert saw her cheeks blush slightly. Or perhaps it was just a trick of the pink light.
Robert studied her silently for a while. Her flawless golden blonde hair, her pale smooth skin, her grey eyes now carrying blue glimmers... The elegant curve of her exposed shoulder, her slender waist visible beneath the purple blouse... Every detail was like a work of art. But at the same time, frighteningly real.
"May I touch?" Robert asked in a whisper.
Eleni paused for a moment. As if there was no answer to this question in her protocols. Then, she nodded slightly.
Robert raised his hand slowly and touched Eleni's cheek with his fingertips. The warmth of her skin was normal. Then he moved his hand to her hair. It was silky, soft. He touched her shoulder. He felt the slight tension of her muscles. This wasn't a machine. It was alive. Or at least, a perfect imitation of life.
Eleni continued to speak constantly as Robert examined her. Explaining the rules of the system, the purpose of the Tower (as far as she knew), what it meant to be a 'Collector'... Her voice was monotone, but what she described only increased Robert's curiosity.
Finally, Robert made his decision. The only way to find the truth behind this artificiality was to use the system itself. He opened the interface. He selected the 'Kissing' action. This time, he looked for a simpler, less threatening option. "Standard Long-Lasting Kiss."
When Eleni understood Robert's intention, she stopped speaking. Her stance changed. She entered that programmed expectation mode again. The blue glimmer in her eyes seemed to flicker for a moment.
Robert moved toward her. As his face got closer to hers, he caught a faint, metallic scent beneath that artificial strawberry smell that he hadn't noticed before. He closed his eyes and joined his lips with hers.
The first contact was shocking.
Her lips were soft and full like Berilda's. But their warmth... was less. It was like touching cool marble. But then, with the pressure of Robert's lips, that coolness vanished, giving way to normal body heat. And the wetness... That was what surprised Robert the most. Her saliva was real. When her tongue hesitantly touched Robert's, the movement of that muscular, living organ was a flawless imitation.
Robert tried to give himself over to the sensation. This "standard" kiss was far from passion. It was more like the first, exploratory kiss of two strangers. Slow, gentle, questioning. But its reality was boggling Robert's mind. How could an artificial intelligence be this... alive?
As the kiss continued, Robert grew bolder. He deepened the kiss, using his tongue more actively. Eleni responded perfectly to his every move. It was as if she were reading Robert's mind, predicting his next move.
Points were flowing slowly but steadily. They were approaching Level 9.
When they pulled away, both of their breaths had quickened slightly. Eleni's lips were slightly swollen and reddened from the kiss. The blue color in her eyes was now more distinct.
"I am requesting to kiss again," Eleni said, her voice still monotone, but Robert felt a new emotion – perhaps curiosity – vibrating beneath the words.
Robert entered the menu. This time, he examined the more passionate options. "French Kiss (Aggressive)", "Biting Kiss", "Thigh Contact Passionate Kiss"... He chose the last one.
The music changed again. It was a slower, more blues-style, seductive melody dominated by a saxophone. Robert pulled Eleni to him again. But this wasn't like the waltz or the rumba. This was a free dance with no rules. Their bodies rubbed against each other, Robert's hand sliding toward that forbidden zone again, the hem of her skirt. When their lips met again, it was no longer an exploration, but a claim. They kissed harder, more demandingly. Robert spun her around, suddenly stopped and latched onto her lips, sucking her lower lip slightly, then continued the dance. Eleni responded to every move with surprising compliance and increasing desire. That mechanical shell was slowly melting, revealing the potential beneath.
DING!
> [+1500 Player Experience Points Gained! (Level 8: 2150/900 -> Level 9: 1250/1000 -> Level 9: 250/ ???)]
> [Relationship Level with Eleni Increased: 9 / 10]
> [New Lock Opened: Wordless Freedom]
>
The notification on the interface stopped Robert. Level 9. And the newly unlocked feature... "Wordless Freedom: The freedom to do anything desired without asking."
This changed the rules of the game.
Robert took a step back. He looked at Eleni. He looked her up and down. Those golden blonde hair, those grey eyes now full of blue glimmers, that purple dress, that tight, pleated skirt...
He closed the interface in his mind. He no longer needed commands.
Slowly, he moved behind Eleni. Eleni waited, slightly tense, trying to understand what he would do. Robert placed his hands on her waist. Then, he buried his face in that golden blonde hair. It had no scent. But the texture was real. He slid his hands down from her waist, onto that tight, pleated skirt. He grasped the fabric, caressing the pleats with his fingers. He pressed his body against hers from behind, rubbing his hip against hers.
Eleni's body tensed at this unexpected, unauthorized contact. But Robert didn't stop. He lifted his head and pressed his lips to her neck, to that sensitive spot. He kissed, he sucked. A muffled breath escaped Eleni's lips.
Robert's hands climbed up again. He noticed the small, brown bag at her waist. He grabbed the bag furiously, took the leather between his teeth, bit it, kissed it. As if he wanted to forcibly extract the "lost memories" inside. Then he buried his face in Eleni's back again, into that purple blouse. He kissed the fabric, licked it, tried to smell it.
Then, he moved to her legs. He dropped to his knees. He ran his hands over Eleni's bare calves. He stroked that smooth, cool skin. He bowed his head, pressed his lips just below her kneecap.
