"Hmmmm. If you say so. Then what was the caressing for? I never knew that you were despicable enough to caress a nobody," Miriam sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. Her words struck Freya like a bolt of lightning, evoking a vivid and haunting image in her mind. She was left speechless, unable to answer Miriam's question.
With a malicious laughter, Miriam continued, "Too bad you can't answer, Freya! If I had gone mad enough to have someone even half as handsome as him, I would have gladly done it. But here you are, claiming to hate him. Can't you see that this is a blessing in disguise? You, who have never let any man come close to you, were suddenly whisked away by a divine being. Yet you call it madness to feel anything for him.
How I wish I were as beautiful as you are; then I would have had a long list of admirers. My goodness! I didn't know you had such high standards for your lover. I hope you get the chance to meet him one day," Miriam sneered, feigning concern.
"Yeah," Freya responded, her voice filled with determination. "I really do believe that, and I know I will meet that perfect guy someday."
"That was a close call!" Freya exclaimed breathlessly, collapsing onto her bed and staring up at the ceiling. Relief washed over her as the air became calm again. However, her mind was now occupied with the impending rumors that would surely spread throughout her school. She desperately tried to think of a solution to contain the situation.
But a nagging thought persisted, "Even if I ask Petal to delete that video, it would still be futile. How I wish there were no memory readers; it would have made everything so much easier."
As technology advanced rapidly, surpassing the achievements of previous eras, Miriam interrupted Freya's thoughts, exclaiming, "What! We're late for school!" She checked the time and urged Freya to hurry and wash up, knowing the consequences of being tardy.
Egon, on the other hand, had just finished his usual morning exercise routine. Sweat poured down his face as he jogged along the sidewalk, heading towards his house in the distance. Suddenly, the events of an hour ago flooded his mind, causing him to mutter to himself,
"Mega, you were partially amazing and partially blunt. But I still appreciate what you did. It's been a long time since I encountered an AI capable of challenging you. That AI—can't believe she had the audacity to be so harsh to my face. She's not even human; how can I expect her to have emotions?" He sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration.
"Oh, how foolish of me!" Suddenly, Mega materialized from Egon's watch and interjected, visibly enraged, "She was fortunate I didn't reveal my true nature!"
"What an arrogant woman! Does she think she owns the world? You're right, you should have shown her what you're capable of. But the circumstances were not in our favor, and I doubt we would have emerged victorious," Egon confided in Mega.
"Okay, enough about them," he concluded abruptly, wanting to shift his focus.
"Mega, what time is it?" Egon asked urgently. "It's 9 o'clock," Mega replied.
"Damn it! We're late! We need to hurry. Oh no, my uncle is going to be furious. I promised I would be back soon. I'm in big trouble. I'll probably be grounded for who knows how long," Egon panicked.
"Mega, can you open a quantum portal to our home, please?" he pleaded.
"I'm afraid that's not possible. I'm not fully charged to establish a quantum portal," Mega responded.
"Seriously? Then what were you doing all night instead of charging yourself?" Egon shouted, his face contorted in frustration as he stared at Mega.
"Well, um... it was nothing," Mega stammered, attempting to hide the truth.
"You, you fucking Robot! God only knows what you're up to!" The words rang out, filled with frustration and anger, echoing through the room. Egon took a deep breath to calm himself, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins. As he stood only 100 meters away from his house, he prepared himself mentally for the challenges that lay ahead.
His anticipation grew as he reached the path leading to his two-story apartment. Egon began tiptoeing on the street pavement, moving silently like a shadow.
He believed that if he could sneak in and out unnoticed, his uncle would have no reason to question him, and he could avoid any unwanted punishment. It seemed like the perfect plan.
Stepping into his courtyard, Egon saw the door directly facing the roadside, providing a direct entrance to his house. However, he decided against taking that route, fearing that his uncle might spot him. He whispered to his companion, Mega, sharing his alternative plan. "Mega, we won't use the hallway entrance door. Instead, we'll find a way to climb gradually to my room," he confided. Mega, the robotic assistant, offered a word of caution, reminding Egon of his uncle's background as an ex-special forces agent. Breaking into the house wouldn't be an easy task.
