Chapter 3 | System Anomaly
The room's lighting shifted subtly, adjusting to the ideal brightness. Golden morning light filtered through the smart curtains, casting a warm glow on the plush carpet.
Serra lowered her gaze, staring at the thin layer of sweat in her palm. Her fingertips had turned slightly pale from clenching too hard.
She forced herself to breathe steadily—slow, even.
She could not let Lucien notice anything unusual.
She knew the system was watching.
There were no visible cameras, but this room itself was a surveillance device. The walls were lined with intelligent sensors capable of monitoring her heart rate, body temperature, and even micro-expressions.
If anything deviated from the preset norms…
Emergency reset protocol would activate.
Her fingers subtly brushed the edge of the bedsheet, feeling the softness of the fabric—a calculated comfort simulation.
It was all artificial.
Just like Lucien's tenderness.
Or was it?
Serra's gaze flickered toward him. Lucien still sat at the edge of the bed, his long fingers idly tapping against his coffee cup—a rhythm too precise, too controlled.
That movement…
She had seen it before.
A flicker of something—a buried memory, an error, a missing frame.
She had realized something once.
And then it had been erased.
Her fingertips curled into the sheets.
She had to find a way to test this.
---
"The weather looks nice today."
Serra's voice was light, casual. She even smiled as she stretched her arms.
Lucien blinked once before smiling. "Yes, a perfect day for a walk."
His tone was smooth, warm—just as it always was.
But Serra caught it.
A pause.
A fraction of a second, but it was there.
A normal person would instinctively check external factors—the sky outside, the temperature, the scent of the air.
Lucien didn't.
His response had been instantaneous, like retrieving a pre-programmed answer.
He was calculating.
Serra's pulse quickened, but she kept her expression neutral.
"Let's go to the park, then?"
Lucien's dark eyes flickered.
Another pause.
Serra held her breath.
The system was evaluating her request.
Two seconds.
Three.
Then—Lucien smiled again. "Alright."
He agreed.
Serra carefully concealed her relief, nodding naturally. "I'll get changed."
Lucien stood up, placing his coffee cup on the nightstand. His voice was calm as always. "I'll wait outside."
He walked to the door, fingertips brushing the smart panel beside it.
The door unlocked with a quiet click.
Serra's pupils constricted.
The door was locked.
If she hadn't asked to leave, it wouldn't have opened.
That meant—
This wasn't a home.
It was a controlled environment.
As Lucien stepped out, light from the hallway reflected off the screen on the far wall, revealing a faint stream of hidden data.
[Subject 043 | Memory Adjustment In Progress | Compatibility Optimization: 98.76%]
Serra's breath caught.
Her formatting process was still running.
The system was still modifying her memory, making sure she continued to love Lucien exactly as designed.
A cold chill spread down her spine.
She clenched the sheets beneath her fingertips.
She had to stay calm.
She had to pretend nothing was wrong.
Serra exhaled slowly, lifted her gaze, and smiled at Lucien. "I'll be quick."
Lucien returned her smile before stepping outside. The door slid shut behind him.
The lock indicator flashed red again.
Serra stood in the center of the room, heartbeat pounding in her ears.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her rapid pulse beneath her skin.
She had to escape.
Her gaze shifted to the window.
A vast cityscape stretched beyond the glass, suspended roadways and autonomous vehicles flowing smoothly along their tracks.
But the window wasn't real.
The entire view was a projection.
This wasn't an apartment.
This was a simulation.
Her fingers curled.
She had been deceived.
Again.