Puff nodded, its digital head bobbing up and down. "Yes, I can retrieve those files, but not now." It declared firmly.
Ember's restlessness grew, her desire for truth and answers burning brighter by the second. "Why not?" she pressed, her voice tinged with frustration. "What's the problem?"
Puff's expression turned solemn, its artificial red eyes gleaming with a flash of brightness. "You see, currently, I'm not my complete version," it explained in a synthetic voice that was devoid of any emotions. "I'm just a part of the original core of the system."
Ember's frown deepened, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked. "Where's the rest of the system core?" She took a step closer to Puff, her eyes locked intently on the digital creature.
Puff pushed the glasses upwards with its paws, a gesture that seemed to copy humans. Then, it turned towards the holographic screen and tapped on it. The screen flickered to life, displaying a complex analytical data that recorded the current available version of the original system.
Ember's eyes scanned the data, her mind struggling to comprehend the sheer scale of the information. Puff's voice cut through the silence, its words dropping like a bombshell.
"According to the information recorded in my data, apparently, the core technology of the system has been shattered into quite a few pieces, and those pieces have been scattered throughout multiple dimensions, across time and space."
Ember's eyes widened in shock, her voice echoing through the silence like a thunderclap. "What?!" she exclaimed, her tone a mixture of astonishment and dismay.
"If it's already broken like this, then how are we going to find it?" she demanded, her emotions running high. "Isn't it just like saying it's impossible to retrieve those files?"
Puff's remained silent, its expressions unreadable as she continued to vent her emotions. She paced back and forth, her words tumbling out in a frantic stream.
When she received no response from the rabbit, she finally paused and turned to Puff, her chest heaving with exertion. "Why aren't you saying anything?" she asked, her question tinged with accusation.
Puff's poker face never wavered. "Done?" it asked in its monotonous voice.
Ember's face flushed with realization as she understood that she had spoken too much. She clamped her mouth shut, her eyes dropping in embarrassment. She nodded curtly, seeing that Puff turned around, its paws dancing across the screen once more.
New data flashed across the screen and Puff began to explain. "I'm a part of the system, so I can detect and find those missing pieces," it said, its eyes scanning the information "But, as of now, I've only managed to find two of my pieces."
Ember frowned, her throat constricting as she swallowed hard. "Now?" she doubtfully asked, her voice was barely above a whisper. "What are we going to do?"
With a bored expression, Puff glanced at her, "What else?" it said with a casual tone, "We'll go there and retrieve those pieces."
Ember froze, shock and disbelief, written clearly on her face. She asked "You mean, 'We' are going to travel across time and space?" Her voice filled with doubts and suspicions.
Puff nodded, its gesture full of confidence. Ember's eyes narrowed, she stuttered and asked again, in a relatively low voice. "Can- Can we actually go there?"
Just the mere idea sounded unbelievable, even with advancements in science and technology, no one had ever achieved anything like that. Yet, here was this broken piece of a system claiming it could travel across dimensions, along with her. Ember was flabbergasted, but Puff's nod left her speechless.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and only said a simple, "Ok!" her disbelief visible, before falling silent.
It was again Puff's turn to explain things, its voice a steady stream of information. "According to the what I've gathered so far, the first piece is with a human girl from China, named Li Yue."
The holographic screen flickered, displaying a high school girl's picture and her info details. Ember's gaze swept across the data, and she examined it closely, trying to memorize the key points.
Puff continued. "She has died recently, but the system piece is still with her body. I tried to form a connection with her soul, and she demands that you fulfill her wishes and make up for her regrets. Only then will she allow us to take the piece back."
The entire space fell silent, the only sound being the steady beep of the system. Puff's glowing red eyes locked onto Ember's, and its computerized voice rang again.
"If you still want to find who 'they' are, you need to help me collect my missing pieces. When the pieces are in place, I will be able to retrieve the files that you want, and answer your questions. The choice is yours." It said with finality.
Ember's hands clenched tightly at her sides, her fingers digging deep into her palms. She took a deep breath, and firmly replied. "Fine. I'll do it." her words, echoing in the silence with her determination.
Puff's expression remained unchangeable, as it continued. "In that case, you need to form a contract with me using your soul. Once that's done, I'll be bound to you and you'll be connected with the system."
She nodded, taking in the information. "This way, the system will be able to help you during your tasks as well."
A short pause followed, and then Puff asked, its words more formal, "So, Miss Ember Wilson, do you accept to form a contract with Crimson Eye?"
The screen flashed, presenting Ember with two options, yet again: first, "Accept", glowing in bright green above, and the second, "Reject", emblazoned in bold, crimson red below.
But this time, she didn't hesitate and quickly pressed "Accept." She was determined to find the truth, to not die anymore but to live.
With the option selected, the screen brightened up, an intense, bright glow that made her close her eyes. The fierce light, cut through the darkness and occupied everything as a whole.