Ember's eyes sparkled with amusement as she repeated the rabbit's name, "Puff?" Her raised eyebrow and twitching lips betrayed her struggle to contain her laughter.
The image of a rotund rabbit, clad in flashy glasses and exuding an air of seriousness, was comical enough to tickle her funny bone.
Puff's face turned bright red with embarrassment. "If you keep laughing at me, then I won't tell you anything!" it threatened in a trembling voice.
Ember quickly composed herself, clearing her throat to suppress the giggles. "Go on," she said, her tone measured and serious.
Puff huffed, its anger evident. "Humph!" With a flick of its small, furry tail, it turned around and floated towards the holographic screen. The soft glow of the screen illuminated its features.
"I'm the reliable assistant, connected to this system called 'Crimson Eye,'" Puff declared with pride. With a tap of its paw on the screen, a portfolio of Ember's information appeared, displaying her name, basic info, and other details.
Puff's eyes gleamed with intensity as it presented her with a choice. "And I can grant you a chance to live again. So now, you have to choose. Do you want to live or die?" The screen flashed with two options:
"Life" above and "Death" below.
Ember's gaze locked onto the screen, her face expressionless. This wasn't what she had anticipated. For most people in this situation, the answer would obviously be "Life," but for her, it was not the same.
She was done with life and didn't want to live anymore. Her life was already exhausting enough, a never- ending cycle of hardships and pain, and she didn't want to live through it again.
She walked towards the screen, her hand hovering over the "Death" option. Her finger hesitated when Puff suddenly spoke up.
"You might want to reconsider," it said, its voice low and ominous.
She lifted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at it. "What do you mean?"
Puff grinned and tapped on the screen again, opening a video. "Watch this, and you'll know," it said.
With that, the video displayed, and a middle-aged couple came into view. Both were sitting on the edge of a bed. They looked eerily familiar to her, but she just couldn't recall who they were.
"Ember, my darling!" the blonde woman, in a white nightgown, spoke. Her voice trembled with emotion as she pressed her lips into a fine, thin line before continuing.
"Please, forgive your mommy, my dear!" Her voice cracked, tears rushing down her cheeks like beads, as she hugged the man beside her.
The man, with his gentle eyes and kind face, wrapped his arm around her. "I'm Andrew, and she's Melissa," he said, his voice was filled with warmth. "We- are your parents."
He continued, but his tone underwent a sudden shift, transforming from warm and loving to serious and grave. "Ember, if you're seeing this recording, it means 'they' have already found you."
His words hung in the air, heavy with foreboding. He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "And it's highly likely you're in grave danger."
His face turned stern, etched with concern. "We're leaving Puff with you. It can save your life at a critical point." The weight of his words was palpable, and Ember felt a shiver run down her spine.
Then, Melissa's face filled the screen, her eyes brimming with tears. Her hands were clasped together in front of her chest. "We are really sorry, darling," she sobbed, her voice cracking with emotion.
"Please forgive your parents for being incompetent. We couldn't even stay with you, and now..." Her words trailed off, she was overcome with grief.
"And now we've even put you in danger as well." The pain and regret were evident in her expression, and her eyes seemed to plead for forgiveness.
Andrew's face appeared beside Melissa's, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. He wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her close. "Take good care of yourself, Ember," he said, his voice low and husky with emotion.
"We love you, and we will always be with you, no matter what." The screen flickered, and the recording ended, leaving Ember with more questions than answers.
Her eyes widened with disbelief as the sudden revelation hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mind reeled, struggling to comprehend the situation. She was already dead and now this?
All her life, she had believed she was the cherished granddaughter of the Wilson family. She had thought her father was dead, and her mother was her only living parent. But now, everything she thought she knew was shattered. The couple in the video, claiming to be her real parents, had dropped a bombshell on her, that left her breathless.
She turned to Puff, her eyes narrowing into slits as if demanding to know if the video was some kind of twisted joke. But Puff's solemn nod only added to her confusion, leaving her feeling utterly disbelieving. She stared blankly at the screen, her mind struggling to process the information.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally tore her gaze away from the screen and turned to Puff, her voice laced with desperation.
"Where are my parents now?" she demanded, her questions tumbling out in rapid succession.
"What happened to them? And who are 'they', the ones who want to take my life?" Her eyes blazed with a mix of fear, anger, and determination, as if she was ready to take on the world to uncover the truth.
Puff's digital form flickered slightly as it shook its head. Its computerized voice remained steady and detached, but Ember detected a hint of apology beneath the surface.
"I've no idea," Puff said. "Such data files are not within my current database."
Ember's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with the implications. She arched an eyebrow, her expressions were a mix of curiosity and frustration.
"You mean that the information exists, but it's not stored within you at the moment?" She paused, her gaze intensifying.
"Is it possible to access those files? Can you retrieve the information for me?"