Egon acknowledged the risks but felt he had no other options. Turning to Mega, he requested assistance. "You're a robot, Mega. Can't you run some simulations and provide detailed information on the best possible entrance route?" he asked desperately. Mega agreed and began scanning, a visible message displayed on his LED matrix: "Scanning in progress..."
Finally, the scan completed, and Mega delivered the disappointing news. "I have run 500 simulations, and none of the outcomes were successful. You have a 0% chance of succeeding in this mission," Mega revealed. Egon's hopes were crushed. Not even a 1% chance was in his favor. But then he remembered stories of faith and the power it held. If the strongest man in the world could grow with the power of faith, maybe it could work for him too.
So, with determination in his eyes, Egon visualized the plan he had imagined. He took a step backward, gathering his strength, and then propelled himself forward, galloping lightly to avoid drawing attention. His feet landed gracefully on the paving slabs, as if defying gravity, propelling him forward.
With a burst of momentum, his right foot found its place on the windowsill, directing him toward the path of the building. He used this force to ascend upward, grabbing hold of the window's ledge. He was about to flip himself onto the ledge to maintain his balance and continue his ascent when, out of nowhere, a strong hand grasped his legs, pulling him back down to the ground.
"What the hell!" Egon groaned, clutching his now sore back.
He fell from that high point.
The fall had taken him by surprise, leaving him bewildered and unable to fathom what caused it. Mega descended toward him, his lack of surprise clear. This outcome was as expected.
Frustrated and confused, Egon turned to Mega and asked anxiously, "Why are you giving me that look?" Mega pointed behind him with his robotic arm, prompting Egon to turn his gaze. Despite the pain, Egon managed a slight movement, catching sight of his Uncle Rex.
"Uncle Rex," he uttered, paralyzed with fear. Summoning all his courage, Egon quickly attempted to stand up, pretending the fall hadn't affected him. But his face betrayed the truth, displaying the pain he felt.
Silently, Mega laughed at Egon, amused by the predicament he found himself in.
Uncle Rex broke the silence, calmly questioning Egon, "So, you were checking the security level of the place, huh? Making sure no thief could climb up to your room while you sleep?"
Egon nodded quickly, desperately trying to recover from his mistake. "Yes, Uncle Rex! It's extremely secure. Not even a rat could make its way in," he replied, hoping his explanation would suffice.
"Oh, I see. Well, thank you very much. I didn't construct this magnificent building to permit undisciplined rodents like you to roam freely." The words rolled off Uncle Rex's tongue with an air of disdain, his voice filled with righteous indignation.
Egon's heart sank as he desperately tried to explain himself. "No, Uncle! It's not what you think. Something unexpected happened, and there was a heated disagreement with a woman. It's complicated, but please, trust me." Egon hesitated, choosing his words carefully, avoiding using the term "lady."
Uncle Rex's eyes narrowed with suspicion, a smug smile curling onto his lips. "Ah, I knew it! You flirtatious fool! So it was a woman after all!" Without a moment's hesitation, Uncle Rex lunged towards Egon, his strong hands swiftly grabbing hold of Egon's ear, causing a jolt of pain to shoot through his body.
Egon winced, his palms rubbing together frantically as if trying to alleviate the discomfort. With a pleading voice, he cried out, "Uncle, please! It's not what you think. The truth is entirely different. Spare me, Uncle, I beg of you!"
Desperation seeping through his words, Egon made one last effort to defend himself. "Uncle, I promise I'll explain everything. Please, let me clarify the situation. Mega, help me!" His voice echoed with a mix of longing and distress, hoping his friend could somehow come to his aid.
Ignoring Egon's pleas, Uncle Rex firmly grasped his nephew's arm and forcefully dragged him into the house. The weight of impending punishment hung heavy in the air, leaving Egon filled with both fear and uncertainty.
Considering Uncle Rex's military background, one can only imagine the severity of Egon's punishment for his tardiness in getting to school.
What do you think would be Egon's punishment by an ex-military soldier? for not going to school early?