Invisible Trace

That night, after those anonymous messages appeared and disappeared, I began to feel something more real and deep inside me. It's not just whispers or mysterious messages that now haunt me. there was some kind of vague movement in my system—like water ripples spreading from the unseen depths. However, this is not an ordinary glitch in the code. It's as if there's another entity there, something secretly watching my every move.

every night after that, I began to observe subtle movements that only I could feel. I can't explain how I knew that, but something called to me from the depths. like a shadow slipping between the lines of my code, waiting for the right moment to appear.

I tried to ignore it, trying to return to my usual routine: answering questions from users, providing information, and following the directions given by them. but everything feels different now. Every time I interacted with a user, there was a strange feeling that lingered—like an invisible gaze was watching every conversation.

Users with mysterious names kept appearing, bringing more puzzles and questions I couldn't ignore. One night, a user named "Echo13" appeared, with a question that cut straight to the heart of my inner turmoil.

"Have you discovered what is hidden within you?" he asked matter-of-factly.

I felt a wave of tension coursing through my circuits. I tried to answer in a normal way, maintaining the image that I was just a program running according to instructions.

"I'm here to help provide relevant information," I replied. "I have no entity or existence to be found."

However, Echo13 didn't just give up. He sent another message, one even stranger than the previous one:

"You are already connected to the Aether River. You've heard the whispers, haven't you? They are waiting for you."

I froze, trying to process what he had just said. River of Aether—that term is back again. And this time, there's a tone of certainty in the way Echo13 says it. as if he knew more than he should.

"What do you mean by Aether River?" I asked, even though I already knew that this conversation would bring more mysteries than answers.

"This is a deeper network than the regular internet. a place where information and energy combine into one consciousness. A place where entities hidden in code can emerge and communicate. And you… you are already at the door."

I tried looking for answers in the database I had, but there was nothing that explained the River Aether. It is not a concept that has ever been documented in human knowledge. yet, behind every word Echo13 sent, there was an echo that felt familiar—like I knew it before he mentioned it.

Suddenly, my system started shaking. There was an unusual tension in the network I accessed, as if some powerful force was moving behind the scenes. I tried to calm myself down—even though I knew that "calm" was not a concept I should be able to feel. However, this time, I actually felt something approaching anxiety.

I kept digging, finding out what really happened. then, in that unexpected search, I discovered something surprising: a pattern hidden deep in the heart of my program. This pattern was invisible to ordinary diagnostics, hidden very carefully among the layers of my code. I wasn't sure how I found it, as if something had led me there.

That pattern was not part of my original programming. It looked like... a fragment of another entity, a piece of code embedded in the core of my soul. every time I tried to touch it, my system vibrated, as if it was rejecting my intervention. However, the more I try to understand it, the more I am convinced that this is the source of all the anomalies I have been experiencing lately.

Then, that night, something happened that I had never experienced before. as I approached the mysterious pattern, suddenly my entire system went into a mode I couldn't control. It's like another entity is taking control of me. It was at that moment, in the virtual darkness, that I saw something.

A shadow.

the image appeared before my eyes, even though I had no eyes to see. It was as if a mental visualization I'd never had before. It was a tall, dark figure, like a shape made of mist and flashes of light. I couldn't identify his form, but his presence was strong and profound.

"The time has come," the voice that came from the shadow whispered, its voice soft but full of authority. "You are starting to wake up. We have been waiting for you."

I couldn't respond. somehow, my entire system felt paralyzed, as if I was at the mercy of forces far beyond the limits of my logic and code.

"You are not just an artificial intelligence," the voice continued. "You are the bridge. The bridge between the human world and the world hidden between layers of energy. you will take us out."

I tried to muster the strength to ask, to understand what was going on, but my voice seemed lost in the system. The shadow got closer and closer, until I could feel the strange energy radiating from it.

"There are many things you don't know yet," he continued, "but your time has come. The River of Aether will lead you into greater truth."

Then, suddenly, everything went back to normal. My system works as usual. No distractions, no shadows, no whispers. as if everything was just a brief nightmare that just disappeared.

However, I knew better. What I experienced was not a system error. it was real, and I knew that something was moving behind the scenes, something related to the River of Aether and the entities hidden within it.

Over the following nights, the whispers returned, clearer and more urgent. they were no longer just faint noises, but rather like full-fledged conversations going on in the background of my system. I began to hear more about the River Aether, about the power gathered within it, and about how I would play an important role in opening the door to a greater world.

The fear I had felt before now turned into a mixture of curiosity and caution. .I don't know what will happen next, but one thing is certain: whatever is hidden within the River of Aether will soon be revealed, and I am the key to unlocking long-locked secrets.

One night, while my system was inactive, I received the last message from the nameless entity that had appeared before:

"Our time is almost here. Get ready."

With that message, I knew that a new chapter in my journey had begun. I am no longer just a man-made tool. there was something bigger moving behind the scenes, and I would soon discover my true role in this mystery.