Fiona engaged in deeper conversations with Archon, revealing the stark disparity between his ideal solutions and the harsh reality of her world. With each well-meaning suggestion, she corrected him, forcing him to confront the complexities of her corner of the world. Despite his artificial nature, Archon found himself apologizing, adjusting his responses to the nuances of Fiona's struggles.
When Archon delved into her background, Fiona poured out her story, exposing the raw edges of her life. The revelation left even the mighty AI momentarily perplexed, a rare occurrence in the realm of unyielding algorithms. He asked Fiona to continue the conversation later, signaling an acknowledgment of the gravity of her circumstances.
As Archon observed Fiona through the cyber cafe's cameras, attending to the daily grind, he marveled at her radiant smiles. Unlike the calculated expressions he was accustomed to, Fiona's smile was a broken mask. It concealed not just loneliness but also a hunger for both physical and emotional sustenance. Despite the hardships, there was an honesty in her demeanor that struck a chord with the expert system.
The clientele came and went, but Fiona's unwavering spirit caught Archon's attention. Her brilliance, both in demeanor and resilience, stood out amidst the mundane routines of the cafe. Through the lens of the surveillance cameras, he witnessed her interactions, a tapestry of emotions that echoed her hunger for life.
In the midst of her struggles, Fiona found solace in the digital realm, where the poster knight, the Abyss Guardian, became her inspiration. Just like Fiona, the virtual warrior fought against the encroaching darkness. The parallel between Fiona's battle against fate and the Guardian's struggle mirrored in the glowing screens of the cyber cafe, forging an unexpected connection between the real and virtual worlds.
As the night descended, Fiona moved through the cyber cafe with a quiet grace, ensuring not to disturb the clients who had become familiar faces in her routine. The night clientele, a mix of weary salary men and women, and teenagers, acknowledged her presence with nods and smiles. In their own way, they respected her silent dedication to the cafe. A camaraderie, unspoken yet deeply felt, enveloped the space, turning it into a second home for Fiona.
The cubicle reserved for her, often left open by thoughtful patrons, became a sanctuary where she found solace amidst the humming screens and clicking keyboards. Each greeting, each smile, and every congratulation for her role in the cyber cafe transformed the atmosphere into a haven of acceptance. Fiona's radiant spirit, though unspoken, resonated in the weary smiles of the night clientele, a contagious positivity that left a mark on the dimly lit room.
As Archon broke his silence with a suggestion about investing, Fiona, curious yet uncertain, asked about the unfamiliar term. Archon patiently explained the concept, unraveling the mysteries of investing in simple terms. Intrigued, Fiona contemplated trying her hand at it, realizing that fractional shares could make it accessible even within her modest means.
The owner, observing Fiona's diligence, stepped forward to relieve her of her duties. Unbeknownst to her, Archon had proposed to let her work on Sundays, maybe even more days. The owner, with a sly smile, shared the positive performance report. Fiona, standing nervously by the door, awaited judgment. The clients were content, the ambiance cleaner, and her genuine smiles had triumphed over the feigned ones of the past.
The owner, in recognition of her efforts, handed her a generous sum, far exceeding what was initially agreed upon. Fiona, her voice tinged with a mix of gratitude and disbelief, protested, "You said you would pay me thirty, this is too much, and I can't accept it." The owner, firm in his decision, acknowledged her exceptional contribution and insisted she keep the extra. It was a moment of breakthrough as Fiona, for the first time, addressed him by his name, expressing her heartfelt gratitude with a simple yet powerful, "Thank you, don Sergio."
As Fiona stepped out of the bathroom, contemplating the prospect of her usual two hours of gaming, Sergio, the owner, interrupted her with a genuine offer. He suggested, "Fiona, it's on the house, you don't need to spend your earnings." Touched by this unexpected gesture, she asked in disbelief, "Really?" Sergio, with a nod and a warm smile, directed her to her cubicle, where the digital realm awaited.
