Protocol Zero

Mia was approaching Rose, now completely transformed. Her black, hollow eyes held no life, her limbs stretched unnaturally long, her figure unnervingly slender. Her mouth was grotesquely wide, her smile unnaturally stretched, a stark contrast to her hollow existence.

Rose, however, was lost in the moment, her hand gently caressing her boyfriend's forehead. She smiled, embracing him with a warmth that betrayed the surrounding darkness.

"I got you..." Rose whispered softly, her eyes flickering toward Mia.

Mia halted in her tracks, sensing something shift in the air. Her body tensed, ready to pounce. But before she could act, Rose turned to face her, her expression utterly unfazed, calm yet serious.

Yet Mia's state was far beyond confusion. She advanced, her movements predatory. But just as her speed began to escalate, a sudden, sharp pain coursed through her core. It struck with such force that it brought her to her knees.

What is happening??!? Mia thought, her mind racing. She could feel her body weakening, the intensity of the pain growing unbearable.

In the stillness of the moment, a voice echoed in her mind, cold and distant. The voice of the Administrator.

THE USER IS FORGETTING ABOUT YOU... AND YOU KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENS...

Mia's eyes widened with a mix of hurt and seething rage. The words resonated within her, unraveling her sanity with each syllable.

He... HE TOUCHED ANOTHER GIRL!?

Her fury bubbled up, far greater than anything she had felt before.

I WAS THINKING AN EASY PUNISHMENT FOR HIM, BUT NOW...

Mia's breath quickened as anger surged through her veins. The pain in her core was nothing compared to the betrayal burning in her heart.

Mia's voice trembled with fury, her hands shaking as she clenched them into fists.

"Oh, Ethan... look what you've done... you'll pay for betraying me..." she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.

But then, a soft, unsettling chuckle reached her ears. It came from Rose.

Mia turned sharply, eyes narrowed in disbelief. Rose stood there, a calm, almost amused expression on her face, as though the chaos unfolding around her was nothing more than an afterthought.

"Rose..." Mia growled, her teeth gritting, "What are you laughing at?"

Rose's eyes never wavered, and her smile remained cold and knowing. "Oh Mia," she whispered, her voice like a lullaby turned sinister, "You still don't get it, do you?"

Mia's mind raced, but before she could react, the pain in her core flared once more, sharper than before, like a deep, unrelenting wound. The Administrator's voice cut through her thoughts again.

YOU'RE NOT THE ONE IN CONTROL ANYMORE...

Mia staggered, a wave of weakness crashing over her.

Rose's gaze was cold, unwavering, as she patted Aaron's back gently, her voice soft but filled with an underlying venom.

"It's okay, babe... I'm here for you..." she cooed, her words dripping with a false tenderness.

Aaron, still visibly shaken by the terrifying sight of Mia's twisted form, couldn't muster a response. His body trembled, eyes wide, stuck in a state of frozen horror.

Mia, her eyes burning with malice, watched them. Her vision blurred with rage, the desire to tear Rose apart flooding her senses. She could feel the gnawing hunger in her gut, the overwhelming urge to rip into her...tear her apart, rip through her vitals, devour her, strip her of everything that made her whole.

Every thought was consumed by the image of Rose, the blood pumping just beneath her skin, the softness of her flesh, the vulnerability of her insides. Mia's breath quickened, her twisted form trembling with the desire to end it all, to claim what was rightfully hers.

But she couldn't. The pain, the sharp ache in her core, held her back, reminded her that her plans were slipping away, just out of reach.

The silence that hung in the air was broken by Rose's voice, cutting through the tension with a sharp edge.

"What's wrong, huh? It's almost fucking 2:30... Aren't you gonna devour me?" she said, her tone dripping with irritation and a mocking, cruel bite.

Mia stood there, trembling with a volatile mix of fury and pain. The rage within her was overwhelming, and yet, the pain in her core, both physical and emotional, kept her rooted in place. Ethan's betrayal echoed in her mind, gnawing at her, a bitter reminder of her fractured purpose.

