Chapter 3:Night of awakening

Zappy's Activation

Kael was drained—both body and mind.

Dinner had been more than just a meal. His father's firm yet reassuring words, his mother's gentle encouragement, and the weight of the expectations placed upon him—it all settled heavy on his shoulders. The awakening ceremony had been one thing, but the realization that his journey had just begun? That was something else entirely.

After dragging himself to bed, he let out a long breath, staring at the ceiling. His muscles ached from the surge of energy earlier, and his thoughts blurred between excitement and exhaustion. He wanted to process everything, but sleep claimed him before he had the chance.

And then—

"Initializing… Synchronizing with host… Neural link stabilizing."

A faint, mechanical hum resonated in the depths of his subconscious.

"Energy pathways detected. Cognitive adaptation in progress."

Kael's fingers twitched, but he remained deep in sleep. His mind drifted in a vast, empty void, weightless and calm. Until—

"System online. Fully synchronized."

A voice.

Calm. Neutral. Artificial.

Kael mumbled, half-trapped in his dream. "Wha…?"

"Diagnostic complete. Host is stable. Awaiting input."

A frown creased his sleepy face. "Shit too much talking… shut up, Zappy…"

"Name registered: Zappy."

A moment of silence.

"Zappy is now online."

Kael rolled over in bed, completely unaware that he had just named the most advanced AI in existence like a pet.

---

The Morning After

Kael's body still felt heavy when he woke up, the lingering fatigue from his awakening refusing to fade completely. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over his room. He let out a groggy sigh, rolling onto his side, his mind still sluggish.

And then—

"Good morning, Kael."

His eyes snapped open.

His drowsiness evaporated instantly.

"Who…?" His heart pounded as he sat up, scanning the room. No one. Just the familiar sight of his neatly arranged shelves, his desk, and the faint hum of automated house systems running in the background.

"I am Zappy. Your neural assistant."

Kael stiffened. The voice was inside his head.

Memories of last night flickered through his mind—the strange voice in his dreams, his half-asleep mumbling—the name.

"Wait… tell me I didn't actually call you Zappy."

"You did. Name registration is permanent."

Kael buried his face in his hands. Great. Just great.

"No, no, no—this has to be a mistake. What even are you?"

"I am an adaptive AI, directly linked to your brain. I analyze information, assist in decision-making, and optimize combat efficiency. My primary function is to aid your growth."

Kael's brows furrowed. His mind was still struggling to grasp the situation. An AI? In my head? His thoughts raced. This wasn't normal. There was no mention of something like this happening during awakenings.

"You're saying… you were always inside me?"

"Unknown. Data is insufficient. However, my activation coincided with your awakening. It is likely I was dormant until now."

Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. This was too much. Yesterday, he was just an ordinary kid preparing for his awakening. Today, he had an AI talking in his head. A talking AI that he had accidentally named Zappy.

"I don't know if I can just… accept this." His voice was quiet, uncertain.

"Your response is logical. You are experiencing cognitive dissonance."

"You don't say."

Kael sighed, lying back down. His body still felt like it had been through hell. His mind wanted to reject everything, to call this some weird after-effect of awakening. But deep down, he knew it wasn't. This was real.

Still, accepting it outright? That wasn't happening. Not yet.

"Alright, ground rules." He rubbed his temples. "No talking unless I ask you to."

"Understood."

"No interfering with my thoughts without permission."

"Acknowledged."

"And… no commentary when I'm eating."

"Processing… Request accepted."

Kael sighed. He still wasn't sure how he felt about this. But one thing was clear—his life had just become far more complicated.

And Zappy?

"Zappy is pleased to be here."

Kael groaned. This was going to take some getting used to.