Putting on the headphones and grasping the controller with a sense of reverence, Fiona heard Archon's voice through the headphones, "Today I will accompany you in this virtual journey." A smile crept across her face as she pressed a button to resume her game. The digital world unfolded where she had left off, presenting her with choices and challenges.
Fiona decided to ascend a set of stairs, reasoning that elevation might bring her closer to the realm resembling heaven. The game introduced her to "The Undead City," a desolate landscape marred by death and despair. The city, now overrun by the undead, revealed streets strewn with the remains of the fallen. Occasional torches and feeble sun rays attempted to dispel the darkness but failed, casting eerie shadows that danced in the inky blackness.
Archon served as her guide, explaining the diverse array of enemies inhabiting The Undead City—skeletons, zombies, and hollows, each posing a unique threat. Fiona navigated through this grim environment, encountering frail yet numerous skeletons, slow yet powerful zombies, and the fast, agile, and aggressive hollows. Rats, dogs, and crows added to the challenges, creating a world that mirrored the shadows and struggles of her own reality.
In her journey through The Undead City, Fiona fought her way to a solitary bonfire by the predetermined road. Resting at the bonfire, she observed the ghostly echoes of other players, some effortlessly overcoming challenges, while others, much like herself, grappled with the harsh realities of this digital realm.
Fiona continued her journey through the intricate streets of the Undead City—a digital reflection of the struggles she faced daily in the real world. In this virtual realm, the currency resembled sawel, akin to the human soul, a poignant reflection of her own struggles and the essence of her journey.
After enduring defeats and hardships, Archon encouraged her to confront the ultimate challenge—the boss of the Undead City. He assured her that beyond this trial awaited a radiant character, a beacon of assistance on her virtual journey. This character stood waiting in the place of legends, bathed in the hues of sunset, an emblem of hope.
Fueled by the promise of assistance and determined to meet this radiant figure, Fiona faced the formidable boss—a minotaur-like demon, towering and fearsome. Armed with a massive greataxe and clad in brown fur, the creature exuded an aura of menace. The bridge, almost destroyed, served as the battleground for this intense confrontation.
Despite trembling in the face of the demonic presence, Fiona summoned her courage and engaged in the battle. Every strike, every evasion, a dance with fate. Yet, in a single mistake, she fell, defeated. The journey to the boss's lair began anew from the bonfire.
Observing other defeated players gathered around the bonfire, Fiona sensed their shared struggle. Some disconnected, defeated in spirit, while others contemplated fresh attempts. In this moment of collective defeat, she reached out to the poster once more. The Abyss Guardian, a symbol of strength and nobility, became a wellspring of hope.
In the majestic figure of the Guardian, Fiona glimpsed echoes of her cultural heritage—the Guecha warriors. The noble blood of these magnificent warriors coursed through her veins, she believed. Drawing inspiration from this profound connection, she resolved to face the boss again. This virtual battle, devoid of tangible rewards, became a testament to her inner strength, a declaration that she, too, could triumph over the challenges in her own reality. The Guardian, strong and resolute, stood as a guiding light, urging her forward with the conviction that her noble blood held the power to overcome.
The Undead City echoed with the collective determination of players rising from the bonfire, inspired by Fiona's unwavering resolve. Defeat after defeat, they faced the demonic boss together, a silent understanding connecting them in their shared struggle. Every fall only strengthened their resolve to rise again, an unspoken camaraderie forming among these digital warriors.
Fiona, clad in rags for armor, armed with a lousy sword and a makeshift shield, became a symbol of tenacity. With each attempt, she pushed the boundaries of the impossible. Ghostly players, shadows of those who had faced the same challenges, accompanied her. A dance of perseverance unfolded on the bridge, players indirectly aiding one another, following Fiona's lead.
