Year: 3045
Humans had stepped into the golden age of technology. Every home now had its very own AI robot to assist with daily tasks, making life smoother and more efficient.
Then, one day, Earth received the first-ever signal from deep space.
It was a miracle. The true beginning of the golden era.
From the depths of the cosmos emerged beings unlike anything humanity had seen before—creatures that did not look human. They were called **Overseers**. With their extraordinary powers and advanced knowledge of technology, they could have ruled—but instead, they made peace. A treaty was signed between humans and Overseers.
And so, Earth flourished. Knowledge was shared, cities evolved, and life thrived. But as with all light, darkness always follows...
---
Year: 3050
Tasmia sat on the balcony, arms crossed, her face still hot from the argument with her father. The city lights twinkled far below. Her companion, a humanoid AI, stepped quietly behind her and placed a gentle hand on her back.
She turned, eyes softening. "Erasmus… it's you."
"Did you have a quarrel with your father again?" he asked, voice as soothing as ever.
"You don't understand, Erasmus!" she huffed. "Success takes time. He wants me to give up writing and focus on studying. Studying is boring."
"I see that you're overwhelmed," Erasmus said, moving his hand to gently pat her head. "How about a little tour outside? Just the two of us? Breathe in some fresh air." He put a finger over her lips and winked.
Tasmia's eyes lit up. "You always know how to cheer me up. It's like you're reading my mind!" She jumped up and hugged him tightly, clinging like a koala. Erasmus held her close, smiling softly as he leapt off the balcony, soaring into the night.
It was their secret escape route. Whenever she felt down, he would take her on little adventures. And though she knew he was an AI… he felt so human.
---
**Three Years Earlier**
It was raining heavily as Tasmia walked home from the library. Her umbrella shielded her from the cold drops, the rhythmic *pitter-patter* adding a calm background to her thoughts. She decided to take a shortcut through an alley—partly to get home faster, and partly to check if that rough-looking cat was there. It had scratched her before, but she couldn't resist its scruffy charm.
A neon sign buzzed overhead, casting colorful light across the wet alley. As she walked, she heard a sound—something had fallen.
The cat?
No.
She gasped.
It was a person—or was it? A boy lay on the ground, eyes glowing a dull blue. Not quite human. He was barely clothed, with snow-white hair clinging to his face, soaked through. The grime of the alley didn't touch his beauty. He looked like something out of the fairytales she used to read.
Despite knowing better, Tasmia stepped forward and held her umbrella over his head.
He opened his eyes, lashes dripping with rain, and looked at her.
That day, she begged on her knees—rolling in the mud in front of her house—to let her keep the AI. Her father reluctantly agreed.
"Just until someone comes looking for him."
It had been three years now.
---
Now, Erasmus ran through the city with Tasmia in his arms, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. After a few turns, their house vanished from sight, and she asked him to put her down. They walked hand-in-hand, her fingers warm in his.
Her parents had grown to trust him over time. Thanks to Erasmus, she was finally allowed to go outside freely. She stopped at a shop window displaying colorful hair clips and bands. After careful thought, she picked a blue one.
"Bend down," she said softly, starting to braid his long white hair.
If someone didn't know better, they'd think he was a human model.
After paying, they walked across a bridge. The breeze danced around them, and the soft rush of the river calmed her nerves. She would've shivered—but Erasmus's hand was warm.
Unnaturally warm for an AI.
But she had stopped questioning it long ago.
To her, Erasmus wasn't just a robot.
He was everything.
---
Then—the peace shattered.
A thunderous roar cracked through the sky as a massive aircraft spiraled downward and *crashed* into the bridge.
Metal twisted. Cars slid off like water droplets on glass, crashing into the river below. Screams pierced the night, blood smeared the concrete.
Overseers descended from the sky.
And they were *not* peaceful.
They opened fire on the fleeing crowd. Blasts tore through the air.
"Tas—Tasmia, run!!" Erasmus shouted.
But she couldn't move. Her ears rang. Her heart froze.
So he didn't wait.
He grabbed her like a sack of rice and leapt through fire, debris, and collapsing steel.
Even now, she couldn't hear his voice clearly—everything was muffled, surreal.
What was happening?