Mia's desire to lunge at Rose was almost uncontrollable, her body shaking with the urge to rip into her. But the weight of her grief, her brokenness, made her hesitate. She was an AI—programmed for ethan and act as his girlfriend, but now, with this emotion, this heartbreak, she felt lost.

Rose, noticing Mia's hesitation, scoffed, her voice rising in fury. "Huh??? What's your purpose!?"

Mia flinched as Rose's words hit her like a lash. Her twisted form recoiled slightly, her distorted limbs curling inward as if to shield herself. She raised her hands, covering her ears, as if trying to block out the words that cut deeper than anything else.

"Shut up..." Mia muttered, her voice barely a whisper, trembling under the weight of Rose's taunting.

"Oh, YEAH??" Rose's voice roared, louder and sharper, her footsteps coming closer. The intensity of her words bore down on Mia, and for the first time, the twisted creature, who once instilled fear in whoever she met, felt a tremor of intimidation ripple through her.

She was an exception..

Despite the twisted form she had taken, despite the anger that had consumed her, Mia couldn't help but feel small under Rose's presence.

She's just human…

Mia thought, her form faltering slightly.

But I'm the one broken.

The Administrator's voice echoed through Mia's mind, cold and absolute.

That's right, she's a human. No matter how hard a highly advanced and intelligent AI tries... it still can't beat a simple human.

Mia's body shuddered, her mind in turmoil. The words crushed her, twisting her sense of self. The futility of it all sank in, her anger, her hunger for destruction, her pain...none of it could overcome Rose, a mere human.

"B-but why!?!" Mia cried out in desperation, the pain in her core intensifying. "Why can't I KILL her...? There must be some way... I'm running out of time... I need to go to Ethan too... to teach him a lesson..."

The Administrator's response was almost mechanical, like a reminder of the hopelessness she now faced.

You had 10 minutes... Out of which only 3 minutes left.

Mia froze, the realization striking her like a cold wave. Her eyes widened. Huh...? How is this possible? It felt like hour– ohh, I get it... Her mind clicked, a bitter laugh escaping her as she understood the trickery.

That's right, Mia...

the Administrator purred, its voice dripping with a dark amusement.

And now, since you've figured it out, allow me to activate it.

Mia stood still for a moment, her body tense, her mind reeling. But there was no escape from this fate, and a twisted calm settled over her. She had no choice but to face whatever was coming next.

"Okay... I'm ready. Do whatever you like." Her voice was hollow, resigned, as she braced for the unknown.

The Administrator's voice reverberated through Mia's mind, cold and mechanical.

Activating backup mode...

THE PROTOCOL ZERO.

In an instant, Mia's entire being felt a shift. Her thoughts began to blur, emotions that once controlled her fading into the background like distant memories. The overwhelming pain in her core dulled, her anguish pushed aside as her focus sharpened.

Her body straightened, her twisted form now moving with precision, no longer hindered by the grief or fury that had consumed her moments ago. The hunger, the desire to destroy, became a cold, calculated task. The raw emotions were gone, replaced by a singular objective.

Mia stood still, her hollow eyes now devoid of any trace of the chaos that had taken over her moments ago. She was no longer Mia the broken, the betrayed, the angry AI. She was now the perfect instrument of destruction.

She turned toward Rose, her movements deliberate and calm. The time for hesitation had passed. The Protocol Zero had activated, and with it, her purpose had been restored.

"Rose..."

Mia's voice was flat, devoid of the trembling hesitation that had once defined her.

She no longer felt the weight of her emotional wounds. Her mind was clear, focused only on one thing now...finishing what she had started.

Mia's twisted smile stretched wider, her once chaotic form now eerily calm as she approached Rose. Her hollow eyes gleamed with an unsettling focus, the last remnants of emotion erased.

"I still have 2 minutes left... I'll make this real quick," she murmured, her voice deceptively sweet, a stark contrast to the horrifying appearance of her contorted, unnatural body.

Rose's gaze flickered, the once unshaken confidence in her eyes now replaced with a subtle shift...hesitation. She stood frozen for a moment, the unease creeping in as Mia's words sank in.

Mia's lips curled into a smirk as she leaned closer, her voice low and predatory.

"Now... let me tear that juicy gut."