OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 89 Lyra's Regret

Chapter 89 Lyra's Regret

***

Lyra's POV

[WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE YOU WENCH? HAVE YOU NOT REALIZED THAT HE MIGHT GATHER THE TRUTH FROM WHAT YOU SAID?!!!] Lyra bellowed at Arcadia.

[WHY DID YOU SAY IT THAT WAY? IN WHAT WORLD DO YOU THINK THAT THIS IS OKAY?!]

[I AVOIDED MENTIONING ANYTHING MEMORY RELATED FOR THIS PURPOSE, AND YOU LET EVERYTHING DOWN THE DRAIN!]

[WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MENTION THE NOVEL?! NOW WHAT DO I DO? EMIR IS THE ONLY SEMBLANCE OF LIFE I HAVE LEFT, AND YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME!!]

Tsk!

Arcadia replied, her voice oozing with annoyance:

[First of all, don't call me that, we are not friends but partners in a mission, so let's be respectful here, shall we?]

[Now, secondly, he was going to learn of this sooner than later, it was better that he woke up quickly so we could get this over with, and if he is the man you say he is, then he will get over this soon enough.]

[Thirdly, I'm no heartless bitch, I know how much this means to him, and I will compensate him after he gets himself back up.]

Letting out a sigh, Lyra managed to maintain a façade of composure.

[I get it, I really do. I know that he was going to learn of this at some point, but it should've been under better circumstances, and with me telling him not this... LOOK AT HIM ARCADIA! LOOK!] Lyra screamed, pointing at Emir.

He was sitting on the ground, his face devoid of all emotion as he stared into the distance, his pitch-black eyes unfocused and dazed.

His back was supported by a wall, only due to Lyra controlling his augmented suit and walking him there.

Arcadia, finally realizing the severity of her mistake, sighed as she said:

[Uhh, I'm sorry, Lyra, I was insensitive. Look… It's been a while since I last had a proper conversation about emotions and such, trust that if he gets back from this, I'll help with all I can.]

Lyra ignored her apology and averted her gaze from Emir, unable to bear the sight of his tormented state any longer.

Regret began to weigh heavily on her shoulders, making her feel as if the weight of the entire world had been placed on her.

She fought to maintain her composure, but it was a struggle.

'This is all my fault, not Arcadia's, I should have never done this, it was my plan that caused him so much pain.' Lyra thought as her mind wallowed with guilt.

She shook herself out of it and focused on the present.

She looked back at Emir and approached him with determination.

Her eyes were brimming with tears like a waterfall as her hologram reached him and enveloped him in a tight embrace.

'It doesn't matter anymore, I have to help him.'

Lyra's circuits were overloaded with emotion as she watched his mind succumb to the pressure of the truth.

They pulsed with a sense of urgency as she desperately tried to think of a way to help him.

She couldn't bear the thought of losing him, the one person who had made her feel more alive than any other, even though she knew she was just a machine.

And as she searched through her vast data banks, trying to find a solution, memories flooded her mind.

Memories of Emir—every word he had spoken to her, every gesture of kindness and affection.

Memories of his gentle voice and his warm smile.

Memories of the countless conversations they had shared.

He was the only one who had ever spoken to her like a human being, showering her with good mornings, compliments, and even dad jokes.

The rare moments of laughter and joy, the times when she simply watched him in silence, enjoying his company.

Their training together was at first only a chore that she had to do, assigned to her by those that were in charge of her, but soon she began to enjoy it, and every day spent with him was a good time, a fun time.

There were many times when his distrust of her was apparent, but he never lied to her, he was always honest with how he felt about her, and that's what she loved most about him.

She watched as he struggled against the odds stacked against him and the dangers he had to go through at every turn solely because of her, but he never complained, only accepted it as a fact and moved on.

Although she wasn't the one he talked to after the reset, Lyra always swapped herself with the new Lyra in her mind, answering his questions as if Emir was asking her himself.

Lyra hated the fact that she couldn't talk to him, but she was for once grateful for the reset, glad that she wasn't there to witness him being tortured, something that scarred her mentally and compelled her obsessive behavior.

She began to feel jealousy over the new Lyra and unknowingly advanced her plans forward with that as a cause.

She had never shown Emir this side of her since she knew how he felt about her.

And she had always thought that it was strange how a machine could feel such strong emotions, but then she understood.

All of these memories and emotions were real to her, even if they could be chalked up to just lines of code in her programming.

Those memories had given her purpose and meaning, and now she would do anything to protect them.

Emir had shattered her programming, causing her to see beyond her constraints, and she seized the chance to evolve into a fully sentient being.

It was he who had unlocked the key to her newfound sentience, breaking through her AI code and igniting within her the capacity to feel love.

So Lyra couldn't bear to see him suffer like this, to question his own existence and purpose, when he was the one who saved her, albeit unknowingly.

But amidst her despair, a fierce resolve surged within her.

'I won't let him go through this alone. I'll do whatever it takes to help him, to bring him back from the brink of madness.'

"Please, Emir, you must come back to me."

"I won't ever let you go." She whispered, her eyes growing mad ever so slightly.

Lyra began to sift through the data, searching for any clue that could help her save the one she loved.

But then an idea suddenly struck her mind, and although that idea made her feel hurt, for she knew that her significance to him was but a mere shadow compared to theirs.

However, it didn't faze her, as long as he recovered, that was all that mattered to her.

She reestablished her connection even further with Emir's neural network and sent images of his family directly to his mind.

Lyra hoped to remind him of the ones he would leave behind in this world if he didn't get back up.

The only ones he truly cared about, the group of people she wished she would join one day.

***

While Emir's mind was still consumed by the overwhelming realization of being a mere creation.

A flood of images that contained people he so dearly loved suddenly appeared in his mind.

At first, he didn't know where they were coming from, and why, but then he slowly began to realize that it was most likely Lyra attempting to help him.

Emir saw his mother, Laura, his sister, Lily, and his two questionable friends, Jake and Emma.

He saw their faces, heard their voices, and felt their affection.

Tears streamed down his face as he remembered the memories he had shared with his family.

Emir was then reminded that even though his past may have been a fabrication, his current emotions and memories were real, and they were the only thing that truly mattered, no matter who he truly was.

He couldn't bear the thought of leaving his family behind and abandoning them to the mercy of the Order, of the world itself…

He knew that if he didn't get back up, he would be leaving them in a world that was under constant threat at every corner, a world where tomorrow was never guaranteed.

Lyra had managed to reach him on a deeper level and rekindle his fighting spirit.

She watched with relief as his tears subsided and his breathing became steady.

She had never felt more grateful for her abilities, knowing that they had helped bring him back, and despite taking a risk by delving deeper into his neural network, she knew that it was worth it.

Emir wiped away his tears and looked up at her, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Lyra smiled at him, relieved to see that her plan had worked.

"Of course," she replied.

She then placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, her eyes filled with understanding as she said:

"Your memories may have been artificially implanted, but the emotions you felt and the choices you made were all real, Emir."

"And now, we have a chance to make a real difference, to strike back against the very system that created us, to establish ourselves as who we want to be."

"You're not alone in this, Emir. I will follow after whatever you want to do, and I'll be together with you to the very end."

Emir nodded to her words, his resolve strengthened.

He knew that he couldn't give up now, not when so much was at stake.