________
Some time later…
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The room was a chilling void of sound, illuminated by the cold, flickering blue light of the crystals embedded in the ancient stone walls.
With her head lowered in a position that was far from natural, 2B knelt on the floor with her knees pressed against the uneven stone, defeat ingrained in every molecule of her being. Her hands were bound behind her back with glowing golden runes that pulsed in slow, rhythmic waves, their magic a weight that pressed intrusively against her body.
Her feeling was betrayed by her clenched jaw and the slight tremor in her cyber muscles, but her blindfold concealed the storm behind her eyes very well. Combat protocols buzzed, her energy reserves changed in anticipation of an attack, and her systems cried out for action.
But the restraints held her in place, blocking her commands and forcing her into the suffocating stillness.
[Combat directive: Suppressed.]
[Pod connections: Disabled.]
[Override functions detected… unable to resist.]
Every time a system alert appeared on her interface, it was like a blow, a physical reminder of her powerlessness.
This wasn't her. This couldn't be her.
She was designed for accuracy, command, and action. But now, she knelt like a helpless doll on exhibit.
Seluvis paced around her, his boots echoing faintly against the stone floor. She felt his arrogant smugness, which seemed to permeate the air, grating against her senses.
"You've performed admirably, my dear. Oh, yes. A truly fascinating subject." he praised, his voice dripping with condescension. "But even you must have realized by now that resistance is futile."
Her fists clenched tighter behind her back, her synthetic skin pulling taut over her knuckles. She wanted to strike, to stop his voice, to put an end to his sick game, with all of her strength. Her defiance was choked by the unknown restraints, whose magic twisted through her systems like intrusive roots.
"You're silent now." Seluvis continued, his tone mocking. "Good. That will serve you well in the presence of her."
His words sent a chilly shiver down her spine. Even though the blindfold blocked her vision, her eyes moved a little.
"Oh, do not fret." He crouched to meet her lowered face and crooned. "You'll be on your best behavior. I can guarantee that." With a snap of his fingers, the restraints were adjusted, causing her head to tilt downward in a mocking sign of submission and her posture to straighten.
Her internal systems flared with suppressed commands and error messages flooding her interface as her body moved against her will.
[Override detected. System integrity compromised.]
No. Stop this.
The words screamed in her mind, but her lips remained still. She was not designed to handle the feeling, but it now consumed her like wildfire, a foreign rage that burned deep within her chest.
He is not my master! Why can't I fight back? Why—
The faint sound of footsteps interrupted her spiraling thoughts. The gentle rustle of fabric accompanied their slow, deliberate pace. The temperature in the room seemed to drop as an otherworldly presence swept in, pressing against her sensors like a physical weight.
Seluvis stood sharply, his smugness tempered by respect. "Lady Ranni." he said in a polished and practiced voice. "You honor me with your visit."
Silvery light glistened on Ranni's pale, ethereal form as she stepped out of the shadows. Her azure eye glinted faintly, but her face was mostly hidden by her wide-brimmed hat. She was surrounded by an aura that was both oppressive and oddly calm, which made 2B's artificial body shiver.
Ranni's delicate hand rose, her slender finger pointing directly at 2B. Her voice, a lilting melody laced with quiet authority, cut through the still air. "This one. What creation is this, Seluvis? Hath thou brought forth yet another trinket for thine amusement?"
Seluvis, ever the sycophant, swept into an exaggerated bow, gesturing toward 2B as if unveiling a masterpiece. "Indeed, my lady. A marvel from beyond this realm, crafted by incomprehensible art. She is—"
"A weapon." Ranni's voice, though soft, silenced him like a blade drawn against his throat. She moved closer, her piercing azure gaze fixed upon 2B, dissecting her with an intensity that felt as though it could peel back the layers of her being. "And yet… she doth kneel. Wherefore?"
Seluvis's confident grin faltered. He stammered, his hands fluttering in an attempt at explanation. "Ah, well, my lady, she had been subdued. She—"
Ranni's tone grew colder, her words biting. "Thou dost misconstrue my meaning, Seluvis. I question not the posture, but her spirit. Doth she kneel willingly, or hast thou broken her will?"
The question struck 2B like a hammer. Deep within her, systems churned, dragging buried doubts to the surface.
Willingly? Nay. Never willingly. Yet… I kneel. Bound by programming, by directives I cannot disobey. But is that all I am? A tool? A thing, forged to serve without question?
Ranni's gaze lingered, heavy and unrelenting. The silence stretched, suffocating, as though the very air had turned against her. Every fiber of 2B's being strained against the magical binds holding her, the desperation to answer clawing at her mind like an unhealed wound.
Seluvis's nervous laughter broke the tension. "Of course, my lady, she is under my absolute control. A creation such as this must need to be guided, for to grant it freedom would be folly indeed."
Ranni's eyes narrowed, and her tone became cutting. "Control, Seluvis, is but a fragile tether. Beware, lest it fray and fail thee."
Turning her full attention back to 2B, Ranni seemed to loom larger, the chill in the air sharpening. "Tell me, machine. If thou wert loosed from these chains, what then? Wouldst thou strike him down? Flee to the wilds? Or stand idle, lost and purposeless, as a blade without a hand to wield it?"
2B's fists clenched so tightly her synthetic joints strained, the motion almost imperceptible beneath her stillness.
Ranni's words cut deeper than Seluvis's mocking ever could because, for the first time, 2B realized she had no answer. Everything had been lost to her since she was unable to access the database to recover her memories.
What would she do? Her silence was not her own, yet it betrayed her all the same.
Ranni tilted her head, as though peering into the very core of her. After a long moment, she stepped back, her expression unreadable. "Intriguing." she murmured, almost to herself. "Yet thou dost underestimate her, Seluvis. Heed my words… this one may yet surprise thee."
Seluvis bowed low, relief flickering across his features. "Thy wisdom, my lady, knoweth no bounds."
Ranni's form began to fade, her voice lingering like frost in the air. "Thou art arrogant, Seluvis. Tread carefully, for it is folly to think a weapon cannot turn upon its master."
The chamber door closed softly behind her, leaving 2B and Seluvis alone in the chilling silence. Seluvis's demeanor shifted instantly, his sneer returning as he circled her like a vulture. "Ah, how cunning you are to feign such innocence and draw even Lady Ranni's eye."
He leaned closer, his voice a venomous whisper. "But you are mine, puppet. Whatever foolish notions stir within your metal construct, know this: your purpose is mine to command, and mine alone."
For the briefest moment, something surged within 2B—a spark, a flicker of rebellion that burned against the chains binding her. She remained silent, but in the back of her mind, a single thought sparked, as steady as a flame in the dark.
A spark of rebellion bloomed with the core of a certain android.