"Not my clothes," whispered Eleni's voice. It was trembling. "Kiss... me."
Robert raised his head. There was no longer just surprise on Eleni's face. There was fear, desire, and most importantly, a plea.
Robert stood up. And he gave her the hardest, most uncontrolled kiss up to that moment. He latched onto her lips, pulled her to him, pushed her against the wall.
But Eleni didn't pull back this time. On the contrary, she responded with the same hardness, the same lack of control. Her arms wrapped around Robert's neck, her nails dug into his back. Her lips crushed Robert's, her tongue invading his. This wasn't a kiss, it was a war. A struggle for dominance.
They pushed each other away quickly, then pulled each other back. Their lips parted, then joined again with greater hunger. Robert slammed her against the wall, Eleni tried to pull him to the floor. This flirtatious but rough activity was a wild dance in the artificial calm of the corridor.
Then, both of them made a final, decisive move toward each other at the same time. Looking into each other's eyes, they lunged with all their might to join their lips.
CRACK!
Not their lips, but their teeth met. It was a hard, painful collision. Both pulled back in pain. Robert tasted the metallic flavor of blood seeping from the corner of his lip. Eleni's flawless red lip was also split, and a thin line of blood was flowing from there too.
In that moment, in that moment of pain, the blue color in Eleni's eyes swallowed all the greyness. Her eyes were now a completely vivid, bright blue. And in those blue eyes, there was a pure, unadulterated emotion: Fear.
"What... what have I done?" she whispered, her voice no longer monotone, but trembling and human. She touched her wounded lip. Her eyes locked onto Robert's bleeding lip, then onto the blood on her own finger. "Real... This is real..."
And then, she lost consciousness. The slender body slumped into Robert's arms like a lifeless puppet.
"System Reactivating..."
When that metallic, emotionless voice echoed not in his ears but directly inside his mind, he felt as if a cold knife had sliced his brain in two. In his arms, Eleni's body, which had lost consciousness seconds ago, trembled slightly. As Robert looked on in astonishment, Eleni slowly opened her eyes.
The blueness... was gone.
Her eyes had turned back to that pale, empty, expressionless grey color, just like the moment they first met. The fear, astonishment, and human fragility on her face were wiped away, replaced once again by that flawless porcelain doll mask. Her split lip... had healed. There wasn't a single drop of blood on it. It was as if that wild, uncontrolled moment had never happened.
Realizing she was in Robert's arms, Eleni pulled back with a mechanical movement. She straightened her clothes, tugged at the tight purple skirt. She looked at Robert. "Is there a problem, Robert? Why have we stopped?" Her voice was in that monotone, emotionless tone again.
Robert's breath hitched. "Just now..." he asked, his voice trembling with disbelief. "What did you say? Your eyes... your blood..."
Eleni tilted her head slightly to the side. As if Robert were speaking a language she didn't understand. "What did I say? I have not recorded any abnormalities. System parameters appear stable. Did an error occur during the dance?"
In that moment, Robert understood the cruelty and seriousness of the system in all its nakedness. It wasn't just a game. It was a mechanism that tested souls, broke them, and then reset them as if nothing happened. Eleni's momentary awakening, that human spark... was perhaps just a system error. Or worse; it was an illusion deliberately created by the system, designed to pull Robert even deeper. What was a structure capable of mimicking even blood... capable of?
"Okay," Robert said, a new, cold acceptance in his voice. "No problem. I just... thought I lost my balance for a moment."
He reopened the interface in his mind. He was very close to Level 9. But in that moment, points or levels no longer mattered. He had to complete the mission. He had to get out of this pink hell. He didn't know if Eleni's momentary awakening was real or a trap. But if it was real, there could be other souls trapped inside this system. That thought gave him a new motivation.
He looked at Eleni, at those empty grey eyes. "Can you walk?" he asked.
"Certainly," Eleni said. "My functions are at optimal levels."
Eleni began to walk slowly down the corridor. As Robert followed her, his eyes involuntarily focused on her legs. That tight purple skirt rode up slightly with every step, revealing her smooth white skin. Robert remembered that wild moment from just before, the seconds where the skirt melted away in his mouth. A corner of his mind was still under the influence of the protocol.
When Eleni stepped forward with her left leg, catching that brief moment where the skirt lifted the most, Robert succumbed to his instincts. He lunged forward quickly, dropped to his knees; he pressed his face against both the purple fabric of the skirt and the bare leg beneath it. He kissed and sucked insatiably. The slight sweetness of the fabric and the cool but lively texture of the skin... Both were under his tongue at the same time.
+50 XP... +60 XP... +70 XP... Points were flowing rapidly.
Eleni paused at this sudden attack but did not resist. She just stood there, watching Robert's strange, worship-like action expressionlessly.
Robert pulled back a few seconds later. He looked at the interface. He had reached 20% of Level 9. He could do more, but something inside stopped him. It didn't feel right. This was just manipulating the system. It was like betraying Eleni's momentary awakening.
He stood up. Looked at Eleni. "I have to go," he said.
"Understood," Eleni said. "I will keep your memories safe until our next encounter." She bowed her head slightly and walked away in the direction she came from, with the same monotonous steps.
Robert watched her back for a while. Then he turned and continued down the corridor. In his mind was the blue glimmer in Eleni's eyes and the single question she had asked: Was it real?