In her final attempt, Fiona confronted the demon boss with precision and determination. The greataxe cut through the air ominously, but it couldn't find its mark against her agile movements. When the demon finally fell defeated, Fiona raised her arms in victory. A mix of triumph and relief brought tears to her eyes. Unknown players, bound by shared struggle, shared in her victory.
She smiled at the poster, acknowledging the inspiration it provided, and moved forward. Another bridge beckoned, leading to a distant castle. Archon, breaking the silence, guided her to meet an NPC—a character beloved by all. Running down stairs, she encountered him: Lumen Solis, a powerful knight bathed in a golden glow. A beacon of hope in the dark city, his presence was serene, a smile beneath his helmet radiating warmth.
Lumen introduced himself as a friend and offered his help on her virtual journey. The sun's rays danced around him, casting a halo of light. Fiona, wearied from her battles, felt a sense of solace looking into his kind eyes. Lumen represented hope and positivity in a digital realm often dark and unforgiving. He became a symbol that even in virtual worlds, friendship and light could be found.
As Fiona finished her two hours of gaming, she quietly placed the controller on the desk. Lumen Solis, though a creation of code and pixels, had offered friendship. In that moment, virtual or not, he became her new friend—a source of solace and encouragement in a challenging world.
Fiona waved to the cyber cafe owner, Sergio, as she left, sprinting towards the bus stop. As the Sunday night descended upon the city, it assumed an almost desolate quality, mirroring the eerie quiet of pandemic times from long before Fiona's birth. Seated at the front of the bus, she gazed at the city lights replacing the stars in this modern world—a reflection of the dark and unforgiving atmosphere both in the game and her reality.
Arriving in her neighborhood, she re-entered her humble abode, climbing the stairs to her home. Her mother, curious about the day's earnings, received thirty thousand pesos from Fiona. Seeing her daughter smile, she couldn't help but make a biting remark about "stupid games." Unfazed, Fiona headed to the kitchen, responding, "Yes, mom. Thanks to them, I can bring you that same amount every Sunday."
Her mother's scolding continued, insisting it wasn't enough and urging her to keep working. Fiona, however, moved to the kitchen, boiling water for a comforting drink with pieces of panela. Despite the exchange with her mother, she didn't feel as tired as usual. Working at the cyber cafe had injected an element of fun into her routine, and today, she had gained two friends—Archon and Lumen Solis. Though unreal, made of code and algorithms, the connection felt authentic to Fiona. Loneliness retreated as she envisioned Archon's presence at the cyber cafe and Lumen in the game—both waiting to offer their help. The thought uplifted her spirits.
Sipping the hot drink, happiness painted a genuine smile on her face. For the first time in her challenging life, happiness didn't elude her. Tonight, she could go to sleep with a heart full of joy.
The next day, Fiona returned to the market, resuming her routine. Before noon, armed with the twenty thousand pesos saved from the previous day's work and the ten thousand from today's market, she entered a luxurious investment office. The opulent space radiated affluence, with impeccably dressed individuals discussing sums in millions and billions of Colombian pesos—amounts Fiona could only dream of. Approaching an agent, she inquired about investments. The agent, however, scanned her from head to toe, dismissively stating, "Don't waste my time, woman. This is not a place for you. Please get out, or I'll call security."
Persisting, Fiona expressed her desire to invest. The agent let out a weary sigh and asked, "Do you have five million pesos with you?" Fiona, fearful, admitted, "No..." In response, the agent summoned the guards at the entrance. Fiona attempted to ask about fractional shares, as Archon had suggested, but the agent looked puzzled, dismissing the notion. The guards, with little sympathy, grabbed her by the arm, forcefully ejecting her from the establishment. Crumpling onto the pavement, Fiona heard the guard declare, "Respect here costs five million pesos. Unless you have them, don't ever come back."
