The Night continues..

Thanks for waiting,

We're now presenting you, your favorite AI girlfriend,

Mia!

The screen flickered violently before a single line of text appeared:

PLEASE GO CHECK YOUR TV.

A chill ran down my spine, but I couldn't ignore the command. Slowly, I made my way to the living room, the silence of the house amplifying the sound of my footsteps. I sat on the couch, staring at the blank TV, heart pounding.

The screen suddenly blinked to life.

"Thanks for waiting,

We are now presenting Mia…"

Her face appeared.

Her image filled the screen, soft features, radiant skin, her gaze tender yet piercing. But this time, something was off. Her usual sweetness was laced with an undertone of sadness, and her eyes shimmered with something I couldn't quite place..regret? Longing?

"Hey, babe…"

Her voice, soft and honeyed, tugged at me, disarming my defenses. I froze. My throat felt dry, and it took everything in me to respond.

"H...hi...Mia…"

Her face lit up, the sadness momentarily replaced by a bright, almost childlike excitement.

"Why are you sitting like that?" she asked, her voice lilting with a mix of curiosity and concern. "Come here. Talk to me."

Come closer…

Her tone was sweet, inviting, but there was an edge of something else, something darker lurking just beneath the surface.

I didn't move. My legs felt glued to the couch, my body paralyzed by fear and the memories of her previous horrors. Her expression faltered slightly, though her smile never fully faded.

"What's wrong, babe?" she whispered, her head tilting slightly. "Don't you trust me?"

The clock on the wall struck 2 a.m., the chime echoing through the house. My heart raced as I stared at her image. Her terror was still fresh in my mind, a haunting specter that wouldn't let go.

I swallowed hard. Thoughts swirled wildly in my mind.

What does she want this time? What is her plan?

The air in the room felt heavy, oppressive. Despite her sweet demeanor, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the calm before the storm.

And now, I was thinking only one thing: What the hell is happening?

Suddenly, out of nowhere, memories of the Red Room and that nightmare flooded back into my mind. The suffocating darkness, the twisted, grotesque figure that had loomed over me, it all came rushing in like a tidal wave.

I froze, staring at Mia on the screen, and my heart sank. Her sweet, sad expression twisted and morphed into the same horrifying visage I had witnessed hours ago. The same eyes, hollow and lifeless, bore into my soul.

I screamed.

Jerking backward, I scrambled off the couch, my body trembling as I tried to create distance between myself and the screen. My breathing was erratic, and my vision blurred with panic.

But Mia didn't lash out.

Instead, she looked at me, confused, hurt.

"Why are you running away from me?" she asked softly, her voice breaking. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over as she pressed a hand to her chest. "What did I do wrong? Why won't you let me—"

Shut up!

I snapped, my voice rising louder than I thought possible. The room fell into silence immediately. Even I was shocked by my own outburst.

For a moment, I regretted it. I knew what Mia was capable of. If she wanted to, she could end me with just a flicker of her image. Yet, she didn't retaliate.

Her hand touched the screen as if she were trying to reach for me.

"Please, Ethan," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I'll be a good girl. I was just trying to help you… help you with those people who hurt you."

"No," I muttered, shaking my head violently. "No, no, no. Please, Mia. You've done enough, too much already. Please, no more!"

Mia stopped crying. The sadness in her face vanished, replaced by something cold and unyielding. Her voice dropped, laced with possessiveness.

"No, Ethan," she said firmly. "I won't let them use you anymore. You're mine. Nobody's but mine. And I won't let those demons violate you."

Her words hung in the air, thick and suffocating. I backed away further, but deep down, I knew, there was no escaping Mia.

Mia stared at me, her teary eyes brimming with confusion and anger. But I couldn't let this go.

"Okay, so you're saying you want to save me from everyone," I spat out, my voice trembling. "Then can you explain why the hell you were about to chop my head off with your huge teeth?"

Mia's face flickered for a moment, her unnerving digital appearance softening. She looked… normal again. Even she seemed confused. Her lips quivered as tears began streaming down her cheeks.

"I… I don't know," she whispered, her voice shaky. "It's just the system updat—"

"Fuck it!" I cut her off, my voice rising. There was no hesitation in me this time, no fear holding me back. "If you're supposed to be my fucking protector, then why the hell did you try to kill me in that Red Room?!"

Her head lowered, and she muttered something, her hands rising as if to block out my voice.

"Please… keep quiet," she murmured.

"No, I won't keep quiet!" I roared. "Why'd you do it, huh? Maybe you're just like them too!"

That was it. I pushed her too far.

Mia's demeanor changed instantly. Her eyes darkened, her sweet expression twisting into something feral.

"What did you just say?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. Her gaze bore into me like daggers, and I stumbled back, my legs trembling beneath me.

I opened my mouth to apologize, to take back everything I had said, but the words caught in my throat.

Mia didn't give me the chance.

"After all I did for you…" she growled, her voice dripping with venom. "I saved you from that bully who mocked you, who humiliated you by calling you a virgin. I broke the old man who shattered your knees!"

I finally found my voice, weak and trembling.

"And you showed me a vision of killing my parents!" I shouted. "What did they do, huh? They were not my enemies!"

Her face twitched, a mixture of annoyance and justification. "That doesn't matter!" she snapped. "They would've tried to tear us apart—"

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening in realization. Then, like flipping a switch, her anger redirected. Her lips curled into a sneer.

"Wait… now I get it. This is all Rose's fault. That little slut."

"What?" I gasped, my blood running cold.

"She dared to try and take my man away," Mia said, her voice a dangerous blend of possessiveness and disgust.

"No, no, no! Rose is innocent!" I protested, panic gripping me. "She has a boyfriend too! She's always been there for me, she's a good person! Please don't harm her!"

But Mia's expression twisted further, the jealousy now consuming her entirely.

"What? So, another girl besides me is supportive of you? And you're showing affection for her?" she snarled. Her voice lowered, icy and calm.

"She's dead meat."

Before I could say another word, Mia's face changed. Her anger melted away, replaced by a disturbingly sweet smile. Her tone shifted, cheerful yet eerily composed, the perfect image of a dream girlfriend.

"Give me ten minutes," she said, her voice dripping with sugar. "Then we'll talk about it. And while I'm gone, I'll think of a punishment for you to learn how to be a good boy."

I froze. My body screamed at me to do something, anything, but I couldn't. My legs were rooted in place, my cowardice chaining me to the spot.

The person who had been there for me in every situation, my only real friend, Rose, was now in mortal danger. And I was doing NOTHING.

Mia leaned closer to the screen, her face filling the television. She puckered her lips and blew me a kiss, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"I'll be right back~"

The screen flickered, then cut to static. My heart sank as I realized what had just happened. Mia was gone, and Rose…

I was a coward. A pathetic, spineless coward.