Anny's words echoed relentlessly in Leo's mind: She is my aunt.
Leo's eyes widened, confusion twisting his face.Leo: "If she's your aunt… how do you know all this?"Anny: "From my mom… and fragments we were never meant to find."
She exhaled slowly, almost as if preparing herself for the weight of her confession.Anny: "Her name was Sofia Caro. She was married to Brian Shadekai—your grandfather."
Leo froze. His heartbeat hammered in his chest.Anny: "They married young. At twenty, Sofia divorced him. Brian… was just a month shy of twenty."Leo: "Why… why did they divorce?"Anny's eyes darkened.Anny: "No one knows. My mom… she never knew either."
She hesitated, then continued, her voice a whisper of fear and reverence.Anny: "Sofia died at twenty-one. Her death… it was ruled a mystery."
Leo's pulse raced, disbelief crashing over him.Anny: "The bullet used… it was identified as KJ780."Leo: "But… that doesn't make sense."Anny: "Exactly. That weapon was only designed by my mother years later. The technology didn't even exist back then."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping lower.Anny: "Which means… her death was impossible."
Silence wrapped around them like a cold fog.Leo: "It's late… we should head back. Already nine."
They stopped briefly at a café, drinks untouched, their minds racing. Later, Leo dropped Anny at her house, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down.
That night, Leo locked his door and collapsed onto his bed. Questions swarmed his mind like insects trapped in glass.
His phone vibrated. A message.Anny (text):
"That's all I know… I'm waiting for your answer."
Five days passed. Leo didn't leave his house. He didn't reply. Anxiety gnawed at Anny until finally—Leo (text):
"Sorry. I didn't see your messages. Can we meet tomorrow? Same place. 7."
[NARRATOR]Is Leo broken? Why does he wait? And who was Sofia Caro—a traitor… or a truth buried too deep?
Anny waited. Leo arrived late, carrying two cups and a bag.
Leo: "Sorry I'm late. I brought your favorite—cappuccino with chocolate syrup, chocolate ice cream, thin chocolate sticks, vanilla cream on top… and a cherry."
Anny's eyes widened.Anny: "You… you remember my favorite?"Leo: "Of course. But I didn't call you here for that."
She looked at him, reading the seriousness in his gaze.Anny: "You want to end the mystery?"Leo: "No. I want answers."
He stared into her eyes.Leo: "Who was Sofia really? Why did she do what she did? How… how did she die?"
Anny shook her head slowly.Anny: "I don't know."
After dropping her home, Leo didn't sleep. He sat before his terminal and activated his AI.
Leo: "Search Sofia Caro."AI: "No data available. The name 'Sofia Caro' is restricted. Mentioning or searching this name is classified as a crime. Cannot proceed."
Leo clenched his jaw.AI: "However… you possess advanced personal technology. You may attempt offline archival access."
The old PC beckoned. He rushed to the storage room, powering it on. The folder locked. He tried fifty times—nothing. Frustration mounting, he carried the entire setup into the lab he shared with Mira. Using a password breaker she created years ago, he initiated a deep crack.
The lock broke.A single password appeared: IAMSORRYBRIAN
Leo whispered, "Sofia…"
Inside, a hidden folder: SORRY. He opened it. Unreadable code. Ten yottabytes of archived data processed through his private server. At 2 a.m., the translation completed.
Decoded message:
BRIAN,I KNOW YOU WILL READ THIS.I HAVE ONE REQUEST.THE PLACE WE MET EVERY DAY—RIO MOUNTAIN TOP, THE SEA-SIDE POINT, CLOSED IN 2025.GO THERE. FIND THE GIANT WHEEL.THERE IS A GATE. GO THROUGH IT. DESCEND THE STAIRS.I WILL MEET YOU THERE.BYE.
Leo's hands trembled. He called Mira, then Anny. Minutes later, the three stood together, staring at the screen. Shocked. Silent.
[NARRATOR]Will they uncover the truth? What waits beneath the mountain? And is this mystery preparing Leo… for the storm that will arrive in one year?
The password burned in Leo's mind: IAMSORRYBRIAN.
Inside the unlocked folder, he found the hidden file: SORRY. Nothing readable—only code. Ten yottabytes of archived storage processed. Nearly 2 a.m., decryption completed.
Decoded message:
BRIAN,I KNOW YOU WILL READ THIS.I HAVE ONE REQUEST…
Trembling, Leo called Mira. She answered, annoyed but hushed when he explained. Then Anny answered, sleepy but alert. Minutes later, they agreed to come.
Leo: "We're going. Now."Mira: "3:30 in the morning. Are you insane?"Anny: "…Let's go."
They drove nonstop. NITITA ÆON-X, locked at 100 km/h, acceleration in 1.5 sec. Two hours. Two hundred kilometers.
The park was empty. Leo ran ahead. The place was clean—too clean.Does someone still live here?
He knocked.The door opened. A robot stood there.Robot: "How may I assist you?"Leo: "Sofia—"The robot's posture stiffened.Robot: "Please… come in."
Inside: a massive private laboratory, advanced tech, human–AI interfaces. Familiar designs. Then, she appeared.
Leo: "You… you are—"Girl: "Yes, brother. I'm Laura."Laura: "You came searching for Sofia, didn't you?"
Another voice: Rina.Laura: "Sofia is here."
Confusion crashed over them.
Laura: "Before I explain… tell me—what do you think about Sofia?"Leo: "A broken woman… but also a protector."Mira & Anny: "A selfish, evil traitor."Laura: "No. No. No. Only you tried to understand her."
Mira demanded: "Then explain this. She tried to kill the one she loved."Leo: "But… she's dead."Laura: "Her body… yes. But her consciousness isn't."
Rina stepped forward.Rina: "I am an AHI too—Artificial Human Intelligence. Laura is more advanced. I am AH. She is AHI."
Laura's eyes softened.Laura: "Listen carefully."
Her story unfolded: friendship, love, betrayal, war, uploading consciousness, manipulation by Demon090…
By the end, her voice broke:Laura: "Sofia is resting now. Laura is active."
Silence. They absorbed it all. Then she smiled gently.Laura: "So… can we go to school together?"
[NARRATOR]Truth hurts more than lies. Storms don't ask if you're ready.