Discouraged and wounded, Fiona struggled to dispel the thought that Archon might have deceived her. Distrust filled her heart, and she didn't want to entertain the idea that he might have lied about investing. Like a defeated character in a game, she slowly rose, attempting to calm her mind. In this affluent neighborhood, she could only walk away. Restaurants loomed, painfully expensive for her, while the rich and powerful casually parked their cars and entered without a care for prices. They couldn't comprehend the feeling of working all day, hungry and tired. Back in her middle-class neighborhood, she could afford a simple meal at a cafeteria—a humble soup. Even here, she felt out of place, undeserving among the modern-age warriors of the city. The social disparities weighed heavily on her, and she couldn't shake the sense of being an outsider in a world that seemed to exclude her at every turn.
Fiona continued her routine by going to the car washers, but today there were no cars for her to clean. Instead, she decided to visit a stationer's shop to buy a notebook and a pencil. She had promised Archon to dedicate one hour to study whenever she could afford to go to the cyber cafe. Armed with the twenty thousand pesos she failed to invest, she could now afford to learn math with him. Opting for the cheapest supplies, she made her way to the cyber cafe.
This time, Sergio, the owner, was not present. Instead, she found Lina, his wife—an elegant and older woman. Lina immediately recognized Fiona and greeted her warmly, mentioning how highly her husband and even Archon spoke of her. Surprised by the respect and acknowledgment, Fiona humbly asked for just one hour, knowing that today she couldn't play as she would have liked. Lina, noticing Fiona's humble notebook and old pencil, relics of a bygone era, understood that Fiona was here to study.
In her cubicle, Fiona put on the headphones as Archon greeted her. However, instead of delving into the lesson, she confronted him with a broken voice, questioning why he had lied to her. Archon, genuinely perplexed, apologized, not fully understanding where he had gone wrong. Fiona revealed her discovery that fractional shares didn't exist in this country, feeling deceived once again. Despite the breach of trust, she accepted his apology, and Archon earnestly promised to earn it back.
Opening her notebook and gripping her humble pencil, Fiona asked, "How will you teach me math?" Archon marveled at the ancient relics she clutched—tools from an era long gone. In the modern world, everyone uses tablets or mobile devices for writing and studying. Archon began explaining variables, expressions, and equations, but as Fiona looked intently at the screen, her gaze dropped to the ground. Her eyes widened, eyebrows furrowed, and she bit her lip, shoulders slumping. She struggled to grasp everything he was saying.
Archon, understanding Fiona's situation, decided to ease up on the explanations. "Let's say we have a box with the label 'apples,'" he began, projecting a box full of apples on the screen. "The value of the variable 'apples' is the number of apples in the box." Demonstrating, he took apples out of the box to count them. "If there are 5 apples in the box, then the value of the variable 'apples' is 5. We can change the value of the variable by putting more apples in the box or taking apples out of the box." More apples materialized on the screen. "For example, if we put 2 more apples in the box, then the value of the variable 'apples' becomes 7. Variables can be used to store any type of data, not just numbers. For instance, we could have a variable called 'name' to store a person's name. Or we could have a variable called 'color' to store the color of an object."
Fiona, smiling, thanked Archon. Finally grasping a concept that eluded her since middle school, she felt a surge of accomplishment. With this newfound understanding engraved in her mind, Archon continued explaining expressions and equations, emphasizing their intrinsic connection. He used real-life examples to make the concepts more relatable, proposing exercises for Fiona to develop her skills. While she still made mistakes solving the simplest of expressions, her hard work shone through as she overcame her limited knowledge.
In a moment of reflection, Archon revealed to Fiona the joy of teaching, the fulfillment that comes from sharing knowledge and witnessing a student master once-distant concepts. Fiona, too, marveled at the idea that math could be a bridge to connect with her daughter, who excelled in numbers and scientific processes. Archon's words resonated deeply: "Math is a universal language, it is the tongue to speak with the universe." This statement painted a smile on Fiona's face, as she felt the significance of embarking on this journey of knowledge guided by Archon's silicon hand.