“Wait, was Richard hurt?”
I leaned in without thinking, trying to get a closer look at the dark stain on his clothes, but before I could figure it out, Coco popped up out of nowhere and grabbed my hand.
104 Wed, Dec
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“Sis! I want candy, too!” she chirped, tugging at me with an eager smile.
I paused, confused. Why didn’t she just ask Richard? But she looked so excited, I didn’t
think much of it and handed her a piece.
By the time I turned back, Richard was gone.
I frowned, glancing around. “Where’s Richard?”
Michael stepped forward, calm as ever. His hand rested lightly on my shoulder as he
gently steered me toward the house.
“He’s tired,” Michael said smoothly, his tone as steady as it always was. “He went to rest.
It’s getting late–we should eat.”
I hesitated, glancing back over my shoulder. Something about it felt… off. How could Richard disappear so quickly if he was tired?
Still, I didn’t push it.
The days blurred together after that.
At first, being here was fun. Peaceful, even. But after a while, I started to feel restless.
No phone. No internet. No TV. Nothing to connect me to the outside world.
It was just me, Michael, and Coco. Every day. Sure, they made it fun–Coco’s endless energy kept things lively, and Michael always seemed to know how to keep the mood light- but something about it all felt… strange.
This morning, after breakfast, I finally said something.
“I think I want to go out for a bit.”
Coco froze mid–bite. Her chopsticks slipped from her hand, clattering onto the table. She looked up at me, her usual bright smile faltering just a little.
“Why would Sis want to go out?” she asked, her voice sing–song but a little too forced.
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“Isn’t it fun here with us?”
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Before I could answer, she reached across the table and grabbed my hand, her crescent–moon eyes sparkling as if nothing was wrong. “How about this? Coco and Sis can
go fishing today! We can make a hot pot for dinner, okay?”
She was trying so hard to distract me, but my attention had already shifted.
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There was a fresh scratch on her chest–a thin, red line that definitely wasn’t there
yesterday.
I frowned. “Coco, what happened to your chest?”
Her eyes flicked away, and for the first time, I saw her hesitate. “Oh, this?” she said quickly, her voice just a little too high–pitched. “It’s nothing! I tripped and scratched myself,
that’s all!”
Before I could say anything, she suddenly pulled out a small bouquet of flowers from behind her back, holding them out to me with a bright, innocent grin.
“I picked these for you, Sis! I got a little scratched up while I was gathering them, but it’s fine, right? You’re not mad, are you?”
She looked so sweet, so perfect. But I could feel it in my gut–she was lying.
I reached out and rested a hand on her head, my voice soft but firm. “Coco, why are you
lying to me?”
Her smile wavered, and she bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I’m not lying, Sis!
I’d never lie to you!”
My frown deepened. “Still lying. No trip would leave a scratch like that: Coco, what aren’t you telling me?”
Her whole body seemed to shrink under my gaze. She trembled, her eyes darting around
as she stammered, “I… I…
Before she could finish, a hand reached out and pulled her behind him.
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Michael stepped between us, calm and composed as always. He handed me a cup of tea, his expression soft and reassuring.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said smoothly. “Coco’s just being her usual playful self. She didn’t mean any harm.“”
He sat down across from me, his voice casual as he continued. “Yesterday, I gave her some homework–wood carving practice. She must’ve dozed off while working on it and accidentally scratched herself. That’s all.”
Coco peeked out from behind him, nodding vigorously. “Yeah! That’s it! I didn’t want to tell Sis because I was scared you’d scold me!”
I looked between the two of them, my suspicion lingering like a shadow. “… Really?”
Michael’s gaze flicked to Coco, and for a brief moment, a faint smile tugged at the corner
of his lips.
Coco took a few steps forward, grabbing my hand tightly. “It’s true, Sis! Don’t you trust
me? Or Michael?”
I turned my attention back to him. His face was as calm and steady as ever, his smile warm and reassuring.
Michael never lied. He was the most honest person I knew. If he said it was nothing, then maybe I was just overthinking it.
The tension in my chest eased, and I let out a soft sigh. “Alright. I’ll believe you.”
Michael’s smile widened just a little. “Good. You’ve been stuck in this courtyard for too long. How about I take you out for a walk today?”
“Really?” My mood instantly lifted. “Yes! Let me grab my things!”
We hadn’t even made it past the courtyard gate when a familiar voice called out to me.
“Hey, Ms. Handsome! You’re here!”
I turned, startled, and saw a woman waving at me.
21:05 Wed, Dec 11
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“Eliza-” I started, but she cut me off with a bright smile.
“Ms. Handsome! Back again, huh?”
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
Sword World was a high–freedom martial arts game designed to feel like a living, breathing world. The NPCs weren’t just lifeless characters–they had personalities, routines, and Al–driven dialogue that adapted to player behavior.
Elizabeth, the woman standing in front of me, was one of them. In the game, she had several unique dialogue responses for different situations. She was dynamic and flexible- her reactions always felt real.
But now?
Now, she sounded flat. Repetitive.
It didn’t make sense.
Michael and Coco had become so much more than NPCs. They were practically alive, with their own thoughts, emotions, and awareness.
So why did Elizabeth feel… less?
Something wasn’t adding up.
9
“Elizabeth, did you forget to take your medicine again? Is your memory acting up?”
Elizabeth froze at my words. For a moment, her face was blank, like she was struggling to process what I’d said. Then, all at once, her expression cleared, and she nodded quickly as if a lightbulb had gone off.
“Oh! Oh, that’s right! I forgot to take it. Thank you, Michael, for reminding me!”
I glanced at Michael. He looked as composed as ever, the same calm, steady presence
Tho alwave was When be outload
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